• An estimated 2,600 Australians were living with myasthenia gravis in 2009

  • There were 13,700 hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis in 2023–24

  • The age-standardised rate of hospitalisations for myasthenia gravis increased by 23% from 2015–16 to 2023–24

  • Almost three quarters (74%) of emergency presentations due to myasthenia gravis in 2023–24 resulted in hospital admissions

How common is myasthenia gravis in Australia?

Based on prescribed medications from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), Gattellari et al. (2012) estimated that in 2009:

  • about 2,600 Australians were living with myasthenia gravis, equivalent to 12 cases per 100,000 population
  • more than half (56%) of Australians living with myasthenia gravis were female, with 13 cases of myasthenia gravis per 100,000 females, compared with 10 per 100,000 males – the sex difference remained even after age-standardisation
  • 8.8 9.8 7.8 Persons Females Males

    The age-standardised prevalence rate (per 100,000 population) was higher for females than for males. (Note: age-standardised to WHO world population.)

  • around one third (33%) of Australians living with myasthenia gravis were aged less than 55 years and two thirds of these (67%) were females – in this age-group, there were twice as many females as males living with the condition
  • around two thirds (67%) of Australians living with myasthenia gravis were aged 55 years and over and half of these (50%) were women – in this age-group, there were close to the same number of women and men living with the condition.
  • 564 284 Females Males

    Among people aged less than 55 years, there were twice as many females as males living with myasthenia gravis.

  • 869 857 Females Males

    Among people aged 55 years and over, there were close to the same number of females and males living with myasthenia gravis.

Note: Research suggests that the prevalence of myasthenia gravis (in several countries) has increased over time due to aging populations and better diagnosis and treatment, which would result in more people living (longer) with the condition (Bubuioc et al. 2021). Current prevalence may therefore be higher than in 2009. In support of this, administrative data shows that the number and rate of hospitalisations and emergency department presentations due to myasthenia gravis have increased since 2015–16 and 2018–19, respectively (see sections below). These increases may be due to increased prevalence. 

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

There were no prevalence estimates for different socioeconomic and remoteness areas.

Trends over time

There were no prevalence estimates for trends over time.

Hospitalisations

Based on the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD), in 2023–24:

  • there were 13,700 hospitalisations (51 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, or 43 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, age-standardised) with myasthenia gravis recorded as the principal diagnosis, accounting for 3.8% of neurological condition hospitalisations, and 1,100 hospitalisations with myasthenia gravis recorded as an additional diagnosis
  • females accounted for more than half (58%) of the hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis (principal diagnosis), 59 hospitalisations per 100,000 females, compared with 43 hospitalisations per 100,000 males – age-standardisation did not change the sex difference (51 and 36 hospitalisations per 100,000 population for females and males, respectively)
  • 43 51 36 Persons Females Males

    The age-standardised rate of hospitalisations (per 100,000 population) was 1.4 times as high for females as for males.

  • the median age of people hospitalised due to myasthenia gravis was 66 years (61 years for females and 72 years for males) 
  • the average length of stay for hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis was 1.4 days.

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

In 2023–24, the age-standardised rate of hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis was:

  • lower for people living in the lowest and highest socioeconomic areas (36 and 40 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, respectively), compared with people living in the second lowest, middle and second highest socioeconomic areas (44, 45 and 53 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, respectively)
  • highest for people living in Inner regional areas (52 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), followed by Outer regional areas, Major cities and then remote and very remote areas (45, 42 and 32 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, respectively).

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

Trends over time

Hospitalisation trends only from 2015–16

For hospitalisations, there were some anomalies in the data for 2013–14 and 2014–15 that made the statistics for Guillain-Barré syndrome appear unreliable. For comparisons over time, we therefore only go back to 2015–16.

Between 2015–16 and 2023–24, the number of hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis increased from 9,200 to 13,700, and the rate of hospitalisations also increased (from 39 to 51 hospitalisations per 100,000 population; from 35 to 43 hospitalisations per 100,000, age-standardised). For females the age-standardised rate increased from 40 to 51 hospitalisations per 100,000 population, and for males from 31 to 36 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 360 emergency department (ED) presentations with myasthenia gravis recorded as the principal diagnosis, equivalent to 1.3 presentations per 100,000 population (1.2 presentations per 100,000 population, age-standardised) – 1.1 and 1.6 presentations per 100,000 population for males and females, respectively
  • more than half (59%) of ED presentations due to myasthenia gravis (principal diagnosis) was for females, with 1.4 ED presentations per 100,000 females, compared with 1 presentation per 100,000 males (both rates age-standardised)
  • almost three quarters (74%) of ED presentations due to myasthenia gravis were admitted to hospital.
  • 74%

    of ED presentations due to myasthenia gravis were admitted to hospital.

