Data report · Updated 4 October 2026

Aged Care Statistics Australia 2026

Every number families, providers and journalists keep asking for, drawn from the latest official releases: the 2024–25 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act, the Productivity Commission's 2026 Report on Government Services, AIHW GEN data, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Each figure is dated and sourced.

Aged care in Australia, at a glance

The headline figures for the year to 30 June 2025, the most recent full year reported, plus the first Support at Home data for 2026.

1.5mAustralians used government-subsidised aged care in 2024–25ROACA 2024–25

196,313people in permanent residential aged care at 30 June 2025ROACA 2024–25

364,723people with access to Support at Home at 31 March 2026Support at Home data report Q3 2025–26

838,694Commonwealth Home Support Programme clients in 2024–25ROACA 2024–25

$39.8bngovernment recurrent spending on aged care in 2024–25RoGS 2026

2,590residential aged care homes run by 707 providers at 30 June 2025AIHW GEN

4.9mAustralians aged 65 and over, 17.9% of the populationROACA 2024–25 citing ABS

75.9%of rated homes hold an overall Star Rating of 4 or 5 starsStar Ratings extract, August 2026

A year of change. The Aged Care Act 2024 commenced on 1 November 2025, replacing Home Care Packages with Support at Home, introducing new resident contributions and lifting the maximum Refundable Accommodation Deposit. Many 2026 figures are therefore the first of their kind and are not directly comparable with earlier years. We flag those cases below.

Key facts for journalists

Twelve verified figures you can quote, each linked to the section and source below. Everything on this page is free to reuse with attribution.

About 1.5 million Australians used government-subsidised aged care in 2024–25. ROACA 2024–25
196,313 people lived in permanent residential aged care at 30 June 2025, in 2,590 homes run by 707 providers. ROACA 2024–25; AIHW GEN
Governments spent $39.8 billion on aged care in 2024–25, up 73% in real terms since 2017–18. The Budget estimate for 2026–27 is $43.8 billion. RoGS 2026; Budget Paper No. 1 2026–27
364,723 people had access to Support at Home at 31 March 2026, and 100,191 were waiting in the priority system. Support at Home data report Q3 2025–26
The median wait from applying to starting ongoing Support at Home services was 297 days in April–June 2026. Wait Times Report, second report
75.9% of rated homes hold 4 or 5 stars overall, but only 6.5% hold 5. No home holds 1 or 2 stars, so 3 stars is the bottom quarter. Star Ratings extract, August 2026
Only 63.6% of homes met both mandatory care-minute targets in January–March 2026, and 774 homes (31.0%) hold 1 or 2 stars for Staffing. Quarterly Financial Snapshot Q3 2025–26; Star Ratings extract
63.8% of for-profit homes hold 4 or 5 stars overall, against 80.5% of not-for-profit and 93.2% of government-run homes. Star Ratings extract, August 2026, our tabulation
The basic daily fee is $68.93 a day from 20 September 2026. Homes can charge up to $789,686 for a room without approval; the average deposit held is $417,444. Schedule of fees, 20 September 2026; FRAACS 2024–25
Providers reported 65,897 serious incidents in 2024–25, and 15,296 in residential care in April–June 2026 alone. ACQSC sector performance data
About 459,000 Australians are living with dementia in 2026, and 54% of permanent aged care residents have a dementia diagnosis. AIHW Dementia in Australia
13.6 of every 1,000 public hospital patient days in 2023–24 were used by people waiting for a residential aged care place. RoGS 2026 table 14A.31

Who uses aged care

Around 1.5 million people received some form of subsidised aged care in 2024–25. Most of that care is delivered at home; residential care is the most intensive and the most expensive.

People using each program, 2024–25

Number of people who received care during the year (people can appear in more than one program)

Program	People	Per 1,000 aged 65+
Commonwealth Home Support Programme	838,694	165.4
Home Care Packages	352,733	69.8
Permanent residential care	260,772	51.5
Residential respite care	82,119	16.3
CHSP respite	41,041	—
Transition Care Programme	24,980	4.9
Short-Term Restorative Care	11,511	—

Sources: Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997 (ROACA) 2024–25; Productivity Commission RoGS 2026 table 14A.2. Rates are per 1,000 people aged 65+ (50+ for First Nations people).

