Number of new cases
In 2024, it is estimated that there were 7,265 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in people aged 50–74 (around 47% of all bowel cancer diagnoses). Bowel cancer was the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australians of all ages (after prostate cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma of the skin) in 2023 (AIHW 2024).
-
Target age group (50–74 years)
7,265 new cases estimated for 2024
96 new cases per 100,000 target-age people (ASR)
-
All ages
15,542 new cases estimated for 2024
47 new cases per 100,000 people (ASR)
Bowel cancer risk increases with age. In 2024, the incidence rate was expected to remain higher for people aged 45 and over than for younger people (Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1: Age-specific incidence rates of bowel cancer, by sex, Australia, 2024
This line chart shows the age-specific bowel cancer incidence rate for males, females and persons. It shows that the rate of bowel cancer will be lower in people aged under 45 and that it will increase in the older age groups, for both males and females. Males will have higher incidence rates than females for age groups from 45–49 to 85+.
| Age group | Males | Females | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 5–9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 10–14 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| 15–19 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 4.4 |
| 20–24 | 4 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| 25–29 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 6.1 |
| 30–34 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 14.5 |
| 35–39 | 18.1 | 20.1 | 19.1 |
| 40–44 | 23.9 | 27.4 | 25.7 |
| 45–49 | 37 | 33 | 35 |
| 50–54 | 71.8 | 54.6 | 63 |
| 55–59 | 71.7 | 48.3 | 59.7 |
| 60–64 | 130.8 | 80.5 | 104.9 |
| 65–69 | 147.5 | 94.6 | 120.1 |
| 70–74 | 211 | 150.6 | 179.6 |
| 75–79 | 233.3 | 203.8 | 218 |
| 80–84 | 375.4 | 305.3 | 337.6 |
| 85+ | 377.1 | 351.1 | 361.5 |
- The 2024 estimates are based on 2010–2019 incidence data. See Appendix A for further information.
- Age-specific rates are expressed per 100,000 people.
Source: Table A3.38.
It is estimated that a person’s risk of being diagnosed with bowel cancer (unadjusted for competing mortality) is:
- 6 in 1,000 before age 50
- 26 in 1,000 (1 in 38) for those aged 50–74
- 45 in 1,000 for those aged 75 and over.
It is expected that, once biennial screening has been in place for several years, the risk of diagnosis (and death) for those in the target age group and older will reduce, as those people will have been consistently invited to screen.
References
AIHW (2024) Cancer data in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 15 May 2025