Multimorbidity refers to living with 2 or more chronic conditions at the same time. People living with multimorbidity often have more complex health needs and experience poorer overall quality of life than people without multimorbidity. This makes preventing and managing multimorbidity an important focus for individuals, the health system and society as a whole.
This report provides information on the number of people living with multimorbidity and associated risk factors, as well as how multimorbidity affects quality of life, health care use and mortality.
- Cat. no: PHE 358
Key findings
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In 2022, an estimated 38% of all Australians had multimorbidity (2 or more of 72 selected long-term health conditions)
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Multimorbidity increases with age affecting 11% of people aged 0–14 years and 79% of those aged 85 and over in 2022
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Fewer adults (18–64) with multimorbidity were working or seeking work (77%) than those with no chronic conditions (87%)
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Multimorbidity was higher among adults with 4 or more risk factors (59%) compared with those with no risk factors (29%)