Overview

Chronic diseases are long lasting conditions with persistent effects. Their social and economic consequences can impact on peoples’ quality of life. Chronic conditions are becoming increasingly common and are a priority for action in the health sector. Many people with chronic conditions do not have a single, predominant condition, but rather they experience multimorbidity – the presence of 2 or more chronic conditions in a person at the same time.

AIHW commonly reports on 10 major chronic condition groups: arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, mental health conditions and osteoporosis.

These chronic conditions were selected for reporting because they are common, pose significant health problems, have been the focus of ongoing AIHW surveillance efforts and, in many instances, action can be taken to prevent their occurrence.

Featured reports

Latest findings

18 out of every 1,000 hospitalisations among females aged 15–44 were related to endometriosis

The median age of endometriosis-related hospitalisations is decreasing

The rate of endometriosis hospitalisations has doubled among females aged 20–24 in the past decade

2.7% of people aged 35 and over at 30 June 2019 had used health services for COPD in the year prior

COPD prevalence was highest in areas of highest disadvantage (3.8%) among people aged 35 and over at 30 June 2019

COPD prevalence at 30 June 2019 was 2.8% for men and 2.6% for women, for those aged 35 and over

The AIHW manages the National Centre for Monitoring Chronic Conditions (NCMCC) to provide a ‘bigger picture’ of chronic conditions in Australia.

More reports and statistics on chronic disease can be found under Burden of disease, Biomedical risk factors and Life expectancy & deaths.