Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

According to WHO guidelines, a person is defined as having high blood pressure if their systolic or diastolic blood pressure is equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg.

The results below refer to measured blood pressure only, and do not include people who might otherwise have high blood pressure but are managing their condition through the use of blood pressure medications or other actions.

In 2011-12, just over 3.1 million people aged 18 years and over (21.5%) had measured high blood pressure.

Overall, men were more likely to have high blood pressure than women (23.6% and 19.5% respectively), while the proportion of Australians with high blood pressure increased with age. Around 42.5% of persons aged 65 years and over had measured high blood pressure, compared with 6.0% of people aged 18-24 years.

• Also see Tables 1, 2, 3 and 17 in Australian Health Survey: First Results, 2011–13
• For information on how blood pressure data was collected, see the Australian Health Survey: Users' Guide, 2011-13
• For information on other physical measurements, see Physical Measurements

Previous results for blood pressure

Information on measured blood pressure is available from Nutrient Intakes and Physical Measurements, Australia, 1995
Information on self reported hypertension is available from the National Health Survey 2007–08, 2004–05, 2001, 1995.

Other articles on blood pressure

Changes in Health: A Snapshot, 2004-05

Height and weight | Waist circumference