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Key-statistics-cardiovascular-disease

Key statistics: Cardiovascular disease

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Key statistics: Cardiovascular disease

Statistics and information on cardiovascular disease in Australia. 

  • The information on this page is drawn from a variety of reputable sources including the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
  • This page is intended to be a helpful resource for anyone seeking reliable information on cardiovascular disease in Australia, including consumers, researchers, healthcare policy makers, media and health professionals.

Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term that includes heart and blood vessel diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease), and stroke, is one of Australia’s biggest health problems.

CVD accounts for one in four of all deaths, claiming the life of one person every 12 minutes.

Explore the statistics relating to CVD below.

Prevalence1

  • One in 6 people in Australia self-report as living with CVD, accounting for more than 4.5 million people.
  • This represents almost 18% of the total Australian population.
  • The number of people with CVD has decreased over time (declining approximately 80% since the 1980s), due to research into and improved knowledge of risk factors, medicines and interventions.
  • However, CVD is still one of the most prevalent health conditions in Australia.

Deaths2

  • CVD is a major cause of death in Australia; responsible for causing around one in four (24%) of all deaths.
  • This means that on average, around 120 people in Australia die from CVD each day, or one person every 12 minutes.
  • 40% more men die from CVD compared to women.*
  • People in lower socioeconomic groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those living in regional and remote areas, generally have higher rates of death due to CVD than other Australians4.*
  • Deaths from cardiovascular disease have decreased over the last 10 years.*

* After adjusting for population size and age distribution.

Hospitalisations3

  • Someone is hospitalised for CVD approximately every minute, equating to over 1500 hospitalisations per day. 
  • More men (40% more) than women are admitted for CVD each year. 
  • Approximately $5 billion is spent each year on public hospital services for people with CVD, accounting for 11% of the total spend on hospital admissions – the largest share of any disease group5
Infographic of cardiovascular disease statistics

Links to other statistics pages

A doctor holding a red heart with a stethoscope, symbolizing care and medical expertise.
Key statistics: Heart disease

Statistics and information on heart disease in Australia

key-statistics-heart-attack
Key statistics: Heart attack

Statistics and information on heart attack in Australia

risk-factors-for-cardiovascular-disease
Key statistics: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease

There are many different risk factors that increase your likelihood of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease.

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2023, National Health Survey 2022.

2. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2023, Causes of Death 2022, cat. no. 3303.0, October.

3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023, National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) 2021-22.

4. Interactive Heart Map Australia

5. AIHW 2022. Disease expenditure in Australia 2019–20. Cat. no. HWE 90. Canberra: AIHW

Last updated06 March 2024