4-9

4-9. Back pain prevalence

An estimated one in six (17.0%) of the age-standardised population in South Australia are living with a back problem which has lasted or is expected to last six months or longer¹.
This measure includes sciatica, disc disorders, curvature of the spine and other back pain/problems¹.
The estimate for South Australian rate is higher than for any other state or territory, although margins for error in the estimation mean that there is little to distinguish between the estimates for the various jurisdictions¹.

**Prevalence of long-term back conditions, 2014–15 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	14.1%
New South Wales	15.4%
Victoria	15.4%
Western Australia	15.6%
Australian Capital Territory	15.9%
Queensland	16.1%
Tasmania	16.8%
South Australia	17.0%
Australia	15.6%

4-9-1

Data source: ABS 2015

Data not available for this indicator.

Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2015), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, viewed 6 June 2016.