• There were an estimated 33,300 people living with multiple sclerosis (130 per 100,000 population) in 2021.

  • Around three-quarters (74%) of multiple sclerosis expenditure was attributed to medications dispensed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2023–24

  • There were 39,900 hospitalisations due to multiple sclerosis (principal diagnosis) in 2023–24, representing 0.3% of all hospitalisations, and 150 hospitalisations per 100,000 population

  • The rate of ED presentations due to multiple sclerosis in 2023–24 was 2.6 times as high among females compared with males (6.3 and 2.4 per 100,000 population, respectively)

How common is multiple sclerosis in Australia?

The best current prevalence estimates in Australia comes from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research (MS Australia 2023) report which uses disease modifying therapy (DMT) data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS).

Using data and population figures from 2021, there were an estimated 33,300 Australians living with multiple sclerosis (130 per 100,000 population).

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

The Menzies Institute for Medical Research report did not estimate prevalence across different socioeconomic or remoteness areas.

Trends over time

The Menzies Institute for Medical Research report notes that there were an estimated 25,600 Australians living with multiple sclerosis (105 per 100,000 population) in 2017. The prevalence of multiple sclerosis has therefore increased from 2017 to 2021.

Hospitalisations

Based on the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD), in 2023–2024:

  • there were 39,900 hospitalisations due to multiple sclerosis (principal diagnosis), representing 5.9% of all hospitalisations, equivalent to 150 hospitalisations per 100,000 population – this remained the same after age-standardisation
  • more than one in 10 neurological condition hospitalisations were for multiple sclerosis
  • the rate of hospitalisation due to multiple sclerosis for females was 3 times as high as for males (225 and 70 per 100,000 population, respectively) – accounting for three-quarters of hospitalisations (77%) – the sex difference remained similar after age-standardisation
  • the median age of people hospitalised due to multiple sclerosis (principal diagnosis) was 42 years.

  • 11% of neurological conditions hospitalisations were for multiple sclerosis

  • More than 3 in 4 people hospitalised for multiple sclerosis were female (77%)

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

In 2023–24, the age-standardised hospitalisations rate for multiple sclerosis (principal diagnosis):

  • was 1.3 times as high among people living in the highest socioeconomic areas (165 per 100,000 population) as for people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (125 per 100,000 population age-standardised)
  • was highest among people from Major cities (155 per 100,000 population), and lowest among people in Remote and Very remote areas (51 per 100,000 population) – which did not change with age-standardisation

Further data tables on socioeconomic and remoteness figures are available for download under the Data section of this article.

Trends over time

From 2015–16 to 2023–24, the crude hospitalisation rate (principal diagnosis) for multiple sclerosis increased from 110 to 150 hospitalisations per 100,000 population (age-standardised rates were also 110 to 150 hospitalisations per 100,000 population).

Emergency department presentations

Based on the National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NAPEDC), in 2023–24:

  • there were 1,200 emergency department (ED) presentations for multiple sclerosis, equivalent to 4.4 per 100,000 population or 4.3 per 100,000 population age-standardised
  • ED presentations due to multiple sclerosis were 2.6 times as high among females (6.3 per 100,000 population, or 6.1 per 100,00 age-standardised) compared with males (2.4 per 100,000 population – this remained the same after age-standardisation)
  • around two-thirds (67% or 790 presentations) of ED presentations for multiple sclerosis were subsequently admitted to hospital.

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

In 2023–24, ED presentation rates (principal diagnosis) for multiple sclerosis:

  • were 1.6 times as high among people living in the lowest 20% of socioeconomic areas, compared with people living in the highest 20% of socioeconomic areas (5.0 and 3.1 presentations per 100,000 population, respectively – age-standardisation did not change this rate)
  • were highest among people living in Inner regional areas (6.2 per 100,000 population, or 6.5 per 100,000 population age-standardised) and lowest for people living in Remote and Very remote areas (2.4 per 100,000 population, ED presentations were too low in this area to age-standardise).

Further data tables on socioeconomic and remoteness figures are available for download under the Data section of this report.

Trends over time

Between 2018–19 and 2023–24 the crude rate of ED presentations due to multiple sclerosis decreased year-on-year, from 6.0 to 4.4 presentations per 100,000 population – this decrease occurred even after age-standardisation. Females consistently accounted for a higher proportion (between 72% and 77%) of multiple sclerosis ED presentations.

