Snapshot on Australia’s health and social trends
Australians may be smoking less, but more people are obese according to the latest Australian Social Trends, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) quarterly snapshot of society.
The ABS also found that more of us are living alone, and there has been a fall in the number of jobless families. The last two decades have seen fewer Australians taking up smoking and more quitting.
The largest fall in smoking rates occurred in the 18-24 age group, with 23% now smoking compared with 36% in 1990.
However, obesity has increased with more than two thirds of Australian men and over half of all women now considered overweight or obese; a 29% increase since 1995.
Levels of risky alcohol consumption remained unchanged over the last few years, with one in seven men and one in nine women drinking alcohol at risky levels.
