Summary

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Introduction How common is hypertension? Treatment and management of hypertension What are the impacts of hypertension and measured high blood pressure? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people Where do I go for more information?

Blood pressure (BP) is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood around the body.

High blood pressure is when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries is too high. A person’s blood pressure can fluctuate naturally depending on what they are doing, especially during exercise (Heart Foundation 2026).

Hypertension is a diagnosed medical condition when blood pressure is consistently high. This can lead to other serious health conditions and is a major risk factor for many chronic conditions such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and dementia. Nearly 4 in 10 (39%) Australians aged 18 and over are estimated to have hypertension and of these, only 40% have it under control and were taking antihypertensive medications.

Definition of hypertension
Hypertension is a diagnosed medical condition when blood pressure is consistently high (defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg). It is diagnosed based on multiple measurements taken on at least 2 separate occasions, one or more weeks apart, or sooner if hypertension is severe (≥180/110 mmHg) (Heart Foundation 2016). Blood pressure can be measured in a variety of places such as at home, a pharmacy, or by a doctor and/or nurse in a health care setting. Many variables can influence readings from physiological to posture, setting and factors during the procedure (for example, bodily position and resting periods) (Schutte et al. 2022).

Definition of controlled hypertension

Hypertension can be controlled through lifestyle changes but most patients also require antihypertensive medications. In this report, controlled hypertension refers to people who have been dispensed antihypertensive medication(s) and have measured blood pressure within the optimal ranges (<140/90 mmHg).

How common is hypertension?

In 2022, based on the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey (NHS) (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023):

  • 39% of people aged 18 and over (approximately 7.2 million adults) were estimated to have hypertension, with similar proportions observed in males (40%) and females (39%).
  • Hypertension becomes more common with age and is highest among adults aged 75 and over (85%).

Of adults with hypertension (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023):

  • 63% did not self-report their hypertension status, reflecting low awareness.
  • 65% had been dispensed antihypertensive medications.
  • 40% had their blood pressure controlled and were taking antihypertensive medications.
  • 70–82% of those aged 54 and under had uncontrolled hypertension.

In 2023, based on data from the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC):

  • Nearly 1 in 20 (4.9%) women aged 15–44 who gave birth in Australia had new onset (incidence) hypertension in pregnancy.
  • Incidence of hypertension in pregnancy was highest among women aged 40–44 (6.5%) and lowest among those aged 30–34 (4.4%).

Treatment and management of hypertension

Hospitalisations

In this report, the term hypertensive disease refers to conditions associated with hypertension, namely essential/primary hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, hypertensive kidney disease and secondary hypertension. Hypertension refers to essential hypertension, unless otherwise specified.

In 2023–24, based on data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) about 193,000 hospitalisations (principal and/or additional diagnosis) were recorded for hypertensive disease.

Of these hospitalisations for hypertensive disease: 

  • 94% had a diagnosis of essential/primary hypertension (referred to as hypertension)
  • Rates increased with age, with the highest rate seen in those aged 85 and over for both males and females (6,100 and 7,700 per 100,000 population, respectively).
  • Rates were higher in people living in the lowest socioeconomic areas, compared with those living in the highest socioeconomic areas.
  • Rates also increased with remoteness area.

Emergency department presentations

In 2023–24, based on data from the National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care (NNAPEDC) Database:

  • There were around 31,000 emergency department (ED) presentations with a principal diagnosis of hypertensive disease.
  • 93% of presentations with a principal diagnosis of hypertensive disease were attributed to essential hypertension.
  • ED presentations for hypertensive disease rose with increasing age, and were highest in those aged 85 and over, for both males and females (398 and 856 per 100,000 population, respectively).
  • ED presentation rates for hypertensive disease (as a principal diagnosis) rose as socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness area increased. 

What are the impacts of hypertension and measured high blood pressure?

Burden of disease

AIHW's Australian Burden of Disease Study found that in 2024 (AIHW 2025):

  • 4.4% of total disease burden was due to the risk factor high blood pressure, making it the 4th leading modifiable risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia.
  • High blood pressure contributed to the burden of many diseases, including 61% of hypertensive heart disease, 40% of coronary heart diseases and 37% of stroke.
  • Australians lost 16,445 years of healthy life due to living with and dying from hypertensive heart disease, with most of the burden due to dying prematurely (98.7%), compared with living with the condition (1.3%).
  • For hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, 86.7% of the burden was due to living with the condition, while 13.3% was due to dying prematurely.

Deaths

In 2023, based on data from the National Mortality Database (NMD):

  • Hypertensive disease contributed to around 24,700 deaths (13% of all deaths in Australia), at a rate of 93 deaths per 100,000 population.
  • Hypertensive disease death rates increased with age, with nearly half (49%) of the deaths from hypertensive disease occurring at or over the age of 85 (2,100 per 100,000 population).
  • The hypertensive disease death rate was 1.3 times as high for males as females, after adjusting for age.
  • After adjusting for age, hypertensive disease death rates (underlying and/or associated cause) increased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage and increasing remoteness area.

Health expenditure

In 2023–24, $4.6 billion in health system spending could be attributed to people with the risk factor high blood pressure. This represents 2.5% of total health system spending on disease and injury in Australia, making it the 4th most costly risk factor (AIHW 2025a, 2025b).

Of the estimated $180 billion of total health spending on disease and injury in 2023–24, an estimated (AIHW 2025a):

  • $2.1 billion was spent on the treatment of hypertension
  • $189 million was spent on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people

In 2022–23, based on the latest data from the ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) (AIHW analysis of ABS 2024):

  • 34% (approximately 170,000) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) adults aged 18 years and over had hypertension.
  • Hypertension rates were highest in First Nations adults aged 55 and over (62%), compared with those aged 18–24 (13%).
  • Of First Nations adults with hypertension, 27% (approximately 45,000) were estimated to have their blood pressure controlled and were taking antihypertensive medications.

In 2023, based on data from the NPDC: 

  • The incidence of hypertension in pregnancy among First Nations women who gave birth in Australia was 5.9% (920 women).
  • The incidence of hypertension in pregnancy was highest among First Nations women aged 40–44 (7.8%) and 35–39 (7.6%), and lowest in those aged 20–29 (5.6%).

In 2023–24:

  • There were about 8,600 hospitalisations recorded for hypertensive disease (principal and/or additional diagnosis) in First Nations people, based on data from the NHMD. This is equivalent to a crude rate of 830 per 100,000 population.
  • There were about 1,300 ED presentations with a principal diagnosis of hypertensive disease among First Nations people, based on data from the NNAPEDC database. This is equivalent to a crude rate of 130 per 100,000 population.

In 2023, according to data from the NMD, there were around 720 deaths from hypertensive disease (underlying and/or associated cause) among First Nations people, a crude rate of 71 per 100,000 population.

Among First Nations people, in 2018, 4.3% of total disease burden could be attributed to the risk factor high measured blood pressure (AIHW 2022).

Where do I go for more information?

For more information about health risk factors, see Risk factors.

For more information about cardiovascular conditions, see Heart, stroke and vascular disease: Australian facts.

For more information about blood pressure, see Blood pressure and heart health | Heart Foundation.

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