Key statistics on incontinence

Incontinence affects 1 in 4 adult Australians
 

Incontinence is common in Australia

• In 2023, there were over 7.2 million people with incontinence in Australia, representing 1 in 3 people over 15 years of age.
• 2 out of 10 men in Australia experience incontinence.
• Almost 4 out of 10 women in Australia experience incontinence. Women are 2 times more likely to have incontinence than men.
• Although there is a higher rate of incontinence among older people, 7 in 10 people with incontinence are younger than 65 years old.
• Although there is a higher rate of incontinence among people who live in residential aged care facilities, 9 out of 10 people who experience incontinence live in the community.
• The average age of people experiencing incontinence in Australia is 51 years.

Types of incontinence

• 3 in 10 people in Australia experienced urinary incontinence only in 2023.
• 2 in 100 people experienced faecal incontinence only in 2023.
• 4 in 100 people experienced both urinary and faecal incontinence in 2023.

Older people in Australia and incontinence

• People living in residential care experience incontinence at higher rates than the general population.
• Almost 5 in 10 people living in residential care experienced incontinence in 2023.
• Almost 2 in 10 people receiving home care packages experienced incontinence in 2023.

Seeking support

• Almost 6 out of 10 people experiencing urinary incontinence, and 7 out of 10 people experiencing faecal incontinence, talked to their doctor about support options.
• Almost 7 in 10 people saw a doctor an average of 5 times in the past year for support for incontinence.
• 4 in 10 people experiencing incontinence visited an allied health professional (including a physiotherapist or occupational therapist) for support.

Source: Deloitte Access Economics. The economic impact of incontinence in Australia. Continence Health Australia; 2024