Australians with cancer are living longer but diagnosis rates on the rise for younger people, report reveals
Australians with cancer are living longer than ever, a flagship health report has revealed, but falling childhood vaccination rates and increasing rates of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough have given experts cause for concern.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) biennial report card, released on Thursday, shows the five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer has increased from 50% to 72% in 30 years.
Though cancer diagnosis rates for people in their 30s and 40s grew between 2000 and 2025, death rates have declined and survival has improved for these demographics.
“People diagnosed with cancer today are surviving longer than ever before, reflecting advances in diagnosis and treatment,” AIHW’s spokesperson Louise Gates said.
Nicholas Chartres, an associate professor and health researcher at the University of Sydney, said more could still be done to prevent cancer.
“Once someone gets diagnosed with cancer, their quality of life after is significantly impacted both physically and psychologically,” Chartres said.
“This is the main issue with this report: that we’re seeing increased life expectancy and there’s a discussion on treatment, but we’re not looking at preventative measures.
“This means Australians live longer, but with poor quality of life.”
The report shows Australia’s population is continuing to age, and chronic conditions are now responsible for the majority of deaths and disease burden.
But one-third of the nation’s disease burden could be prevented or reduced by modifying risk and environmental factors, the report finds.
Chartres said the regulation of tobacco, which helped drive down smoking rates in the 2000s, could serve as a blueprint for government action in other areas.
“Things like fossil fuels, chemicals, ultra-processed foods that are associated with cancers – we’re not addressing those,” he said.
“[But] we can use the same suite of approaches we use with tobacco to protect us.”
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Experts have also expressed concerns about the vaccination data revealed by the AIHW report.
Between September 2020 and September 2025, childhood immunisation fell from 95% to 92% for one-year-olds, from 93% to 90% for two-year-olds and from 95% to 93% for five-year-olds.
“While Australia has long maintained high childhood immunisation rates, these recent declines are concerning, particularly given rising notifications rates for measles, diphtheria and whooping cough,” Gates said.
The decline in vaccination rates since the Covid pandemic can be partially attributed to practical challenges – such as booking appointments and costs – as well as mistrust of healthcare information and concerns over vaccine safety, the report finds.
Downturns have been particularly pronounced for First Nations children, with vaccine coverage for one-year-olds falling by 3.9% between 2020 and 2025, compared with 2.6% for non-Indigenous children.
There have been improvements to First Nations people’s health outcomes in other areas, as smoking and risky alcohol consumption has declined, disease burden has decreased, and First Nations-specific care has expanded.
But more than half the deaths among those under 75 between 2022 and 2024 still stem from potentially avoidable causes.
The report finds Australians have a higher life expectancy at birth, are less likely to smoke every day, more likely to vape regularly, consume more alcohol on average and are more likely to live with obesity compared with the OECD average.
Mental health conditions are also affecting a growing number of Australians, particularly young people.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Australia's health profile shows mixed progress. Cancer survival has substantially improved over three decades due to advances in diagnosis and treatment, and younger people diagnosed with cancer are living longer despite higher initial diagnosis rates. However, childhood vaccination coverage has declined since 2020 across all age groups, with notifications of preventable diseases increasing. The decline affects Indigenous children disproportionately. The report identifies that one-third of disease burden is preventable through modifying risk factors such as smoking, diet, and environmental exposure. Australia's population continues to ageing, with chronic conditions now responsible for most deaths. Mental health conditions are increasing, particularly among young people. Life expectancy remains higher than the OECD average, though Australians report higher rates of obesity and alcohol consumption than comparable nations.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Australians with cancer are living longer than ever, a flagship health report has revealed, but falling childhood vaccination rates and increasing rates of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough have given experts cause for concern.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) biennial report card, released on Thursday, shows the five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer has increased from 50% to 72% in 30 years.
Though cancer diagnosis rates for people in their 30s and 40s grew between 2000 and 2025, death rates have declined and survival has improved for these demographics.
