Election 2025: 10 surprising facts about men’s health in Australia
In the run up to the Federal election on Saturday 3 May, the Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) is highlighting some of the key health issues facing men and boys.
We’re inviting everyone who cares about men’s health to contact their local candidates and ask them what action they will take to improve the lives and health of men and boys if elected.
If you need a little encouragement to reach out and connect with your local candidates, then here are 10 surprising facts that highlight why we need to take action to improve men’s health in Australia.
Men are dying too young
Men in Australia die 5 years younger than women on average. In 2023, the median age of death for men was 79.6 years, compared to 84.6 years for women.
The gap for people born in Australia is larger. Men born in Australia are dying 6 years younger than women on average (78.3 years for men compared to 84.3 years for women).
Source: ABS Deaths Australia 2023
50 men a day die from avoidable causes
Every day, 50 Australian men and boys die from preventable causes before the age of 75. In 2022, a total of 28,509 people under 75 died from potentially avoidable causes, comprising 18,080 males and 10,429 females.
Reducing the number of preventable deaths in men to the same number as women would save the lives of more than 7,500 men and boys a year.
Source: AIHW MORT books 2018-2022
Suicide is the leading killer of men under 65
9 people a day die by suicide, 7 males and 2 females on average, with men and boys accounting for 3 in 4 suicides.
In 2023, a total of 3,214 people died by suicide, 2,419 males and 795 females. Suicide is now the leading cause of death in men under 65 in Australia.
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023
7 in 10 young people who die are boys and young men
Boys and young men are significantly over-represented in deaths of people aged 15-24 years old. 72.3% of people in this age group who die are male. In 2023, a total of 1,111 young people (15-24 years) died, 803 males and 308 females.
Overall, young men and boys accounted for:
- 7 in 10 suicides (259 of 365 deaths)
- 4 in 5 road deaths (195 of 246 deaths)
- 4 in 5 accidental poisonings (46 of 56 deaths)
- 9 in 10 homicides (26 of 29 deaths)
- 9 in 10 accidental drownings (22 of 24 deaths)
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023
4 in 5 heart deaths under 65 are men
Heart disease is the leading killer of men in Australia, claiming the lives of more than 10,000 men (nearly 30 day) in 2023. Men are at significantly higher risk of dying from chronic heart disease before they reach the age of 65.
In 2023, a total of 2,421 people died from heart disease, 1,905 males and 515 females. Nearly 4 in 5 heart disease deaths in people under 65 are men.
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023
Men are 50% more likely than women to die from cancer
While heart disease is the leading single killer of men in Australia, the combined total of male deaths from different types of cancers is nearly 3x higher than deaths from chronic heart disease.
Cancer kills 80 men a day in Australia and 250 men a day are diagnosed with cancer. Men are over 30% more likely to get cancer than women and 50% more likely to die from cancer.
In 2023, the rate of new cases of cancer in men and boys was 572.5 per 100,000 and in females it was 443.5 per 100,000. In the same year, the rate of death from cancer was 178.2 per 100,000 for males and 118.4 per 100,000 for females.
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023; AIHW Cancer web article (02 Jul 2024).
7 in 10 alcohol-related deaths are men
Alcohol kills 3 men a day in Australia, with men accounting for 70.9% of alcohol-induced deaths in Australia. In 2023, there were 1,667 alcohol-induced deaths, 1,182 males and 485 females.
Alcohol was found to be a contributing factor in a total of 125 deaths a week in 2018, with men accounting for nearly 2 in 3 of these deaths. In total, 1,450 male deaths and 158 female deaths were linked to occupational hazards and exposures.
In terms of deaths where alcohol is a contributing factor, when comparing males and females, men and boys account for:
- 5x more suicides linked to alcohol (324 of 389 deaths)
- 5x more chronic liver disease deaths 1,394 of 2,184
- 75% more cancer deaths (405 of 467 deaths)
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023; AIHW Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024.
3 in 4 road deaths are men
Men and boys are 3x more likely to die in road deaths that women and girls. In 2023, a total of 1,437 people died in transport accidents, 1,085 were male and 352 were female.
Men and boys account for:
- 2 in 3 pedestrian deaths (123 of 184 deaths)
- 2 in 3 car occupants who die 459 of 678 deaths)
- 95% of cyclists who die in accidents (41 of 43 deaths)
- 94% of motorcyclists who die in accidents (229 of 244 deaths)
Source: ABS Underlying causes of death 2023
95% of workplace deaths are men
Every two days a man loses his life at work. In 2023, there were 200 workplace fatalities in Australia with men accounting for 95% of these deaths. It is estimated that a further 30 deaths a week are associated with exposure to occupational hazards.
Work was found to be a contributing factor in a total of 1,608 deaths in 2018, with men accounting or 90% of these deaths. In total, 1,450 male deaths and 158 female deaths were linked to occupational hazards and exposures in 2018.
Source: Safework Australia, work-related fatalities dashboard; AIHW Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024.
The preventable death rate in poor men is 4x higher than rich women
Our health is shaped by our social status. In terms of preventable deaths, the poorest 20% of people are more than twice as likely to die from potentially avoidable causes than the richest 20%.
According to Government data on potentially avoidable deaths, the poorest 20% of men in Australia are:
- 80% more likely to die than women from the same social background
- 2 x more likely to die than the richest 20% of men
- 4x more likely to die than the richest 20% of women
Source: AIHW MORT books 2018-2022
Take action for men’s health
As part of our Federal Election Platform 2025, AMHF is calling on the next Government to increase funding for the National Men’s Health Strategy to help some of the issues listed in this article.
Find out how you can make a difference for men and boys this election by asking your local candidates three questions about men’s health.