According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ” in 2018, just under half of Australia’s population—49%, or 12.4 million people—were male.

On average, Australian males experience different health outcomes to Australian females. They are more likely than females to engage in risky health behaviours and to die prematurely. They are also more likely to be homeless or in custody. Compared with females, males experienced more of their total disease burden due to dying early from disease and injury than from living with disease.”

How healthy are Australia’s males?

A person’s health status is their overall level of health, and can be measured through self-assessed health status; presence of chronic conditions and comorbidities; mental health; sexual heath; life expectancy; and level of disability.

Self-assessed health status

Self-assessed health status is a general measure of health status, combining physical, social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing.

3 in 5

Australian males rated their health as excellent or very good in 2017–18

According to 2017–18 data, 3 in 5 (57%) males (aged 15 and over) rated their health as excellent or very good (ABS 2018a).

The proportion of males who rated their health as excellent or very good varied by age group. Two in 3 (69%) males aged 15–24 rated their health as excellent or very good compared with 1 in 3 (31%) men aged 85 years and over (ABS 2018a).

Leading 10 causes of total disease burden (DALY) by disease, males, 2015

Disease group

DALY(a)

Per cent of total

Coronary heart disease

216,774

8.6

Suicide

100,882

4.0

Back pain and problems

97,862

3.9

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

92,367

3.7

Lung cancer

91,850

3.6

Dementia

69,188

2.7

Stroke

62,511

2.5

Anxiety disorders

59,446

2.4

Type 2 diabetes

58,968

2.3

Depressive disorders

57,742

2.3

(a) DALY = Disability Adjusted Life-Year.
Chart: AIHW. Source: AIHW 2019a.