Home care has quadrupled since 2017

People in a Home Care Package vs permanent residential care, at 30 June

Home care 2017

71,900

Home care 2025

292,911

Residential 2017

179,000

Residential 2025

196,313

Home care recipients grew 307% between June 2017 and June 2025; permanent residential care grew 9.9%. Source: AIHW GEN, People using aged care.

Snapshot at 30 June 2025	People
Permanent residential care	196,313
Residential respite	7,311
Home Care Packages	292,911
Transition care and short-term restorative care	≈5,700

Sources: ROACA 2024–25; Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector 2024–25 table 1.2; AIHW GEN.

Residential aged care: homes, places and residents

The sector keeps consolidating. Fewer providers run more places, and the number of places per older person has been falling for a decade.

707residential providers at 30 June 2025, down 29 in a year (36 exits, 7 entries)FRAACS 2024–25

224,493operational residential places at 30 June 2025RoGS 2026 table 14A.11

89.9%sector occupancy in 2024–25, up from 88.0%FRAACS 2024–25

65.4places per 1,000 people aged 70+, down from 79.7 in 2016RoGS 2026 table 14A.15

Who owns residential aged care

Share of operational places by provider type, 30 June 2025

Not-for-profit

58.6%

For-profit

38.0%

Government

3.4%

Not-for-profit 131,591 places; for-profit 85,326; state, territory and local government 7,576. By provider count: 404 not-for-profit, 224 for-profit, 79 government. Source: FRAACS 2024–25 table 1.2. Within not-for-profit, RoGS 2026 splits places as charitable 26.4%, religious 20.2% and community 12.1%.

Home size

Share of residential services by number of places, 30 June 2025

Large (101+)

36%

Medium (61–100)

32%

Small (≤60)

31%

Source: AIHW GEN, Providers of aged care.

Who lives in residential care

Profile of permanent residents and admissions

Measure	Value	Period
Admissions to permanent care	77,400	2024–25
First-time admissions	90%	2024–25
Median age at admission	85	2024–25
Average age at entry, women	85.3	2024–25
Average age at entry, men	83.5	2024–25
Residents who are women	66%	30 Jun 2025
Residents aged 85+	59%	30 Jun 2025
Residents aged under 65	0.6%	30 Jun 2025
Residents assessed as not mobile (AN-ACC classes 9–13)	42%	30 Jun 2025
Median length of stay (completed stays)	20.1 months	2024–25
Average length of stay (completed stays)	34.1 months	2024–25
Exits from permanent care	68,300	2024–25
Exits due to death	86%	2024–25
Residents with a dementia diagnosis	54%	2021–22*

Sources: AIHW GEN Admissions, People leaving aged care, People's care needs; ROACA 2024–25. Median stay was 18.8 months in 2023–24 and 22.4 months in 2021–22. *The dementia share is the latest AIHW figure; it has not been updated since AN-ACC replaced the ACFI assessment in October 2022.

Respite. 82,119 people used residential respite in 2024–25, for about 3 million respite days and an average episode of 29.2 days. 63.2% of respite users were later admitted to permanent care. Source: ROACA 2024–25.

Aged care by state and territory

Residents, places, occupancy and waiting times for each jurisdiction, for local reporting.

Residential care by state

State	Permanent residents	Operational places	Occupancy
New South Wales	63,132	73,173	89.1%
Victoria	51,142	60,386	88.1%
Queensland	39,438	43,820	91.6%
Western Australia	18,541	20,189	92.0%
South Australia	16,497	18,456	93.1%
Tasmania	4,536	5,158	89.1%
Australian Capital Territory	2,514	2,752	91.4%
Northern Territory	513	559	95.8%
Australia	196,313	224,493	89.9%

Residents and places at 30 June 2025; occupancy for 2024–25. Sources: ROACA 2024–25 table 14; RoGS 2026 tables 14A.11 and 14A.14.

Waiting and access

State	Median days, home care approval to package (2024–25)
New South Wales	270
Victoria	195
Queensland	181
Western Australia	188
South Australia	182
Tasmania	252
Australian Capital Territory	13
Northern Territory	306
Australia	204

Source: RoGS 2026 table 14A.33, for the Home Care Packages program that Support at Home replaced.

