This is the healthiest city in Australia, according to recent data

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As one recent deep dive into our nation’s health suggests, several concerning trends are impacting Australians’ well-being. 

There are plenty of stereotypes about Australians that anyone visiting the country for the first time might quickly realise are far from the truth. 

Our streets aren’t littered with bouncing kangaroos, we don’t eat vegemite by the spoonful, and as recent data suggests, the average Aussie is far from being a toned, tanned surfer with a six-pack. 

In fact, according to the findings in Wesfarmers Health: Australia’s Health Index, Australians across the country are in the midst of a serious health crisis, with our cardiometabolic health sitting concerningly low since the pandemic. 

Understanding the data

In Australia, cardiometabolic diseases – such as stroke and heart attack – have resoundingly been named the leading cause of death, as per the Health Index. The data was gathered from three million digital health checks across the country between 2018 and 2024. 

Given the timeframe of the research, experts were able to accurately analyse the immediate impact of the pandemic on the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease,  focussing on factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and daily smoking rates.  

The free digital health checks – measuring health risk factors like blood pressure, heart rate and body mass index – were supplied by SiSU Health Stations located in over 500 Priceline Pharmacy stores across the country.

According to data published earlier this year by the World Health Organization, heart disease, COVID-19 and stroke were named the top three causes of death globally, so the latest capture of Australian data is hardly surprising.

60 per cent of people do not get their blood pressure checked regularly. Image: Pexels.

The best and worst cities for cardiometabolic health

Overall, Australia received a baseline Index score of 92, a considerable shift from our 2018 score of 100. The 2024 score reflects an 8 per cent increase in Australians’ chance of two or more health risk factors. 

According to the data, there are certain cities within our beautiful nation that are in a more serious ‘health debt’ than others. Australians living in the Australian Capital Territory were found to be the healthiest overall, while those living in Tasmania were labelled the most at risk. 

Regardless of postcode, however, nearly one in two Aussies were found to have an elevated risk of heart disease, with the report finding that 60 per cent of people do not get their blood pressure checked regularly. 

The data also indicates roughly one million Australians – predominantly men – are at extreme risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the diabetes rates are expected to grow substantially in the next five years. 

“We were making progress in improving rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity until Covid disrupted that momentum,” Priceline pharmacist Amy Jones explains to Women’s Health. “Now we face a cardiometabolic health debt that requires consistent vigilance to return to pre-pandemic levels and continue on the path to better health.”

Originally published as This is the healthiest city in Australia, according to recent data