Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

SELF-ASSESSED HEALTH STATUS

Self-assessed health status is a commonly used measure of overall health. While it may not always be equivalent to health status as measured by a medical professional, it does reflect a person's perception of his or her own health at a given point in time. Therefore, it is a useful measure of a person's current health status, as well as providing a broad picture of a population's overall health.

In 2011-12, over half of all Australians aged 15 years and over considered themselves to be in very good or excellent health (55.6%), while 4.0% rated their health as poor. There was no significant change in the way Australians rated their overall health between 2007-08 and 2011-12.

Older Australians generally rated themselves as having poorer health than younger people, with persons aged 75 years and over recording the highest proportion of poor health (10.5%). Men and women showed no differences in the way they assessed their overall health in 2011-12.

• Also see Table 1 in Australian Health Survey: First Results, 2011–13
• For information on how self-assessed health data was collected, see the Australian Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2011-13
• For information on other general health indicators, see General Health

Previous results for self-assessed health status

National Health Survey 2007–08, 2004–05, 2001, 1995
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2004-05

Other articles on self-assessed health status

The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 2010: Self-assessed health
Aspects of Disability and Health in Australia, 2007-08
Self-assessed Health in Australia: A Snapshot, 2004-05
Changes in Health: A Snapshot, 2004-05
Health of Older People in Australia: A Snapshot, 2004-05
Characteristics of People Reporting Good or Better Health, 2001


Psychological distress