Hospital beds and aged care waits. In 2023–24, 13.6 of every 1,000 public hospital patient days nationally were used by people who were eligible for and waiting on a residential aged care place: 24.0 in Queensland, 24.9 in South Australia and 40.5 in the Northern Territory, and 32.3 in outer regional areas against 10.6 in major cities. The median wait from assessment approval to entering residential care was 162 days in 2024–25, and 41.1% of people waited nine months or more. Source: RoGS 2026 tables 14A.31 and 14A.35.

Who is in care. First Nations people made up 2.7% of people using mainstream aged care at 30 June 2025, and enter permanent residential care at a median age of 75 against 85 for non-Indigenous people. 31% of home care recipients were born in non-English-speaking countries. About 1,100 people under 65 live in permanent residential care. Source: AIHW GEN, People using aged care and Admissions.

Support at Home and the waiting list

Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care on 1 November 2025. The first two quarters of data are now published.

364,723people with access to an ongoing Support at Home place at 31 March 2026SAH data report Q3 2025–26

100,191people waiting in the Support at Home priority system at 31 March 2026SAH data report Q3 2025–26

297 daysmedian time from application to starting ongoing Support at Home services, April–June 2026 (344 days in November 2025–March 2026)Aged Care Act Wait Times Report, second report

950approved Support at Home providers at 31 March 2026SAH data report Q3 2025–26

Growth in home-based care

People with a Home Care Package, then Support at Home, at quarter end

31 Mar 2025

289,481

30 Jun 2025

292,911

30 Sep 2025

296,852

31 Dec 2025

346,893

31 Mar 2026

364,723

Amber bars are Support at Home. The March 2026 figure includes 338,049 people receiving care and 26,675 considering an offer. Source: Support at Home Program Data Report Q3 2025–26, chart 1.

Estimated wait for ongoing funding

By priority, for people entering the priority system at 31 March 2026

Priority	Estimated wait
Urgent	Within 1 month
High	1–2 months
Medium	6–7 months
Standard (74.9% of those waiting)	7–8 months

Source: SAH data report Q3 2025–26, table 10. Under the old Home Care Packages program, the median wait from approval to assignment across all priorities was 204 days in 2024–25 (RoGS 2026 table 14A.33).

How long people actually waited

Median days from application to services starting, 1 April to 30 June 2026

Service	Median wait
All services, national	255 days
Support at Home, ongoing	297 days
Residential care, ongoing	138 days
Residential care, short-term	100 days
Restorative Care Pathway	64 days
End-of-Life Pathway	14 days

By state, the all-services median ranged from 229 days in Western Australia to 266 in Queensland. Source: Aged Care Act 2024 Wait Times Report, second report (August 2026).

January to March 2026 quarter

Measure	Value
Approvals for Support at Home in the quarter	60,709
Places released in the quarter	79,145
Average places released per week	6,088
People on new Support at Home classifications 1–8	8,931
People on transitioned Home Care Package levels	355,795
Applications awaiting triage at 30 June 2026	14,382
Applications awaiting triage at 31 March 2026 (revised)	18,673

Triage figures were revised down in the second Wait Times Report after reassessments were excluded. Sources: SAH data report Q3 2025–26; Aged Care Act 2024 Wait Times Report, second report (August 2026).

Annual subsidy by classification

Support at Home ongoing classifications, including 10% care management

Class 1

$10,731

Class 8

$78,106

For comparison, the final Home Care Package subsidies from 1 October 2025 were $11,000 (level 1), $19,000 (level 2), $42,000 (level 3) and $64,000 (level 4). Sources: SAH data report Q3 2025–26 table 1; HCP data report Q2 2025–26 table 1.

Counting change. Since 1 November 2025 people receiving an interim package at a lower classification are no longer counted as waiting. On the previous method the March 2026 waiting list would be about 153,900 rather than 100,191, as reported by the ABC in August 2026 from departmental figures. Pre- and post-November waiting list numbers are not comparable.

An ageing population and rising dementia

Demand is driven by demographics. The over-85 group, the heaviest users of residential care, is the fastest growing.

4.9mAustralians aged 65+ at 30 June 2025 (17.9%)ROACA 2024–25 citing ABS

607,000Australians aged 85+ at 30 June 2025 (2.2%)ROACA 2024–25 citing ABS

1mpeople aged 85+ projected by 2035, up from 607,000ROACA 2024–25 citing ABS projections

459,000Australians estimated to be living with dementia in 2026AIHW Dementia in Australia, July 2026

Population projections

Measure	Value	Source
Total population, 31 March 2026	27.9 million	ABS
Aged 65+ in 2035	6.4m (20.6%)	ROACA / ABS
Aged 65+ share in 2062–63	23.4%	Intergenerational Report 2023
Aged 85+ in 2065–66	1.9 million	Centre for Population
Aged 85+ share in 2071	5.2–6.4%	ABS projections 2022-base
Growth in 85+ population, 2005–06 to 2065–66	+506%	Population Statement 2025

The Intergenerational Report 2023 expects the 65+ population to more than double and the 85+ population to more than triple over 40 years.