Health-system costs

Note on comparing previous health expenditure reports

The scope of expenditure and methods used in the most recent 2023–24 disease expenditure study (AIHW 2025) are similar to those used in the 2022–23 report however there are changes that have been made that make comparison of data between the 2023–24 report and the 2022–23 report to be done with caution. For more information see the methodology of the Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 report (AIHW 2025).

In 2023–24:

  • an estimated $674.6 million of health-system expenditure was attributed to multiple sclerosis
  • the majority (69%) of multiple sclerosis expenditure was attributed to medications dispensed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
  • health-system expenditure attributed to multiple sclerosis was 2.6 times as high for females compared with males ($484.8 and $188.1 million, respectively) (AIHW 2025).

For more information, see Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 (AIHW 2025).

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

The Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 report (AIHW 2025) did not include statistics disaggregated by socioeconomic areas.

Except for Major cities ($2.4 million per 100,000 population), the rate of health-system costs for multiple sclerosis decreased with increasing remoteness. People living in Inner regional areas had the highest rate ($2.5 million per 100,000 population), followed by people living in Outer regional areas ($2.0 million per 100,000 population), Remote areas ($1.4 million per 100,000 population) and Very remote areas with the lowest rate ($1.1 million per 100,000 population).

Trends over time

After adjusting for inflation (reported in constant prices), the total disease expenditure attributed to multiple sclerosis was 1.6 times as high in 2023–24 as in 2013–14 ($674.6 million and $434.2 million, respectively) (AIHW 2025).

Burden of disease

In 2024:

  • multiple sclerosis contributed to 0.3% of total disease burden (DALY) and 3.3% of the DALY attributed to neurological conditions
  • more than three quarters of the multiple sclerosis disease burden was non-fatal (years lived with disability, YLD) and the remaining 23% was fatal burden (years of life lost, YLL)
  • the DALY rate of multiple sclerosis was 2 times as high among females compared with males (0.8 and 0.4 DALY per 1,000 population, respectively). After age-standardisation, the DALY rate remained the same for females but reduced slightly for males to 0.3 DALY per 1,000 population (AIHW 2024).

For more information, see Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024 (AIHW 2024).

  • 77%

    More than three quarters (77%) of the total disease burden attributed to multiple sclerosis was non-fatal burden (YLD).

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

The most recent burden of disease statistics disaggregated by socioeconomic and remoteness areas, at the time of writing this report, are from the ABDS 2018 (AIHW 2021).

In 2018 the age-standardised rate of total disease burden attributed to multiple sclerosis:

  • increased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage, with people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas having the highest rate (0.6 DALY per 1,000 population) and people living in the 2 highest socioeconomic areas having the lowest rate (0.4 DALY per 1,000 population)
  • except for people living in Major cities (0.4 DALY per 1,000 population), decreased with increasing remoteness, with people living in Inner regional areas (0.6 DALY per 1,000 population) having the highest rate, and people living in Remote and Very remote areas having the lowest rate (0.3 DALY per 1,000 population).

Trends over time

Between 2003 and 2024:

  • both the crude DALY and YLD rate of multiple sclerosis increased (0.5 to 0.6 DALY per 1,000 population and 0.3 to 0.5 YLD per 1,000 population, respectively); while the crude YLL rate remained fairly stable at 0.1 to 0.2 per 1,000 population
  • after adjusting for different population age structures over time, the DALY rate of multiple sclerosis in Australia increased by 13% – a 7.8% increase for females and 25% increase for males (AIHW 2024).

NDIS and aged care

As of 31 March 2025, there were 11,800 registered NDIS plans where multiple sclerosis was reported as the primary or secondary condition, with 11,600 NDIS plans with multiple sclerosis listed as the primary condition affecting care (NDIS 2025).

These numbers represent people who are eligible for NDIS funding based on evidence required by the National Disability Insurance Agency, they should not be used as an indication of prevalence.

Based on Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessments, between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022:

  • there were 1,100 people in permanent residential care with multiple sclerosis listed as a condition affecting care, with a median age of 75 years
  • 72% of these were women and 27% were men (for 1% sex could not be determined), with median ages of 76 and 74 years, respectively.

