Breast cancer stats
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Breast cancer stats in Australia
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia after prostate cancer, and the most common cancer among women.
Every day, 56 people in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer. That equates to over 20,000 people in Australia being diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
1 in 7 women and around 1 in 600 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Every year, over 3,300 people in Australia (including 40 men) will die from breast cancer. That’s nine people dying from the disease every day.
Approximately one woman under the age of 40 is expected to die each week from breast cancer.
In the last 10 years, breast cancer diagnoses have increased by around 15%.
Since the inception of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) in 1994, the death rate from breast cancer in Australia has reduced by over 40%, thanks in large part to research in prevention, early detection and new and improved breast cancer treatments.
We’ve come a long way. But there’s still progress to be made.
That’s why we’re committed to funding a broad spectrum of research to help understand how to prevent and detect breast cancer early, how to stop the progression and recurrence of breast cancer and how to effectively treat hard-to-treat and metastatic breast cancers – research that ultimately save lives.
Our vision: Zero Deaths from breast cancer.
Risk of breast cancer across different ages
The majority of breast cancer cases, about 80%, occur in women over the age of 50.
But breast cancer still occurs in young women. Around 1,000 young women aged under 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, equivalent to about three young women each day.
Cherie and her family
“By raising vital funds for research, we can stop breast cancer in its tracks. This is for the future women who won’t have to go through this. This is for my daughter.” – Cherie, diagnosed 2024
Breast cancer diagnosis and survival rates over the last 30 years
The incidence (the number of new cases) of breast cancer has risen dramatically over the past 30 years, rising from about 9,800 new cases a year in 1994 to over 20,000 new cases a year in 2025.
Currently, the five-year relative survival rate is 93%. However, the number of diagnoses and deaths from breast cancer each year is still rising.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Cancer data in Australia.
People living with breast cancer
There are over 160,000 people living in Australia who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 10 years.
Hear from Sinead on the importance of breast cancer research & treatment
Last updated: November 2025