Dementia

Measure	Value	Source
People with dementia, 2025	≈439,000	AIHW
Of whom women	274,000	AIHW
Prevalence, all ages	16 per 1,000	AIHW
Prevalence, aged 90+	427 per 1,000	AIHW
Projection, 2066	≈1.1 million	AIHW
Dementia Australia estimate, 2026	446,500	Dementia Australia
Australians involved in caring for someone with dementia	1.7 million	Dementia Australia
Permanent residents with dementia	54%	AIHW (2021–22)

AIHW and Dementia Australia use different models, so their 2026 estimates differ (459,000 vs 446,500). Dementia is the leading cause of death in Australia. Sources: AIHW Dementia in Australia (updated 30 July 2026); Dementia Australia facts and figures.

Quality: star ratings, care minutes and clinical indicators

Every residential home receives a Star Rating from 1 to 5. Since 1 October 2025 a home must meet both its registered nurse and total care-minute targets to score 3 stars or more for Staffing.

Overall Star Rating distribution

2,390 rated homes, August 2026 quarterly extract

5 stars

6.5%

4 stars

69.4%

3 stars

24.1%

2 stars

1 star

In December 2023 only 54% of homes had 4 or 5 stars overall; by late 2025 the Minister reported 79%. Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Star Ratings quarterly data extract, August 2026 (our tabulation); ministerial release, October 2025.

Staffing rating distribution

2,495 rated homes, August 2026

5 stars

19.6%

4 stars

18.0%

3 stars

31.4%

2 stars

24.2%

1 star

6.9%

Staffing is the weakest sub-rating: 171 homes hold 1 star. Compliance is the strongest, with 82.7% of homes at 5 stars. Residents' Experience: 57.3% at 4–5 stars. Quality Measures: 26.8% at 4–5 stars. Same source.

Care minutes

Mandated sector average: 215 minutes per resident per day, including 44 registered nurse minutes, since 1 October 2024

January–March 2026	Value
Total care minutes delivered (sector average)	220.98
Registered nurse minutes delivered	45.03
Homes meeting total-minutes target	70.3%
Homes meeting RN target (with EN contribution)	81.4%
Homes meeting both targets	63.6%
Government-run homes, total minutes	247.25
Not-for-profit homes, total minutes	221.56
For-profit homes, total minutes	218.04

In the October–December 2024 quarter only 37.4% of homes met both targets. Across 2024–25 the sector delivered 213.74 minutes against a 212.95 target. In June 2026 a registered nurse was on site for 99.56% of reported hours, and 95.94% of homes had one on site at all times (73.9% in remote areas). Sources: Quarterly Financial Snapshot Q3 2025–26 (September 2026); FRAACS 2024–25; Registered nurse coverage dashboard, June 2026.

National quality indicators

Share of residents, January–March 2026, 2,509 homes

Indicator	Rate
Falls (any)	31.1%
Falls resulting in major injury	1.6%
Pressure injuries (any origin)	4.8%
Restrictive practices (total)	20.7%
Polypharmacy (9+ medications)	35.3%
Antipsychotic medication	17.8%
Significant unplanned weight loss	7.4%
Emergency department presentations	13.1%
Residents rating their experience good or excellent	86.2%
Residents rating quality of life good or excellent	77.1%

Since 2021 there have been statistically significant falls in pressure injuries, weight loss, falls with major injury, polypharmacy and antipsychotic use, and significant rises in ED presentations and hospital admissions. Source: AIHW GEN, Residential Aged Care Quality Indicators January–March 2026.

