Key statistics: Heart failure

Statistics and information on heart failure in Australia

Heart failure

Heart failure is a condition where the heart doesn’t pump blood around the body as well as it should. 

Explore the statistics relating to heart failure below.

Prevalence¹

• Almost 144,000 people (0.6% of the Australian population) live with heart failure.
• The number of people who reported living with heart failure increased substantially between 2017-18 and 2022.
• Almost twice as many men experience heart failure compared to women. 

Deaths²

• Heart failure accounts for almost 1 in 50 deaths, equating to one person dying of heart failure every 2.5 hours, or 9 people losing their lives each day. 
• More women die for heart failure overall, but when adjusted for age and population size the rate for males and females is similar.*
• The number of people losing their life due to heart failure has been slowly decreasing over time.* 

Hospitalisations³

• Around 170 people are hospitalised due to heart failure every day, equating to 1 person every 9 minutes.
• Similar numbers of men and women are admitted to hospital for heart failure each year.
• The overall number of people hospitalised due to heart failure has slowly reduced over the past decade.*

_{* After adjusting for population size and age distribution.}