Message from the CEO
Australia’s health 2026 marks the 20th edition of the biennial health series by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). It forms part of the AIHW’s flagship products, with Australia’s health and Australia’s welfare released in alternate years.
Australia’s health is a trusted source of authoritative and accessible health-related information for decision makers, policy advisers, service providers, researchers, and the public. It provides contemporary insights into the nation’s health and wellbeing, highlights key developments in health data and emphasises the need for robust evidence to support timely, informed decision making across service delivery, policy and funding prioritisation.
As Australia’s health has done for almost 40 years, this report charts our nation’s progress while also informing priorities for future improvement.
At the time of the first release in 1988, Medicare had only been operating for 4 years. There was an increase in health policy relating to prevention, including the introduction of a nationwide smoking ban on domestic airline flights. The concept of burden of disease – now widely-used to estimate the total population impact of diseases, injuries, and risk factors – had not yet been developed. Population-based health surveys were expanding available data, in particular, enabling insights about the health of people with disability.
In the years since, Australia’s life expectancy has increased but the gains have slowed. Chronic conditions are responsible for the majority of deaths and disease burden. As the population ages, dementia has emerged as Australia’s leading cause of death. Hospitals are under increased pressures, prompting new models of care, such as Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. The impacts of poor mental health, and the importance of diagnosing and managing mental health conditions are increasingly recognised. Deaths from cardiovascular disease have declined owing to improvements in detection, prevention and care, along with declines in tobacco smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Improvements in cancer survival are another substantial public health gain.
Telehealth is making health services more accessible, particularly for people living in remote areas, and captioning helps support people with communication. Medical equipment, from personal monitoring devices to MRI scanners, is increasingly available nationwide. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also supporting diagnostics, documentation, risk assessment, and clinical decision making in various health settings.
While there have been significant improvements in social determinants and health outcomes for First Nations people, continued efforts are needed from governments, policy makers and service providers to address disparities. The AIHW has recently established a First Nations Governance Group which operates as a strategic partnership between First Nations people who have significant sectoral experience and the AIHW. Its purpose is to inform the AIHW in their commitment to transformed relationships with First Nations communities and ensure that First Nations knowledges, perspectives, and priorities guide the development, use, and dissemination of information and evidence relating to First Nations people.
Today, the integration of health and welfare data is enabling valuable new insights into how Australians interact with services and systems, which is essential for the care of people with complex or long-term needs. For example, people moving between health, disability and aged care systems as their support and care needs change. Important data gaps persist, with robust national primary care and health workforce data still lacking for example.
In 2026, Australia’s health comprises 2 products:
- Australia’s health 2026 (this report) – presents the latest key findings and a selection of short topic-based narratives, offering insights into contemporary health and wellbeing issues.
- Australia's health topic summaries – a collection of 65 web pages providing comprehensive statistics on health, the health system and health services, as well as key data improvement activities.
I extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed to this report and acknowledge the valuable insights and input provided by many experts and consumers during the process.
We are committed to improving the usefulness and relevance of our flagship reports and welcome your feedback via [email protected].
Chief Executive Officer, AIHW