“People diagnosed with cancer today are surviving longer than ever before, reflecting advances in diagnosis and treatment,” AIHW’s spokesperson Louise Gates said.
Nicholas Chartres, an associate professor and health researcher at the University of Sydney, said more could still be done to prevent cancer.
“Once someone gets diagnosed with cancer, their quality of life after is significantly impacted both physically and psychologically,” Chartres said.
“This is the main issue with this report: that we’re seeing increased life expectancy and there’s a discussion on treatment, but we’re not looking at preventative measures.
“This means Australians live longer, but with poor quality of life.”
The report shows Australia’s population is continuing to age, and chronic conditions are now responsible for the majority of deaths and disease burden.
But one-third of the nation’s disease burden could be prevented or reduced by modifying risk and environmental factors, the report finds.
Chartres said the regulation of tobacco, which helped drive down smoking rates in the 2000s, could serve as a blueprint for government action in other areas.
“Things like fossil fuels, chemicals, ultra-processed foods that are associated with cancers – we’re not addressing those,” he said.
“[But] we can use the same suite of approaches we use with tobacco to protect us.”
after newsletter promotion
Experts have also expressed concerns about the vaccination data revealed by the AIHW report.
Between September 2020 and September 2025, childhood immunisation fell from 95% to 92% for one-year-olds, from 93% to 90% for two-year-olds and from 95% to 93% for five-year-olds.
“While Australia has long maintained high childhood immunisation rates, these recent declines are concerning, particularly given rising notifications rates for measles, diphtheria and whooping cough,” Gates said.
The decline in vaccination rates since the Covid pandemic can be partially attributed to practical challenges – such as booking appointments and costs – as well as mistrust of healthcare information and concerns over vaccine safety, the report finds.
Downturns have been particularly pronounced for First Nations children, with vaccine coverage for one-year-olds falling by 3.9% between 2020 and 2025, compared with 2.6% for non-Indigenous children.
There have been improvements to First Nations people’s health outcomes in other areas, as smoking and risky alcohol consumption has declined, disease burden has decreased, and First Nations-specific care has expanded.
But more than half the deaths among those under 75 between 2022 and 2024 still stem from potentially avoidable causes.
The report finds Australians have a higher life expectancy at birth, are less likely to smoke every day, more likely to vape regularly, consume more alcohol on average and are more likely to live with obesity compared with the OECD average.
Mental health conditions are also affecting a growing number of Australians, particularly young people.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Australia's five-year relative survival rate for cancer increased from 50% to 72% over 30 years Cancer diagnosis rates for people in their 30s and 40s grew between 2000 and 2025, but death rates declined for these age groups Childhood immunisation rates fell from 95% to 92% for one-year-olds, 93% to 90% for two-year-olds, and 95% to 93% for five-year-olds between September 2020 and September 2025 Measles, diphtheria and whooping cough notifications have risen in Australia Vaccination coverage for Indigenous one-year-olds fell by 3.9% between 2020 and 2025, compared with 2.6% for non-Indigenous children About one-third of Australia's disease burden could be prevented or reduced by modifying risk and environmental factors Declines in vaccination rates can be partially attributed to practical challenges such as booking appointments and costs, as well as mistrust of healthcare information and vaccine safety concerns The main issue is that increased life expectancy and treatment discussion obscures the lack of focus on preventative measures, leaving Australians living longer but with poor quality of life Government regulation of tobacco could serve as a blueprint for addressing other risk factors such as fossil fuels, chemicals and ultra-processed foods Mental health conditions are affecting a growing number of Australians, particularly young people
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
- Cancer survival rates in Australia have improved significantly, rising from 50% to 72% over 30 years
- Cancer diagnoses in people aged 30–40 increased between 2000 and 2025, though death rates declined
- Childhood vaccination rates have fallen since 2020: from 95% to 92% for one-year-olds, with measles, diphtheria and whooping cough cases rising
- About one-third of Australia's disease burden could be prevented through changes to risk factors and environmental conditions
- Mental health conditions are affecting a growing number of Australians, particularly young people