National Snapshot

  • Prevalence: Arthritis affects around 15% of Australians, making it one of the most common chronic conditions and a leading cause of pain and disability.¹
  • Projected Growth: By 2040, the number of Australians living with arthritis is expected to grow by 31%, reaching 5.39 million. Over 2 million will be of working age, significantly impacting workforce participation—particularly among Millennials (aged 28–43).²
  • Economic Impact: Arthritis is one of the most expensive chronic health conditions. In 2020–21, more than $5.26 billion was spent on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis alone.²
    It also accounts for 40% of workforce participation loss due to chronic illness—more than any other chronic condition.²

Queensland Statistics³

  • Prevalence: 13.6% of Queenslanders (approx. 705,300 people) live with arthritis. This rate has remained stable since 2001.
  • Health System Cost: Arthritis is estimated to cost the Queensland health system approximately $952 million per year, based on TAM analysis of prevalence data from the National Health Survey.³
  • People living in the most disadvantaged areas are more likely to have arthritis (16.6%) compared to those in the least disadvantaged areas (11.4%).
  • People living with disability are significantly more likely to have arthritis (27.2%) than those without a disability (5.9%).

New South Wales Statistics³

  • Prevalence: 14.7% of people in NSW (approx. 1.2 million) are living with arthritis.
  • Health System Cost: Arthritis is estimated to cost the NSW health system approximately $1.62 billion per year, based on TAM analysis of prevalence data from the National Health Survey.³
  • People with disability in NSW are far more likely to have arthritis (32.5%) than those without a disability (7.4%).
  • Arthritis is also more common among people experiencing high or very high psychological distress (33.0%) than those with moderate (18.5%) or low distress (17.3%).

References

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions
  2. Ackerman, I. N., Gorelik, A., Berkovic, D., & Buchbinder, R. (2024). The future burden of arthritis in Australia: Projections to the year 2040. Arthritis Australia. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/arthritis
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2022). National Health Survey: State and territory findings. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey-state-and-territory-findings/latest-release
    Image: Arthritis Australia. (2018). Arthritis impact infographic [Infographic]. https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/