Hypertension in Australia

This section focuses on hypertension and high measured blood pressure in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people. Reducing the prevalence of hypertension is one of the most important means of reducing cardiovascular diseases, which are among the leading causes of death for First Nations people (AIHW and NIAA 2023).

How common is hypertension?

Based on the latest available data from the ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS), of First Nations people aged 18 and over, it was estimated that, in 2022–23:

• 34% had hypertension, approximately 170,000 First Nations adults. After adjusting for age, this proportion was similar to 2018–19
• 35% of males and 32% of females had hypertension – the difference between these rates was not statistically significant (AIHW analysis of ABS 2025).

Of the 34% of First Nations adults aged 18 and over who had hypertension, 69% (approximately 117,000 adults) did not self-report having the condition in 2022–23, indicating that they might not have been aware that they had hypertension (AIHW analysis of ABS 2025). Self-reported hypertension underestimates the true prevalence of hypertension in the population, as hypertension often presents with no symptoms. Self-report is influenced by an individual's awareness and knowledge of the condition as well as recall ability, interpretation of the survey question and willingness to report.

Based on data from the 2022 NHS, an estimated 40% of non-Indigenous adults aged 18 and over had hypertension. After adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, this proportion was not statistically significantly different from that for First Nations adults (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023).

Variation by age

The prevalence of hypertension among First Nations adults was more common with increasing age. Based on the 2022–23 NATSIHS, an estimated 13% of those aged 18–24 had hypertension, compared with 51% of those aged 45–54 and 62% of those aged 55 and over. This pattern was seen in both males and females (Figure 26).

High measured blood pressure

Based on measured data from the ABS 2022–23 NATSIHS, of First Nations adults aged 18 and over, it was estimated that:

• 25% (approximately 148,000 people) had high measured blood pressure. After adjusting for age, prevalence of high measured blood pressure remained stable between 2012–13 and 2022–23
• 27% of males and 23% of females had high measured blood pressure – this difference was not statistically significant.

For more information on methodologies, see Technical notes.

Who has controlled hypertension?

This section focuses on the First Nations adults who have controlled hypertension and were taking antihypertensive medications. Controlled hypertension is defined as those who are on antihypertensive medications and had a normal measured blood pressure reading.

In the 2022–23 NATSIHS, of First Nations adults aged 18 and over who had hypertension (AIHW analysis of ABS 2025):

• 27% (approximately 45,000 adults) were estimated to have controlled blood pressure and were taking antihypertensive medications. After adjusting for differences in the age structure over time, this proportion was not statistically significantly different from 2018–19.
• A similar proportion of males (26%) and females (28%) had controlled hypertension and were taking antihypertensives.
• The proportion with controlled hypertension increased with increasing age. The lowest proportion of controlled hypertension was among those aged 18–34 (7.1%; approximately 2,700 First Nations people aged 18–34) compared with 27% (approximately 11,000) of those aged 45–54 and 42% (approximately 30,000) of those aged 55 and over.

In 2022–23, 41% (approximately 69,000 adults) of the First Nations adults with hypertension were taking antihypertensive medications. Of those on treatment, 65% (approximately 45,000 adults) had their hypertension controlled.

Based on the 2022 NHS, of non-Indigenous adults aged 18 and over who had hypertension, 40% (approximately 2.8 million adults) had controlled blood pressure using medications. After adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, control rates were higher among non-Indigenous adults (31%) compared with First Nations adults (22%) (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023, 2025).

Variation by remoteness area

In the 2022–23 NATSIHS, the proportion of First Nations adults aged 18 and over with hypertension was (AIHW analysis of ABS 2025):

• 36% (approximately 40,000 adults) of those living in Outer regional areas
• 35% (approximately 50,000 adults) of those living in Inner regional areas
• 32% (approximately 79,000 adults) of those living in Major cities.

The differences in prevalence of hypertension among First Nations adults across remoteness areas were not statistically significant.

Among First Nations adults aged 18 and over with hypertension, the differences in blood pressure control rates across remoteness areas were also not statistically significant (AIHW analysis of ABS 2025).

Hypertension in pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are conditions associated with hypertension in pregnancy and include chronic (pre-existing) hypertension, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.

Data from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) show that in 2023:

• around 1,100 First Nations women (7.3%) who gave birth in Australia had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy recorded
• the proportion of First Nations women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy generally increased with maternal age. First Nations women aged 40–44 were 2.3 times as likely to have hypertension compared with those aged 15–19 (15% and 6.4%, respectively) (Figure 27)
• after adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, First Nations women were 1.4 times as likely to have hypertensive disorders of pregnancy as non-Indigenous women (Figure 28).

