Asthma prevalence in Australia 
The word prevalence means how common a condition or disease is in a population. Asthma prevalence refers to how many people have asthma.
- In 2007-8, 9.9% of the population stated they had current asthma. Rounding these numbers, we can say that about 10% of the population (2 million people) have asthma currently
- Asthma prevalence in Australia is high by international standards. The reason for this is unknown
- Asthma prevalence in children and young adults has decreased slightly over the last few years. Prevalence remains unchanged in older adults
- Prevalence is higher in people 75 and over, being at least 11%
- In the 0-14 year age group more boys than girls have asthma
- In the 15 years and over age group more females have asthma than males
- The majority of children with asthma in Australia have infrequent intermittent asthma, which means they have occasional ‘episodes’ of asthma symptoms lasting a short period of time, and only take medication when they have symptoms rather than every day
- Less than 5% of children with asthma have persistent asthma
- The majority of adults with asthma have mild or very mild asthma
- In the 2001 to 2004-05 period the gap in prevalence between the least disadvantaged and the most disadvantaged localities increased
Asthma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
In the indigenous population asthma is the second most common self reported illness. There are number of differences in the asthma statistics of non-indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians including:
- A higher prevalence of asthma in older people, children and those who live in remote locations
- A higher death rate due to asthma
- Higher hospitalisation rates for asthma
- Nearly double the rate of smoking
- Relatively high rates of exposure as children to passive smoking, both before and after birth
- Less inhaled corticosteroid use likely in children
- A higher likelihood that they have diabetes and mental and behavioral disorders as well as asthma
Mortality rate (number of deaths from asthma)
- In 2008 there were 449 deaths due to asthma, which was an increase from 2007 when there were 385 deaths. This is an average of more than one person dying due to asthma every day
- From 1989–2006 there was a 69% decrease in the mortality attributed to asthma
- The majority of deaths from asthma occur in people over 65
- The risk of dying from asthma increases with age
- People living in socially disadvantaged areas have an increased risk of dying from asthma
Hospitalisations and emergency department visits
- The group most likely to go to an emergency department for asthma treatment is children aged 0–14, and they are most likely to attend in late summer (February)
- Around 40% of people who attend an emergency department for asthma treatment are admitted to hospital
- There is a higher rate of hospitalisation for asthma in children than adults, and the highest rate is in boys aged 0–4 years
- The rate of people being admitted to hospital for asthma, and the length of time they stay in hospital is reducing over time. Adult admission rates have reduced by 45% since 1993-4
- The average length of stay in hospital for asthma is 3.16 days for adults, and 1.52 days for children
- Adults who live in remote locations than those living in major cities are more likely to be admitted to hospital
- Hospital admissions due to asthma are higher for those who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas compared with those living in the least socioeconomically disadvantaged areas
- The peak for hospital admission rates for adults with asthma occurs in the winter months
- In 2006-07 11.7 out of every 1000 people admitted to hospital for asthma required a period on a ‘life support machine’ (mechanical ventilator)
Health care expenditure
- In 2004-05 health expenditure due to asthma was $606 million
- This expenditure accounted for 1.2% of total allocated healthcare expenditure
- Over half of all asthma expenditure was on prescription medications (59%), and 16% was spent on hospital admission costs
Other asthma facts
- Only 21% of Australians have a written Asthma Action Plan
- In a 2007-8 survey, 54% of people with asthma reported using medication for their asthma in the last 2 weeks
- The rate of smoking among people with asthma is the same, if not higher than the rate of smoking among people without asthma
- In 2004-5, 39% of children under 14 with asthma lived with one or more cigarette smokers, and 11% of children with asthma lived in homes where smoking occurred inside
- Up to 90% of people who have asthma inhalers do not use them correctly
- Occupational asthma is the most common occupational lung disease in the developed world, with at least 9% of cases of adults with asthma either caused or aggravated by occupational factors
- It is thought that up to half of people over 55 with asthma have not been diagnosed