Allergic disease has a substantial financial and non-financial impact on people, affecting physical health, sleep quality, concentration, emotional wellbeing, social life, work productivity and employment. The costs associated with allergic disease include both economic and social impacts. This report quantifies the cost of allergic disease in Australia in terms of the economic and wellbeing impact of allergic disease on the person with allergic disease, the broader health system, the economy and the community. 

Financial and non-financial costs

• Financial costs of allergic disease represent economic costs incurred as a result of allergic disease, including health system costs, productivity losses and efficiency losses.
• Non-financial costs quantify the intangible impacts of illness, such as pain, suffering, reduced quality of life and losses in wellbeing, but they do not result in a monetary loss in the same sense as financial costs. 

Key findings

• In 2024, it is estimated that allergic disease impacts approximately 8.2 million Australians (30% of the population).
• The total financial cost of allergic disease is estimated at $18.9 billion, with an average financial cost of $2,318 per person living with allergic disease.
• Allergic disease is estimated to incur an annual non-financial cost of $44.6 billion.
• Employers bear the largest share of the financial burden (52%), followed by the Federal Government (25%), society (15%), and people with allergic disease and their families (7%).