Asthma (AIHW)

About asthma

Asthma is a long-term condition that affects a person's breathing. It is a significant cause of ill health and poor quality of life.

Asthma was declared a National Health Priority Area in 1999 because of its impact on the Australian community.

This is a snapshot of the latest statistics on asthma in Australia. More detailed information can be found in Asthma in Australia 2011, and in other publications from the AIHW and the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM).

Information in the asthma snapshot was last updated in December 2011.

That's over 2 million people.

in GP encounters by children for asthma between 1998–99 and 2009–10. That's from 30 to 17 encounters per 100 population aged 0–14.

For people aged 15+, this rate fell 39%, from 14 to 9 encounters per 100 population.

was spent on asthma in 2004–05.

That's 1.2% of all health expenditure.

hospital separations for asthma in 2009–10.

That's 0.5% of all separations.

deaths due to asthma in 2009.