The five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer in Australia has increased from 50% to 72% over the past 30 years, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) biennial health report card released on Thursday. However, the report also highlights a concerning decline in childhood vaccination rates and a rise in preventable diseases.
Cancer survival improvements
The AIHW report shows that cancer diagnosis rates for people in their 30s and 40s grew between 2000 and 2025, but death rates have declined and survival has improved for these age groups. “People diagnosed with cancer today are surviving longer than ever before, reflecting advances in diagnosis and treatment,” said AIHW spokesperson Louise Gates.
Despite the positive trend, Nicholas Chartres, an associate professor and health researcher at the University of Sydney, emphasized the need for stronger preventive measures. “Once someone gets diagnosed with cancer, their quality of life after is significantly impacted both physically and psychologically,” Chartres said. “This is the main issue with this report: that we’re seeing increased life expectancy and there’s a discussion on treatment, but we’re not looking at preventative measures. This means Australians live longer, but with poor quality of life.”
Chronic conditions and preventable disease burden
The report reveals that Australia’s population is aging, and chronic conditions now account for the majority of deaths and disease burden. However, one-third of the nation’s disease burden could be prevented or reduced by modifying risk and environmental factors. Chartres suggested that the successful regulation of tobacco, which drove down smoking rates in the 2000s, could serve as a model for government action on other cancer-related risk factors. “Things like fossil fuels, chemicals, ultra-processed foods that are associated with cancers – we’re not addressing those,” he said. “But we can use the same suite of approaches we use with tobacco to protect us.”
Childhood immunisation rates decline
Experts have expressed concern over the vaccination data in the AIHW report. Between September 2020 and September 2025, childhood immunisation fell from 95% to 92% for one-year-olds, from 93% to 90% for two-year-olds, and from 95% to 93% for five-year-olds. “While Australia has long maintained high childhood immunisation rates, these recent declines are concerning, particularly given rising notifications rates for measles, diphtheria and whooping cough,” Gates said.
The decline in vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic is attributed to practical challenges such as booking appointments and costs, as well as mistrust of healthcare information and concerns over vaccine safety. The downturn has been especially pronounced for First Nations children, with vaccine coverage for one-year-olds falling by 3.9% between 2020 and 2025, compared with 2.6% for non-Indigenous children.
First Nations health outcomes
There have been some improvements in health outcomes for First Nations people, including declines in smoking and risky alcohol consumption, reduced disease burden, and expanded First Nations-specific care. However, more than half of deaths among those under 75 between 2022 and 2024 still stem from potentially avoidable causes.
Broader health trends
The AIHW report also compares Australian health metrics to OECD averages. Australians have a higher life expectancy at birth, are less likely to smoke daily, but are more likely to vape regularly, consume more alcohol on average, and are more likely to live with obesity. Mental health conditions are affecting a growing number of Australians, particularly young people.
