Older Australians

As the number of older people in Australia continues to grow, supporting their health and wellbeing is increasingly important. While understanding health conditions is one way to measure how older people are faring, so too is understanding their overall health status, functioning, life expectancy and death. The burden of disease on the lives of older people is also important. 

Throughout this page, ‘older people’ refers to people aged 65 and over. Where this definition does not apply, the age group in focus is specified.

For information on older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, see Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Self-assessed health

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey (NHS) 2022, an estimated 3 in 4 (74%) people aged 65 and over reported their health as good, very good or excellent including:

• 42% who reported their health as being very good or excellent
• 32% who reported their health as being good 
• 26% reported their health as being fair or poor (ABS 2023d).

Despite differences in burden of disease and life expectancy, men and women aged 65 and over self-assessed their health similarly (ABS 2023d).

However, there were some differences by age group. People aged 65–74 were more likely to report their health as very good or excellent and less likely to report their health as fair or poor than people aged 75 and over (ABS 2023d) (Figure 3A.1).

Figure 3A.1: Self-assessed health status of people aged 65 and over by age group, 2022

Disability

According to the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) 2018, half (50%) of people aged 65 and over had disability. In the SDAC, a person is considered to have disability if they have at least one of a list of limitations, restrictions or impairments, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 6 months. The prevalence of disability among people aged 65 and over has remained relatively stable in recent years, at 51% in 2015 (ABS 2019). 

The rate of disability increased with age in 2018, rising from 36% of people aged 65–69 to 85% of those 90 and over (Figure 3A.2). The need for assistance at older ages is likely a trigger for needing formal support services such as aged care. For more information, see Aged care.

Figure 3A.2: Proportion of people aged 65 and over with disability by sex and age group, 2003 to 2018

Older people experience different levels of disability. The severity of disability is defined by whether a person needs help, has difficulty, or uses aids or equipment with 3 core activities of communication, mobility or self-care, and is grouped for mild, moderate, severe and profound limitation. In 2018, nearly 1 in 5 (18%) people aged 65 and over had severe or profound disability (that is, they sometimes or always needed help with self-care, mobility or communication) (AIHW 2024). 

Among people aged 65 and over in 2018, 49% of men and 50% of women had disability, and 15% of men and 20% of women had severe or profound disability (ABS 2019; AIHW 2024).

Life expectancy

Life expectancy is one way to understand how long, on average, people can be expected to live based on current mortality rates. The measure is not a prediction, rather it is useful for comparisons between population groups and for considering changes over time. It is a common way to assess a population’s overall health. 

Life expectancy in Australia has improved dramatically for both sexes in the last century. This is particularly the case for life expectancy at birth. Compared with children born in 1920–1922, both boys and girls born in 2020–2022 can expect to live around 22 years longer (ABS 2014, 2023c). The life expectancy at birth in 2020–2022 was 81.2 years for boys and 85.3 years for girls (ABS 2023c).

Another way to measure life expectancy is through the remaining life expectancy at a given age. Men aged 65 in 2020–2022 could expect to live another 20.2 years (an expected age at death of 85.2 years), and women aged 65 in 2020–2022 could expect to live another 22.8 years (an expected age at death of 87.8 years) (Figure 3A.3).

Figure 3A.3: Life expectancy at age 65 and 85 by sex, 1920–1922, 1970–1972 and 2020–2022

Health-adjusted life expectancy

Health-adjusted life expectancy extends the concept of life expectancy by considering the time spent living with ill health due to disease and injury. It reflects the length of time an individual at a specific age could, on average, expect to live in full health. It is most meaningful when compared with life expectancy. 

Life expectancy spent in full health for males and females born in 2023 was estimated to be 71.6 and 73.6 years, respectively (88% and 87%, respectively, of total life expectancy).

As with life expectancy, it is also useful to measure health-adjusted life expectancy at age 65, to describe health in an ageing population. In 2023, at the age of 65:

• men could expect to live another 15.3 years of life in full health (76% of their total remaining years of life)
• women could expect to live another 16.7 years of life in full health (74% of their total remaining years of life).

