Spending on cancer screening
National population-based screening programs are organised, systematic and integrated processes of testing for signs of cancer or pre-cancerous conditions in targeted populations without obvious symptoms. Programs target specific populations and/or age groups where evidence shows screening to be most effective. This report covers the following 3 national population-based cancer screening programs which were in place during 2023–24, noting that the National Lung Cancer Screening Program was implemented in July 2025:
- BreastScreen Australia
- National Cervical Screening Program
- National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
In 2023–24, $500.9 million was spent on these population-based screening programs, of which $301.7 million was for breast cancer screening and assessment, $157.1 million for cervical screening and $42.1 million for bowel cancer screening. In terms of total spending in 2023–24 for these 3 conditions (outside of screening costs), $1.9 billion was spent on treating bowel cancer, compared to $1.8 billion for breast cancer and $106 million for cervical cancer. Cancer was the disease group with the highest disease burden in Australia in 2024 accounting for 16.4% of total DALYs. In 2024, 1.3% of total disease burden was due to breast cancer, compared to 1.7% for bowel cancer and 0.1% for cervical cancer.
BreastScreen Australia
In 2023–24, just over $301.7 million was spent on BreastScreen Australia. BreastScreen Australia began in 1991. It aims to reduce illness and death from breast cancer through an organised approach to the early detection of breast cancer, using screening mammography to detect unsuspected breast cancer in women. BreastScreen also provides assessment services to inform cancer diagnosis. Early detection provides an opportunity for early treatment, which can reduce illness and death. Women aged 40 and over are eligible for free mammograms every 2 years, and women aged 50–74 are actively targeted to participate in the program (the target age group increased in 2013 from 50–69, to the current 50–74 years).
National Cervical Screening Program
In 2023–24, $157.1 million was spent on the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP). The NCSP began in 1991. It aims to reduce cervical cancer cases, illness and deaths in Australia. The NCSP originally targeted women aged 20–69 for a 2-yearly Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, or ‘Pap test’ to detect precancerous abnormalities of the cervix. From 1 December 2017, the NCSP changed to 5-yearly cervical screening for women aged 25–74 using a primary human papilloma virus test with partial HPV genotyping and reflex liquid-based cytology triage.
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
In 2023–24, just over $42.1 million was spent on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). The NBCSP began in 2006. It aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality from bowel cancer by actively recruiting and screening the eligible target population, aged 45–74, for early detection or prevention of the disease. For those aged 50 to 74, the NBCSP automatically sends out free screening kits every two years. From 1 July 2024, individuals aged 45 to 49 can also request a free kit to be mailed to them.
National Lung Cancer Screening Program
The National Lung Cancer Screening Program was implemented in July 2025. The Program uses low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scans to look for lung cancer in high-risk people without any symptoms. It aims to find lung cancer early and save lives. Expenditure on The National Lung Cancer Screening Program will be included in future editions of this report.
Table 1 shows spending on the national cancer screening programs from 2013–14 to 2023–24 in current prices. Data used to create the visualisation is available to download from the data tables.
| Breast cancer(a) | Cervical cancer(b) | Bowel cancer(c) | All cancer screening programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2013–14 | 231.1 | 66.1 | 42.4 | 339.7 |
2014–15 | 275.3 | 61.6 | 49.0 | 385.9 |
2015–16 | 255.1 | 73.4 | 53.7 | 382.2 |
2016–17 | 295.8 | 81.2 | 69.4 | 446.4 |
2017–18 | 318.2 | 115.9 | 74.2 | 508.3 |
2018–19 | 256.8 | 135.5 | 88.1 | 480.4 |
2019–20 | 271.0 | 151.4 | 38.0 | 460.4 |
2020–21 | 261.9 | 126.4 | 59.0 | 447.3 |
2021–22 | 234.3 | 142.2 | 58.9 | 435.3 |
2022–23 | 263.4 | 119.8 | 43.2 | 426.4 |
2023–24 | 301.7 | 157.1 | 42.1 | 500.9 |
Total | 2,964.6 | 1,230.6 | 617.9 | 4,813.2 |
Notes:
- Includes expenditure by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for cost centres 5995, 6773 and 7524. Also includes grants from the Australian Government to the states and territories for the Expansion of the BreastScreen Australia program and Surge capacity for BreastScreen Australia. From the state and territory health authorities it includes expenditure on breast cancer screening as supplied to the AIHW through the Government Health Expenditure National Minimum Dataset (GHE NMDS) adjusted down to exclude the grants from the Australian Government.
- Includes expenditure by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for cost centres: 5996,6874, 7124, 7266 and 7525. Also includes fees charged for MBS items: 73070, 73071, 73072, 73074, 73075, 73076, 69418, 69419, 73053, 73055, 73057 and 73069. From the state and territory health authorities it includes expenditure on cervical screening as supplied to the AIHW through the GHE NMDS.
- Includes expenditure by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for cost centres 3107,6825 and 6842. Also includes grants from the Australian Government to the states and territories for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program – participant follow-up function. From the state and territory health authorities it includes expenditure on bowel cancer screening as supplied to the AIHW through the Government Health Expenditure National Minimum Dataset (GHE NMDS) adjusted down to exclude the grants from the Australian Government.
Sources: AIHW Health expenditure database; AIHW analysis of MBS data.