Number of new cases

In 2025, it is estimated that there were 6,941 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in people aged 50–74 (around 47% of all bowel cancer diagnoses). Bowel cancer was the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australians of all ages (after prostate cancer, breast cancer, melanoma of the skin, and lung cancer) in 2025 (AIHW 2025).

  • Target age group (50–74 years)

    6,941 new cases estimated for 2025

    91 new cases per 100,000 target-age people (ASR)

  • All ages

    14,784 new cases estimated for 2025

    44 new cases per 100,000 people (ASR)

Bowel cancer risk increases with increasing age group. In 2025, the estimated incidence rate was 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, 2025

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+.

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
  • 24 in 1,000 (1 in 41) for those aged 50–74
  • 40 in 1,000 for those aged 75 and over.

Biennial screening began in 2015 with a phased rollout to age groups. It is expected that, once biennial screening has been in place for several years for people aged 45-74, the risk of diagnosis (and death) for those in the target age group and older will reduce further, due to consistent participation in screening.


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