In October 2022, the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) was replaced with the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model, which does not capture health condition information. Therefore, the most recent data for this section are from 2021–22, with no further updates. For more information, see the National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse tab in the Data sources section of the Neurological conditions in Australia report.

Mortality

Based on the National Mortality Database (NMD), in 2023: 

  • multiple sclerosis was recorded as the underlying cause of 172 deaths (0.6 deaths per 100,000 population, or 0.5 deaths per 100,000 population age-standardised) and an associated cause of 152 deaths (0.6 deaths per 100,000 population, or 0.4 deaths per 100,000 population age-standardised)
  • multiple sclerosis was the underlying cause of 0.1% of all deaths and 1.5% of deaths due to neurological conditions (underlying cause)
  • the mortality rate with multiple sclerosis listed as the underlying cause was twice as high among females as males (0.8 and 0.4 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively) – this difference reduced slightly after age-standardisation, at 0.6 deaths per 100,000 population for females and 0.4 deaths per 100,000 population for males
  • the median age at death due to multiple sclerosis (underlying cause) was 71 years.
  • 0.5 0.6 0.4 Persons Females Males

    The age-standardised mortality rate (per 100,000 population) was higher for females, compared with males. 

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

In 2023, mortality rates due to multiple sclerosis (underlying cause):

  • remained similar across different socioeconomic areas, ranging between 0.6 and 0.7 deaths per 100,000 population, crude, and 0.5 and 0.6 deaths per 100,000 population, age-standardised 
  • was higher in major cities (0.6 deaths per 100,000 population, crude) compared with Remote and Very remote areas (0.4 deaths per 100,000 population, crude) – the number of deaths in different remoteness areas was too low to calculate reliable age-standardised rates.

Further data tables on socioeconomic figures are available for download under the Data section of this report.

Trends over time

Between 2013 to 2023, the crude mortality rates for multiple sclerosis (underlying cause) fluctuated slightly between 0.8 and 0.6 deaths per 100,000 population. Age-standardised rates showed a similar pattern, fluctuating between 0.7 and 0.5 deaths per 100,000 population. 

First Nations people

How common is multiple sclerosis among First Nations people?

The report by the Menzies Institute for Medical Research (MS Australia 2023) did not include statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people.

Hospitalisations

For First Nations people, based on the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD), in 2023–24:

  • there were 480 hospitalisations due to multiple sclerosis, equivalent to 46 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • the majority (86%) of hospitalisations due to multiple sclerosis were for females
  • the median age of First Nations people hospitalised due to multiple sclerosis was 38 years.

Emergency department presentations

For First Nations people, based on the National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NAPEDC), in 2023–24, there were 35 ED presentations due to multiple sclerosis, equivalent to 3.4 presentations per 100,000 population.

Health-system costs

The Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 report (AIHW 2025) did not include statistics for First Nations people. AIHW is working to expand the scope of the Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia report in future updates to include spending on First Nations people.

Burden of disease

The most recent burden of disease statistics for First Nations people, at the time of publication of this article, are from the ABDS 2018 (AIHW 2022).

In 2018, the total disease burden due to multiple sclerosis among First Nations people:

  • was 58 DALY, equivalent to 0.1 DALY per 1,000 population (age-standardised)
  • was proportionally 3 times as high for First Nations females compared with First Nations males (accounting for 75% and 25% of the total burden, respectively)

Mortality

For First Nations people, based on the National Mortality Database (NMD), in 2023 there were 4 deaths (0.4 deaths per 100,000 population, crude) with multiple sclerosis listed as an underlying and/or associated cause.

More information and representative organisations

Healthdirect Australia is a government supported online service that provides health information, advice and referrals to the community. The Healthdirect webpage on multiple sclerosis provides information on the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, potential causes, diagnosis pathways and treatments and therapies.

MS Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation committed to improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis through endeavours for better treatments, prevention, a cure, and policy changes. MS Australia closely collaborates with 4 state and territory MS Member Organisations and international partners:

Data sources

For details about the data sources used in this article, including the condition codes used to extract information about multiple sclerosis from each source (for example, mortality, hospitalisations et cetera), see Data sources in the Neurological conditions in Australia report.

Notes

Data