Down syndrome population statistics
People with Down syndrome are living longer and healthier lives than they have in the past.
There is no national data collection on the number of people with Down syndrome in Australia.
The best estimate available is that there are between 13,000-15,000 individuals with Down syndrome in Australia as of 2019. This estimate is based on Western Australia data and applying these numbers to the Australian population.
These population figures mean that for every 10,000 people there are 5.14 people with Down syndrome. This is similar to other countries like the UK.
Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. It is estimated that approximately 1 in every 1100 babies born in Australia will have Down syndrome. This means that each year there are approximately 290 new babies born each year who have Down syndrome.
The incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the age of the mother. The chance of a woman conceiving a child with Down syndrome varies from 1 in 1400 for a woman 20 years of age to 1 in 30 at age 45 years. Younger women have babies more frequently, so the majority of babies born with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.
People with Down syndrome are living longer and healthier lives than they have in the past. Life expectancy of people with Down syndrome has dramatically increased over the past 50 years, with the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome in Australia being 60 years of age.
Other Statistics
NDIS Statistics
As of September 2019, there were 10,249 participants in NDIS with Down syndrome listed as their primary disability. It is expected that this number will increase as the NDIS reaches full roll-out.
The breakdown of the number of participants with Down syndrome by state is as follows:
| State | Number of Participants |
|---|---|
| NSW | 3633 |
| VIC | 2511 |
| QLD | 2133 |
| WA | 625 |
| SA | 761 |
| TAS | 262 |
| ACT | 220 |
| NT | 103 |