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

In 2023–24, the age-standardised rate of ED presentations due to myasthenia gravis was:

  • slightly higher for people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (1.3 presentations per 100,000 population), compared with people living in the second lowest, middle, second highest and highest socioeconomic areas (1.1, 1.2, 0.9 and 1.2 presentations per 100,000 population, respectively)
  • higher for people living in Inner regional areas (1.6 presentations per 100,000 population) than for people living in Outer regional areas and Major cities (1.2 and 1.1 per 100,000 population, respectively) (Remote and very remote areas had too few ED presentations to calculate an age-standardised rate).

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

Trends over time

Between 2018–19 and 2023–24, the number of ED presentations due to myasthenia gravis almost doubled, from 195 to 360, and the crude rate also increased substantially, from 0.8 to 1.3 presentations per 100,000 population (0.7 to 1.2 presentations per 100,000 population, age-standardised) – from 0.8 to 1.6 per 100,000 for females (0.8 to 1.4 per 100,000 females, age-standardised) and from 0.7 to 1.1 presentations per 100,000 for males (0.6 to 1 per 100,000 males, age-standardised).

Health-system costs

Estimates for health-system costs relating to myasthenia gravis cannot be reported from the Health system spending on disease and injury in Australia 2023–24 report (AIHW 2025), as this study did not report on myasthenia gravis as a specific Australian Burden of Disease condition. Expenditure for myasthenia gravis is included within the expenditure for “other neurological conditions”.

Burden of Disease

The Australian Burden of Disease Study did not provide separate estimates for myasthenia gravis.

NDIS and aged care

There were no National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) data for myasthenia gravis.

Aged care data on myasthenia gravis is not reported as it is not captured in the available condition codes from the National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse (NACDC). 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:

  • there were 52 deaths with myasthenia gravis recorded as the underlying cause (0.2 deaths per 100,000 population, or 0.1 deaths per 100,000 population, age-standardised) and 96 deaths with myasthenia gravis recorded as an associated cause (0.4 deaths per 100,000 population, or 0.3 deaths per 100,000 population, age-standardised)
  • myasthenia gravis accounted for 0.4% of deaths for which neurological conditions were recorded as the underlying cause
  • males accounted for slightly more than half (52%) of deaths with myasthenia gravis recorded as the underlying cause.

Socioeconomic and remoteness areas

The number of deaths with myasthenia gravis recorded as the underlying cause was too low for meaningful comparisons across different socioeconomic and remoteness areas.

Trends over time

From 2014 to 2023, the crude rate of deaths due to myasthenia gravis increased slightly, from 0.12 to 0.19 deaths per 100,000 population. After adjusting for differences in the population age structure, the increase was from 0.10 to 0.14 deaths per 100,000 population (there were too few deaths due to the condition in 2013 for age-standardised rates to be calculated). Note that the rates calculated are based on very small numbers and changes should therefore be interpreted with caution.

First Nations people

How common is myasthenia gravis among First Nations people?

Gattellari et al. (2012) did not report prevalence 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 130 hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis, equivalent to 13 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • males and females accounted for 50% of hospitalisations due to myasthenia gravis, with 13 hospitalisations per 100,000 population for both sexes
  • the median age of First Nations people hospitalised due to myasthenia gravis was 65 years (58 years for females and 75 years for males).

Emergency department presentations

For First Nations people, based on the National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NAPEDC), in 2023–24, there were 8 ED presentations with myasthenia gravis recorded as the principal diagnosis.

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, nor did it report on myasthenia gravis as a separate Australian Burden of disease Condition.

Burden of disease

The Australian Burden of Disease Study did not provide separate estimates for myasthenia gravis.

Mortality

Based on the National Mortality Database (NMD), in 2023 there were 0 deaths of First Nations people with myasthenia gravis recorded as the underlying cause.

More information and representative organisations

Healthdirect Australia is a nationwide, government supported online service that provides health information, advice and referrals to the community. The healthdirect webpage for myasthenia gravis provides information on symptoms, causes, how to get diagnosed, treatments, living with the condition, complications and resources for further support.

Myasthenia Alliance Australia (MAA) is an Australian advocacy body representing the interests of all who have a connection to myasthenia gravis. The Alliance strives for better medical treatments, more research and enhanced life outcomes for affected individuals. A guide on drugs that interfere with symptoms is available on the Alliance website.

Better health Channel is supported by the Victorian Government to provide health and medical information that is easy to understand, locally relevant, timely, reliable and quality assured. The site provides information on myasthenia gravis symptoms, causes, how to get diagnosed, treatments and where to find help.

Data sources

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

Notes

Data