Incidence of hypertension in pregnancy

In this report, incident or new onset hypertension in pregnancy describes women who had gestational hypertension, and those with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia who did not have pre-existing hypertension recorded.

In 2023:

• about 920 First Nations women who gave birth in Australia had new onset hypertension in pregnancy recorded, an incidence of 5.9%
• the incidence of hypertension in pregnancy among First Nations women was highest in those aged 40–44 (7.8%) and 35–39 (7.6%), and lowest in those aged 20–29 (5.6%) (Figure 29)
• after adjusting for age, incidence of hypertension in pregnancy was 1.2 times as high in First Nations women as non-Indigenous women (Figure 28).

Hospitalisations

In this section, hospitalisations with hypertensive disease recorded as a principal and/or additional diagnosis are presented. In addition, data about hospitalisations with the hypertension supplementary code (U82.3) recorded are also presented. This code is assigned when hypertension is present at admission but does not meet criteria for inclusion as a principal or additional diagnosis on the patient’s hospital record.

Hypertensive disease hospitalisations

Hypertensive disease refers to conditions associated with hypertension as identified by the ICD-10-AM or ICD-10 codes I10-I13 and I15, namely essential/primary hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, hypertensive kidney disease, hypertensive heart and kidney disease and secondary hypertension. Hypertension refers to primary hypertension unless otherwise specified.

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

• There were about 8,600 hospitalisations associated with hypertensive disease (as the principal and/or additional diagnosis) among First Nations people – a rate of 830 per 100,000 population.
• The hypertensive disease hospitalisation rate increased with age and was highest among First Nations males and females aged 75 and over (Figure 30). 
• Overall, the hospitalisation rate was 1.2 times as high among First Nations females as First Nations males.

After adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, the rate of hospitalisations for hypertensive disease among First Nations people was 2.4 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians (Figure 31).

Hospitalisations with hypertension

In this section rates for hospitalisation with hypertension recorded as a supplementary code (comorbid hypertension) are presented. Supplementary chronic condition codes in hospitals data help identify key long-term health conditions that are part of a patient’s overall health profile but not the main reason for hospitalisation.

In 2023–24, based on data from the NHMD:

• There were around 70,900 hospitalisations with comorbid hypertension recorded among First Nations people – a rate of 6,900 per 100,000 population. This represents 10% of all hospitalisations for First Nations people in Australia.
• The hospitalisation rates increased with age and were highest among First Nations males and females aged 75 and over (63,600 and 59,900 per 100,000 population, respectively) (Figure 32).
• Overall, the rate was similar among First Nations males and females.

The age-standardised rate of hospitalisations with comorbid hypertension among First Nations people was 1.8 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians (Figure 31).

Emergency department presentations

In 2023–24, according to data from the National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database:

• the hypertensive disease ED presentation rate was 1.5 times as high among First Nations females as males
• First Nations people presented to the ED with a principal diagnosis of hypertensive disease at 2.2 times the rate for non-Indigenous people using age standardised rates.

Impacts of hypertension and high blood pressure

Burden of disease

In 2018, 4.3% of the total disease burden among First Nations people, or approximately 10,400 years of healthy life lost, was due to high blood pressure. High blood pressure contributed more to fatal burden (dying prematurely) at 7.7% than non-fatal burden (living with illness and injury) at 1.3%. 

Among First Nations people, high blood pressure was the 9th leading risk factor contributing to:

• 62% of hypertensive heart disease
• 41% of coronary heart disease
• 39% of stroke
• 32% of atrial fibrillation & flutter
• 30% of chronic kidney disease total disease burden (AIHW 2022).

For more information see Burden of disease.

Deaths

Based on data from the National Mortality Database, there were around 720 deaths from hypertensive disease (as the underlying and/or associated cause) among First Nations people in 2023, a rate of 71 per 100,000 population.

In 2023:

• just over 2 in 5 (42%) First Nations people with hypertensive disease identified as an underlying or associated cause of death were aged under 65
• hypertensive disease mortality rates increased with age with First Nations males and females aged 65 and over having the highest rates (755 and 664 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively) (Figure 33)
• death rates were higher among First Nations males than First Nations females across all age groups.

Of note, where data are reported by Indigenous status, counts of death are reported for 8 jurisdictions combined. However, death rates are reported for 6 jurisdictions combined, including New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. These jurisdictions are considered to have adequate levels of First Nations identification in mortality data.

After adjusting for differences in the age structure of the populations, the death rate for hypertensive disease among First Nations people was 1.9 times the rate for non-Indigenous people (Figure 34).