Life expectancy has dropped in Australia for the first time in decades

This is the first decline in Australia’s life expectancy since the mid-1990s. Australia’s population is growing older, meaning that more people than ever need primary care, more people have chronic illnesses, and more people are unwell for longer periods.

The expected lifespans for men and women born in 2020–2022 are 81.2 and 85.3 years, respectively. a 0.1-year drop in both situations. That’s what the most recent health report for the country said.

As a country, Australia spends about $241 billion on health — that was for the year 2021-22.

This equates to about $9,365 per person. This amount ranked Australia in 15th place in terms of health spending as a proportion of GDP out of 38 other OECD nations.

It’s about 10.5 percent of Australia’s GDP, slightly higher than the median spend but lower than countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

A majority of Australians — about six in 10 — currently live with chronic illness. That’s expected to increase, with health authorities saying more people likely have multiple chronic conditions.