Australian Asthma Deaths Reach a Decade High as Dementia Tops 10%

Dementia accounted for more than 10% of all deaths in Australia for the first time in 2025, and asthma deaths hit their highest level in a decade, new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show.

Of the 188,421 deaths registered in 2025, 19,019 were caused by dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Dementia has been the leading cause of death in Australia since 2024. The other leading causes in 2025 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.

Asthma killed 484 Australians in 2025, up from 478 in 2024. Women account for almost two-thirds of asthma deaths and almost two-thirds of dementia deaths.

Calls for recognition and better asthma care

Prof Tanya Buchanan, chief executive of Dementia Australia, said the data underline "the critical need for more recognition and funding to support people living with dementia, their families and carers". An estimated 446,500 Australians live with dementia, and a further 1.7 million are involved in their care. Investment in services, supports and prevention has not kept pace with the growing impact, she said, and stigma around dementia continues.

Kate Miranda, chief executive of Asthma Australia, said poorly controlled asthma raises the risk and is a preventable reason behind many asthma-related deaths. "We have effective treatments and clear clinical guidelines, yet too many Australians are not getting the care they need to stay well," she said. Research has found that the proportion of adults with well-controlled asthma is falling, with many using little or no preventer treatment, and that adherence among people using inhaled corticosteroids is getting worse.

Too many people use only reliever medication, Miranda said, and it does not treat the underlying inflammation. People with mild asthma often think "it's just asthma" and skip regular checkups with their GP, and some take preventer medication on high pollen days or when they have a cold but not otherwise. Guidelines have shifted to recommend anti-inflammatory reliever therapy, which also treats symptoms, yet many older Australians still use medicines they were given as children.

Drug-induced deaths also remained a public health issue, rising to 2,063 in 2025 from 2,007 in 2024. Lauren Moran, the ABS head of mortality statistics, said opioids and benzodiazepines remain the most common drug classes involved, but deaths after using stimulants, including methamphetamine, have grown substantially. Suicide remained the leading cause of premature death for both males and females, with men accounting for almost three-quarters of these deaths.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics