Overview

Men and women have distinct health and welfare needs and concerns related to their gender and biological sex. This is illustrated by different rates of injury, illness and mortality; different attitudes towards health and other risks; the way each group uses health services; and differences in their health outcomes and wellbeing.

More reports and statistics on women can be found under Mothers & babies.

Latest findings

Ex-serving males who discharged from service voluntarily had similar rates of suicide to Australian males Ex-serving males who discharged from service on medical grounds had higher rates of suicide than Australian males 3 in 4 men were overweight or obese in 2017–18 In 2016 to 2018 the age‑adjusted rate of suicide in reserve males was 47% lower than in Australian males Around 1 in 2 Australian males had 1 or more of the 10 selected chronic conditions in 2017–18 Fewer than 1 in 30 men ate the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables in 2017–18 More than half of Australian men exceeded the single occasion risk drinking guideline in 2017–18 In 2016 to 2018 the age‑adjusted rate of suicide in serving males was 37% lower than in Australian males Males accounted for more than half (53%) of total disease burden in 2015 1 in 2 men were sufficiently physically active in 2017–18 The leading cause of death for males in 2017 was coronary heart disease

Latest reports

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Highlights

Femalesborn in 2015–17 can expect to live 4.1 years longer than males — 84.6 compared with 80.5 years
59%of women and 50% of men aged 18 years and over were insufficiently active in 2017–18
2 in 3people in permanent residential aged care in 2014 were women
Malesaccounted for 62% of premature deaths in 2017
49%of females had 1 or more of the 10 selected chronic conditions in 2017–18 compared with 46% of males
30.6was the average age of all women who gave birth in 2017, up from 29.9 years in 2007
1 in 6women and 1 in 16 men have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or previous cohabiting partner
Suicide rateamong ex-serving Australian Defence Force men was 18% higher than for all Australian men, after adjusting for age