In Australia, Parkinson’s incidence rates increase by 4% per year, impacting our economy and healthcare systems at a cost of over $10 billion annually (2).
Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, with an estimated 10 million people currently affected, according to the World Health Organisation (1). It can affect anyone, male or female, at any age, although it is more common in older age.
Incidence & prevalence in Australia
When we talk about the ‘incidence’ of a condition, we’re referring to the number of new cases that emerge over a specific period, such as a year. In the case of Parkinson’s, approximately 50 new cases are diagnosed each day in Australia (4).
As expected, the predicted incidence numbers correspond to the population size of each jurisdiction. For example, in Australia in 2020, 33% of incident cases came from New South Wales, 24% from Victoria and around 20% from Queensland (4).
Understanding incidence & prevalence
What’s the difference between prevalence and incidence?
When we talk about how common Parkinson’s is, we often hear two words: prevalence and incidence. They sound similar, but they mean different things.
- Prevalence means the total number of people who have Parkinson’s right now. It tells us how many people are living with the condition at a certain time, whether they were diagnosed last year or ten years ago. Think of it like a snapshot: “How many people in Australia are living with Parkinson’s today?”
- Incidence means the number of new cases of Parkinson’s that are diagnosed in a certain time period, like a year. Think of it like a video clip: “How many people were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s in Australia this year?”
Why does it matter?
- Prevalence helps us understand how many people need support, services, and care.
- Incidence helps researchers track how often Parkinson’s is being diagnosed and whether that number is going up or down over time.
Incidence & Prevalence of Parkinson’s in Australia in 2020
Incidence = 11,924 (95% CI 7,153 to 19,520)
Prevalence = 75,753 (95% CI 38,218 to 151,604)
In Australia, a recent unpublished study suggests that up to 150,000 people are living with Parkinson’s (4). The prevalence of Parkinson’s in Australia is higher than that of many cancers, including breast, colorectal, stomach, liver, and pancreatic cancer (2).
There are an estimated 13,400 Australians with Parkinson’s who are of working age (under the age of 64), though only 2,134 are on NDIS (4, 5).
Incidence & prevalence in Australia is influenced substantially by an area’s different population structures. For a granular view broken down by state/territory and electorates, see the Ecosystem of Parkinson’s in Australia report by Mellick (2024).
Across Australia, the absolute incidence will more than double in the 30 years between 2020 and 2050 (117% increase), while the number of people living with Parkinson’s will more than triple over this time (215% increase). Normalised to population size, the projected increases remain substantial, with incidence per 100,000 people increasing by 36% and prevalence per 100,000 by 35% (4).
USE OF THIS INFORMATION REQUIRES APPROPRIATE ATTRIBUTION Analysis conducted by Prof George Mellick, Griffith University – March 2022
Map Data Sources:
“Elector Count by Division, Age Groups and Gender for all States/Territories – as at 31 December 2021”
Retrieved from the Australian Electoral Commission – Division Profiles https://www.aec.gov.au/profiles – 21 March 2022
References:
- WHO technical brief, Parkinson disease: a public health approach (WHO, 2022)
- Living with Parkinson’s Disease An updated economic analysis 2014, Parkinson’s Australia Inc. (Deloitte, 2015)
- Waller, Sophie, Laura Williams, Hugo Morales-Briceno, and Victor SC Fung. “The initial diagnosis and management of Parkinson’s disease.” Australian Journal of General Practice 50, no. 11 (2021): 793-890.
- Mellick, George (2024) Ecosystem of Parkinson’s in Australia.
- Participants with a neurodegenerative condition in the NDIS (NDIS, 2021)
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