Statistics

Asthma Statistics & Facts

Last updated 09/12/2025

Learn how asthma affects kids and the general public.

​

Asthma Stats – General	Asthma Stats – Kids
Download now	Download now

Impact of asthma

Nearly 2.8 million people have asthma in Australia, representing about 11% of all Australians (1). Asthma is a common chronic condition in children, with about 1 in 10 boys and 1 in 16 girls under 15 years having asthma (1).

Asthma has a major impact on individuals, their carers and Australia’s health system.

In 2023-2024 there were about 32,000 hospitalisations where asthma was the main cause (2). Almost half (43%) of these were for children aged 14 or under (2). 90% of asthma hospitalisations were considered potentially avoidable with optimised care in the community (2,3). People with asthma are more likely to report a poor quality of life, especially those with severe or poorly controlled asthma (4).

Asthma is the leading cause of disease burden for children 1 to 9 years old, and is the second leading cause for older children (aged 10-14 years) (5).

There were 478 deaths due to asthma in 2024, with twice as many women dying from asthma as men (6). The rate of deaths due to asthma decreased during COVID-19 pandemic measures, but overall has remained quite stable since 2012 (6,7). Asthma death rates are higher for people living in remote or lower socioeconomic areas, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (7, 8).

Asthma Australia is working to improve asthma management so fewer people die.

For more detailed information and asthma statistics click here.

The cost of asthma

The cost of asthma is measured by the long-term impact it has on the ability of people with asthma and their carer to participate in everyday life.

The estimated total cost of asthma in Australia in 2015 was $28 billion or $11,740 per person with asthma (9). The cost of asthma included

• $24.7 billion attributed to disability and premature death
• $1.2 billion on healthcare costs (including medication, hospital and out-of-hospital costs)
• $1.1 billion in loss of productivity
• $72.9 million in loss of wages for carers
• $289.4 million in income support for carers of people with asthma

Read more about the hidden cost of asthma here (7).

In 2023-24, asthma directly cost the health system $1.2 billion for services provided through general practice, hospitals, government funded medicines, dental services, allied health and referrals to specialists and testing (6). A study estimated that poorly controlled asthma costs the healthcare system about $4,600 per person per year.(11)

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Asthma [cited 2025 Nov 25]. .www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/asthma/latest-release
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Principal diagnosis data cubes. Separation statistics by principle diagnosis, Australia, 2023-24 [cited 2025 Jul 9]. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/principal-diagnosis-data-cubes/contents/summary 
3. AIHW. Data. Admitted patients care 2023-24, 8: Safety and quality of health systems. [cited 2025 Nov 25]. www.aihw.gov.au/hospitals/latest-updates-and-downloads/data
4. ABS. National Health Survey: First Results 2017-18. ABS Cat no. 4364.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS.
5. AIHW. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024 [cited 202 Nov 28]. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/australian-burden-of-disease-study-2024
6. ABS. Causes of Death, Australia, data cubes 2024 [cited 2025 Nov 14]. www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2024
7. AIHW. Asthma [cited 2025 Nov 25]. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/asthma
8. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & National Indigenous Australians Agency. Measure 1.04 Respiratory disease, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework website, 2023 [cited 25 November 2025]. www.indigenoushpf.gov.au/measures/1-04-respiratory-disease  
9. Asthma Australia and National Asthma Council Australia 2015. Hidden Cost of Asthma Report. Canberra: Deloitte Access Economics
10. AIHW. Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 [cited 2025 Dec 9]. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-system-spending-disease-injury-aus-2023-24
11. Lartey ST, Lung T, Serhal S, et al. Healthcare expenditure and its socio-demographic and clinical predictors in Australians with poorly controlled asthma. PLoS One. 2023 Jan 5;18(1):e0279748. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279748.