Twenty-three per cent. That's how far endo hospital admissions in Australia have climbed in a decade. Before that sends you spiralling, read the fine print. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) says the rise is likely down to more awareness among the public and doctors. In other words, more people are finally being taken seriously enough to get looked at. That's the odd thing about endo data. The numbers that look worst can mean the system is catching up.
Below are the latest official figures in plain English, each one linked to its source. We'll update this page whenever AIHW does. Keep it handy for the next person who calls endo a bad period.
The big numbers, fast
- 1 in 7 women born in 1973–78 had an endo diagnosis by age 44 to 49
- 6 to 8 years, on average, from first symptoms to diagnosis
- 24,700 hospital stays where endo was the main reason, in 2024–25
- 23% rise in the endo hospitalisation rate over a decade, against 4.7% for all female hospitalisations
- 71% of endo hospital procedures done in private hospitals
- $293 million spent on endo by the health system in 2022–23
- 33 government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics nationally
How many Australians have endometriosis?
AIHW's most recent estimate, drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, says around 1 in 7 (14%) women born in 1973–78 had been diagnosed with endo by age 44 to 49. Treat that as a floor. It only counts people who actually got a diagnosis, and plenty of people with endo are still waiting on one.
Younger women are being diagnosed earlier. By age 31, 9.2% of women born in 1989–95 had a diagnosis, against 6.9% of the 1973–78 group at the same age. Progress, measured in percentage points.
Why the hospital numbers went up, and why that's not all bad
On 28 August 2026, AIHW released its latest hospital data. Over the decade to 2024–25, the endo hospitalisation rate climbed from 145 to 180 per 100,000 females. All female hospitalisations rose 4.7% over the same stretch.
On paper, grim. AIHW's read is more hopeful, and it's the awareness point from up top. If more people are being believed, more people get investigated, and that lands in the hospital figures.
One catch before you quote anything. You'll also see 44,200 endo hospitalisations floating around. That figure comes from AIHW's 2025 report and covers 2022–23. It counts every stay where endo was recorded, even when it wasn't the main reason for being there. The 24,700 only counts stays where endo was the main reason. Both are right. They measure different things, which is roughly how every argument about statistics starts.
What's actually happening in hospital
More than 9 in 10 endo hospital stays in 2024–25 involved a procedure. The most common, at 52%, was laparoscopic excision, where a surgeon removes endometriosis lesions through keyhole surgery. Excision is climbing, up 62% over the decade. Ablation, which destroys lesions rather than removing them, dropped 21%.
A few more worth knowing. About 5,800 endo hospitalisations (23%) involved inserting or replacing an IUD. And 3,200 involved an abdominal hysterectomy, with 91% of those in women aged 35 and over.
Jo, the owner of Scarlet, had seven laparoscopies and eventually a hysterectomy. So none of this reads as abstract around here. Every one of those numbers comes with a long week on the couch attached.
The private hospital split, and what's there if you go public
In 2024–25, 71% of endo hospital procedures were done in a private hospital, up from 66% in 2015–16. AIHW's 2025 report also found 57% of endo-related stays were partly or fully funded by private health insurance.
If you're going public, it's worth knowing what's there. There are 33 government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across every state and territory, set up to improve how quickly people get diagnosed and cared for. And since 1 July 2025, Medicare has two new items for gynaecology consultations of 45 minutes or longer, aimed at complex conditions like endo. Forty-five minutes. Enough time to tell the whole story.
The wait, and the cost
The average time from first symptoms to an endo diagnosis in Australia is 6 to 8 years. That's two federal elections, give or take. We wrote about living through that wait in The Endometriosis Test I Needed.
In 2023–24 there were 4,800 endometriosis-related emergency department presentations, and 76% were triaged as needing to be seen within 30 minutes or less. That tells you what kind of pain brings people in.
Endo cost the Australian health system an estimated $293 million in 2022–23. AIHW says total spending has more than doubled, up from $142 million.
What the numbers can't tell you
None of these figures shows what a bad endo day looks like. The missed shift and the hot water bottle that's gone cold by 10am don't make it into a hospital dataset. That's where our community lives, and it's the part the data will never reach.
For the practical side, start with Living with Endo, our hub for the day-to-day stuff, or Endometriosis 101 if you're newer to all this.
How we keep this page up to date
We check for new AIHW endometriosis data every quarter and update this page when something changes. Last updated 21 September 2026, with AIHW's Endometriosis hospital procedures data, published 28 August 2026.
Quick Q+A
How common is endometriosis in Australia? AIHW estimates around 1 in 7 women born in 1973–78 had been diagnosed with endometriosis by age 44 to 49.
How long does it take to get diagnosed with endometriosis in Australia? An average of 6 to 8 years from first symptoms, according to AIHW.
How many people are hospitalised for endometriosis in Australia? There were 24,700 hospitalisations where endometriosis was the main reason in 2024–25 (AIHW).
Why are endometriosis hospitalisations increasing? AIHW says the rise is likely influenced by growing awareness among the public and doctors, along with a deeper understanding of the disease and improved diagnostic technology.
Where can I get public support for endometriosis in Australia? There are 33 government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics nationally. Ask your GP about a referral.
Sources
AIHW, Endometriosis hospital procedures, 28 August 2026
AIHW, Endometriosis, 21 May 2025
Department of Health, Endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics
MBS Online, New long gynaecological consultations