Facts and figures about stroke
- Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.[1]
- Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.[1]
- In 2017 there were more than 56,000 new and recurrent strokes – that is one stroke every nine minutes.[2]
- More than 80% of strokes can be prevented.[3]
- In 2017 there will be more than 475,000 people living with the effects of stroke. This is predicted to increase to one million by 2050.[2]
- Around 30% of stroke survivors are of working age (under the age of 65).[4]
- 65% of stroke survivors suffer a disability which impedes their ability to carry out daily living activities unassisted.[4]
- The financial cost of stroke in Australia is estimated to be $5 billion each year.[4]
- In 2015, funding for stroke research through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) represented just 4.1 percent of the total investment in medical research.[5]
- The FAST test is an easy way to recognise and remember the signs of stroke. Using the FAST test involves asking these simple questions:
Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms – Can they lift both arms?
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.
[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018. Australia’s Health 2018
[2] Deloitte Access Economics. No postcode untouched – Stroke in Australia 2017
[3] O’Donnell et al. "Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study", Lancet 2016; 388: 761–75. Published Online July 15, 2016, doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30506-2
[4] Deloitte Access Economics. The economic impact of stroke in Australia, 2013
[5] National Health and Medical Research Council. Research funding statistics and data. Stroke statistics provided by NHMRC