Between 2003 and 2023, increases in health-adjusted life expectancy for people aged 65 were slightly smaller than those seen for life expectancy alone: health-adjusted life expectancy increased by 1.9 years for men aged 65 (as life expectancy increased by 2.5) and by 1.0 years for women (as life expectancy increased by 1.5 years) (AIHW 2023a). 

For more information, see Burden of disease.

Disability-free life expectancy

Increases in life expectancy hopefully accompany an increase in the number of years people live without functional limitations. Disability-free life expectancy is a measure that provides the estimated number of years people can expect to live without disability. 

Disability-free life expectancy is different to health-adjusted life expectancy presented above. Health-adjusted life expectancy includes the full experience of ill health and the impact of the health-related consequences; disability‑free life expectancy encompasses a broader scope of functional limitations of disability and selected long-term conditions.

It is important to note that disability does not necessarily equate to poor health or illness. Expected years living with disability should not be considered as being of less value than years without disability (AIHW 2024). 

Men aged 65 in 2018 can expect to live, on average, another: 

• 9.3 years without disability 
• 11 years with some level of disability, including around 3.5 years with severe or profound disability. 

Women aged 65 in 2018 can expect to live, on average, another: 

• 10 years without disability
• 12 years with some level of disability, including around 5.5 years with severe or profound disability. 

For people aged 65 in 2018, this equates to living just over half of their remaining lives with some level of disability (53% for men and 54% for women) (AIHW 2024). 

By comparison, based on health-adjusted life expectancy, people aged 65 in 2018 can expect to live a quarter of their remaining lives with some level of ill health (24% for men 26% for women) (AIHW 2023a).

For more information, see People with disability in Australia. 

Causes of death

In Australia in 2022, there were around 159,800 deaths of people aged 65 and over (84% of all deaths) (Table 3A.1). The median age at death for all people was 80 for males and 85 for females (ABS 2023b).

Note: Year refers to year of registration of death.

Source: ABS 2023b.

Dementia including Alzheimer’s disease is the overall leading cause of death among people aged 65 and over, closely followed by coronary heart disease. However, there were differences in the leading cause of death across the older age groups (Figure 3A.4). In 2022, the leading cause of death for people aged 65–74 was coronary heart disease (2,800), followed by lung cancer (2,700). Coronary heart disease was also the leading cause of death for people aged 75–84 (4,500). For people aged 85 and over, dementia including Alzheimer's disease was the leading cause of death (11,900), followed by coronary heart disease (8,700) (ABS 2023a).

Men and women also had different leading causes of death. For men, coronary heart disease was the leading cause across all older age groups. For women aged 65–74, the leading cause was lung cancer and for all other older age groups, it was dementia including Alzheimer’s disease (ABS 2023a).

Figure 3A.4: Five leading causes of death for people aged 65 and over by age group, 2022

COVID-19 deaths

Older people are more at risk and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus when contracted. The risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 is higher in older people, particularly in those with underlying health conditions. In 2022, deaths due to COVID-19 (not including deaths from other causes where COVID-19 was mentioned as a contributory cause) was the third leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 1 in 20 (5.2%) deaths, and the third leading cause of death among people aged 65 and over. The median age at death for COVID-19 was 86, and 93% of all COVID-19 deaths were among people aged 65 and over (ABS 2023a).

COVID-19 has also had significant impacts in residential aged care settings, as the close proximity between residents increased the risk of virus transmission among people who were already in poorer health than the general population. As at 30 November 2023, 37% of all COVID-19 deaths in Australia were among people living in residential aged care (Department of Health and Aged Care 2023).

Suicide

Suicide can affect anyone, regardless of age. In 2022, there were 594 deaths by suicide for people aged 65 and over, accounting for less than 0.4% of deaths in this age group. Three in 4 of these deaths were among men (76%, 451 deaths). The deaths among people aged 65 and over represented 18% of total deaths by suicide (across all ages) (Table 3A.2).

Note: Year refers to year of registration of death. Causes of death data for recent years is preliminary and subject to a revisions process.

Source: ABS 2023a.

The number of deaths by suicide is highest among people of young or middle age, and decreases in older age groups. While the counts are lower in the older age groups, deaths by suicide have a significant impact on older people. Taking into account population size, the highest rates of deaths by suicide in 2022 were among men aged 85 and over (32.7 deaths per 100,000 population) (ABS 2023a). 

The AIHW respectfully acknowledges those who have died or have been affected by suicide or intentional self-harm.

For more information, see Suicide & self-harm monitoring.

Burden of disease

Burden of disease combines the years of healthy life lost due to living with ill health (YLD or non-fatal burden) with the years of life lost due to dying prematurely (YLL or fatal burden). Total burden is reported using disability-adjusted life years (DALY).

In 2023, people aged 65 and over lost close to 2.6 million years of healthy life (DALY) due to illness or premature death. This has increased since 2003, from 1.7 million DALY. However, in 2023, Australia had a higher proportion of people aged 65 and over (17%) than in 2003 (13%). Age-standardised rates of DALY for people aged 65 and over have gone down from 84.3 per 1,000 in 2003, to 69.1 per 1,000 in 2018. In 2023, the years of healthy life lost for people aged 65 and over represented 46% of total DALY in Australia. The YLL accounted for 58% of DALY for people aged 65 and over (1.5 million YLL), with YLD contributing 42% (1.1 million YLD) (AIHW 2023a). 

Older Australians contribute to a large share of the total burden of disease and this increases with age (Figure 3A.5). For example, people aged 65–69 made up 5.0% of the population, but contributed to 8.4% of the total burden, while people aged 70 and over made up 12% of the population, but contributed to 37% of the total burden (AIHW 2023a).

Figure 3A.5: Contribution to total burden (DALY) and total population for people aged 65 and over by age group, 2023

In 2023, men contributed to more burden than women between the ages of 65 and 84 (53% compared with 47%). However, from ages 85 and over – where women make up 60% of the population – women contributed to more burden than men (57% compared with 43%) (AIHW 2023a) (Figure 3A.6).

Among people aged 65 and over, men contributed more to fatal burden (55% of 1.5 million YLL) and women contributed more to non-fatal burden (55% of 1.1 million YLD) (AIHW 2023a).

Figure 3A.6: Total burden (DALY and DALY rate per 1,000) for people aged 65 and over by age group and sex, 2023

Leading causes of burden of disease

In 2023, cancer and other neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological conditions were the leading disease groups causing total burden (fatal and non-fatal combined) for people aged 65 and over, followed by musculoskeletal disorders, and respiratory diseases (AIHW 2023a). Among these top disease groups, the rate of burden per 1,000 people increased with age – except for cancer and other neoplasms where the rate was highest for people aged over 100 and 80–84-year-olds and musculoskeletal conditions where the rates were highest for 75–79-year-olds, respectively (AIHW 2023a).

Dementia, coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were the leading specific causes of burden for people aged 65 and over in 2023, followed by lung cancer, stroke and other musculoskeletal disorders (Figure 3A.7).

Figure 3A.7: Leading causes of total burden (DALY; number and proportion of age group) by sex and age group, 2023

Injuries

Most injuries, whether unintentional or intentional, are preventable (WHO 2021). Injuries can be minor with full recovery, or more serious and causing lasting health problems. While some more serious injuries lead to hospital admission or emergency department visits, others lead to death. 

Injuries can happen to anyone, but older people are at particularly high risk of hospitalisation and death for certain injuries. As a result, overall injury hospitalisation and death rates are higher for older people than younger people.

In 2021–22, 1 in 3 (34%, or around 181,200) injury hospitalisations involved people aged 65 and over. This included 106,500 hospitalisations for women and 74,700 for men. Age-specific injury hospitalisation rates rose considerably from the age of 65 – from around 2,000 per 100,000 for the 65–69 age group to 17,500 per 100,000 for the 95-and-over age group (AIHW 2023b). Men had higher rates of hospitalised injury than women in all age groups between 0–64 and 95 and over, and were similar for those aged 65–69. For age groups between 70–74 and 90–94, women had higher rates (AIHW 2023b).

In 2020–21, there were 7,800 injury deaths among people aged 65 and over, 70% of which were due to falls. Among females, almost all (96%) deaths due to falls involved those aged 65 and over (AIHW 2023b).

Where do I go for more information?

For more information on health status and functioning, see:

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey
• People with disability in Australia
• Deaths in Australia
• Burden of disease

Elsewhere in this report, information about older people’s health is available on health risk factors, health service use and selected health conditions.

For more information on this topic, see Older people.