Conditions that affect the bones, muscles and joints and certain connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage are known as musculoskeletal conditions. These include long-term (chronic) conditions such as back problems, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and juvenile arthritis.
This report and related web articles are regularly updated with data from a range of sources. There are differences in the source year and frequency of publication. For more information, see technical notes.
- Cat. no: PHE 317
Key findings
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Around 7.3 million (29%) people in Australia were estimated to be living with chronic musculoskeletal conditions
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In 2023–24, 899,000 hospitalisations (7%) had a musculoskeletal condition as the principal diagnosis
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In 2023−24, $16.3 billion (9%) of spending in the Australian health system was attributed to musculoskeletal conditions
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In 2024, musculoskeletal conditions accounted for 23% of non-fatal disease burden in Australia