Opinions13 July 2026
Australians live longer than previous decades but spend more years in poorer health
Population health
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Authored byLauren Ball
A new snapshot of the nation’s health, released today by the Australian Institute Health and Welfare, shows Australians are living longer than in previous decades
Australia’s long-term life expectancy growth is one of the great successes of modern medicine, public health and improved living conditions
But living longer doesn’t necessarily mean living well. The report shows the average time spent in poor health also rose since 2003
A previous report from the same institute found a man born in 2024 could expect to live 71.7 years in “full health”, despite a life expectancy of 81.6 years
A woman born in 2024 could expect to live in full health for an average of 73.8 years, despite an average life expectancy of 85.5 years
This means Australians can expect to live around 87% of their lives in full health
But what does the last decade or so look like when their health deteriorates?
Let’s look more closely at what researchers mean by “healthy life expectancy”, and what is meant by “full health”
Does ‘full health’ mean being perfectly healthy?
Plenty of Australians in their 40s or 50s have high blood pressure, wear glasses, take cholesterol medication or manage arthritis. Many would still describe themselves as healthy
The World Health Organization defines “healthy life expectancy” as the average number of years a person can expect to live in “full health”, after accounting for years lived in less than full health due to disease or injury
This doesn’t mean living without ever becoming sick, injured or needing medication. It’s a population measure that combines information about how long people live with information about disease, injury and disability that affects them
Like life expectancy, healthy life expectancy is an average. It does not predict what will happen to a single or specific person
Life expectancy estimates how long a baby born today could expect to live, on average, if today’s patterns of death remain the same. Healthy life expectancy estimates how many of those years are likely to be lived in good health
Like many countries, Australia experienced a small decline in life expectancy during the COVID pandemic, between 2019 and 2022. More recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data show life expectancy has since recovered, reaching 81.6 years for men and 85.5 years for women
You can have an illness and still live well
One misconception is that years lived in “less than full health” are inevitably unhappy, inactive or dependent years
For many people, this isn’t true. Many Australians live for years with one or more chronic conditions while continuing to work, volunteer, travel, exercise, care for grandchildren and contribute to their communities. Health is not an all-or-nothing state
The WHO’s healthy ageing framework defines healthy ageing as developing and maintaining the “functional ability” that enables wellbeing in older age. This includes being able to meet basic needs, move around, make decisions, build relationships and contribute to society
When researchers estimate the global burden of disease, they estimate the number of years lived with illness or disability based on how common the condition is and also the extent to which it impacts daily life. These estimates include a wide spectrum of conditions and injuries, from arthritis, asthma and diabetes through to cancer, heart disease, depression, dementia and injuries such as traumatic brain injury
How you rate your health and wellbeing also matters
Health is well recognised as more than the absence of disease
Quality of life is a person’s perception of their position in life, in the context of their culture, values, goals and concerns. This includes, for example, their physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environmental factors such as safety, financial re
How people rate their own health is recognised as a valuable part of the picture. A review of 27 community studies found people’s self-rated health – their own rating of their health – predicted death, even after accounting for other health factors such as income, housing and ethnicity
Social connection matters for our health too. A major meta-analysis (where data from many studies are pooled and re-analysed together) found people with stronger social relationships had a lower risk of dying early, showing social health is part of the health picture
Health means different things to different people
Ask ten people what it means to be healthy and you may receive ten different answers
For some, health means being physically fit or free from disease. For others, it means staying independent, spending time with family, remaining connected to culture or community, continuing to work, or being able to do everyday activities
These perspectives also differ across cultures. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, social and emotional wellbeing is understood holistically, through relationships between individuals, family, kin and community
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Indigenous Health Performance Framework describes social and emotional wellbeing as a foundation for physical and mental health. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations emphasise that health extends beyond physical and mental illness to include connection to Country, culture, family and community. These important aspects of wellbeing are not always fully captured by conventional health measures
Can we increase our healthy years?
Absolutely
Many conditions that reduce healthy years can be prevented, delayed or better managed through behaviours such as not smoking, being physically active, eating a nutritious diet and limiting alcohol. But, being healthy also depends on health care, housing, education, transport, safe neighbourhoods and opportunities for social connection
Australian health policy increasingly supports people to remain at home in older years, which means family and friends are taking on a growing share of care
However the new report indicates support systems are not keeping pace with carers’ needs and expectations. Australia has achieved a major public health milestone by helping people live longer. The next challenge is integrating Australia’s care and support systems to meet growing demand
This will help more people live those extra years with the health, independence, connection and support they need to keep doing the things that matter
Lauren Ball is aProfessor of Community Health and Wellbeing at The University of Queensland
This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article
The statements or opinions expressed in this article reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the AMA, the MJA or InSight+ unless so stated.
Subscribe to the free InSight+ weekly newsletter here. It is available to all readers, not just registered medical practitioners.
If you would like to submit an article for consideration, send a Word version to mjainsight-editor@ampco.com.au.
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Authored byLauren Ball
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