Star Ratings by who runs the home

Share of rated homes, August 2026 extract

Provider type	4–5 stars overall	5 stars overall	1–2 stars for Staffing
Government	93.2%	30.9%	9.2%
Not-for-profit	80.5%	6.3%	25.1%
For-profit	63.8%	1.8%	46.4%

774 homes, 31.0% of those rated, hold 1 or 2 stars for Staffing, meaning they missed one or both care-minute targets. Of the 171 one-star homes, 107 are for-profit, 64 not-for-profit and none government-run. Small homes do better than large ones: 86.9% of small homes hold 4–5 stars overall against 67.0% of large homes. 420 homes (17.3%) hold a Compliance rating below 5. Source: Star Ratings quarterly data extract, August 2026; our tabulation by the Purpose and Size columns, counting only homes with a rating.

Star Ratings by state

Share of rated homes, August 2026 extract

State	4–5 stars overall	1–2 stars for Staffing	1-star Staffing homes
New South Wales	82.3%	28.8%	69
Tasmania	81.0%	37.5%	7
Queensland	77.1%	31.6%	22
Western Australia	75.5%	19.8%	12
Victoria	71.0%	37.8%	47
South Australia	64.1%	30.2%	14

The ACT (85.2% at 4–5 stars) and Northern Territory (77.8%) have too few homes for a fair comparison and no one-star Staffing homes. Clinical indicators also vary by state: pressure injuries range from 4.3% of residents in NSW to 8.1% in Tasmania, and antipsychotic use from 16.0% in NSW to 20.9% in WA (January–March 2026). Sources: Star Ratings quarterly data extract, August 2026, our tabulation; AIHW GEN Quality Indicators, table 3.1.

Complaints, serious incidents and enforcement

Complaints and serious incident notifications to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission rose in each of the three years to 2024–25, partly reflecting stronger mandatory reporting rules. Reporting methods changed with the new Act on 1 November 2025.

Annual complaints and serious incident notifications

Year	Complaints	Residential	Home	SIRS notifications
2022–23	9,074	5,077	3,997	51,602
2023–24	9,314	5,314	4,000	61,960
2024–25	10,658	6,302	4,356	65,897

SIRS is the Serious Incident Response Scheme. Of the 65,897 notifications in 2024–25, 59,574 were from residential care and 6,323 from home services. The Commission has not published a single total for 2025–26. Adding its four published periods gives 58,613 residential and 5,380 home services notifications, and 139 banning orders; that is our sum across the 1 November 2025 reporting change, so treat it as indicative. Source: ACQSC sector performance data tables, July to October 2025 and subsequent periods.

Enforcement, 2024–25

Action (residential unless stated)	Count
Banning orders (all services)	144
Non-compliance notices, residential	49
Non-compliance notices, home services	41
Enforceable undertakings	28
Sanctions	4

Residential compliance with the Quality Standards rose from 58% of assessed services in mid-2022 to 81% in early 2025. Source: ACQSC sector performance report, April–June 2025.

April–June 2026: the latest quarter

Residential serious incidents by type	Notifications
Unreasonable use of force	6,799
Neglect	5,171
Psychological or emotional abuse	1,814
Unlawful sexual contact	476
Unexpected death	312
Unexplained absence	297
Inappropriate restrictive practices	231
Stealing or financial coercion	196
Total residential	15,296

Rate of 8.1 notifications per 10,000 occupied bed days; 26.7% were Priority 1. Home services recorded 1,359 notifications, half of them neglect. The Commission received 1,806 residential and 2,135 home care complaints (counted on a new basis, not comparable with earlier quarters), issued 29 banning orders and had 41 providers under active supervision. In January–March 2026, the first full quarter under the new Act, there were 13,334 residential notifications. Source: ACQSC sector performance data tables, April–June 2026 and January–March 2026.

The aged care workforce

More than half a million people work in aged care. The Fair Work Commission's Work Value Case, whose final increases took effect on 1 August 2026, delivered the largest pay rises in the sector's history.

549,000total aged care workforce, 2023 provider survey (latest)AIHW GEN, 2023 Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey

414,000direct care workers, 75% of the workforceSame

85.8%of nursing and personal care staff are women; 43% are aged 45 or overSame

5.1%quarterly staff turnover in residential care, Jan–Mar 2026AIHW GEN Quality Indicators

Direct care workforce by role

Share of direct care workers, 2023

Personal care workers

78%

Registered nurses

12%

Enrolled nurses

Allied health

In residential care: 156,000 personal care workers, 36,900 registered nurses and 17,000 enrolled nurses. 58% of direct care workers are permanent (85% of them part-time), 28% casual or fixed-term and 13% indirectly employed. The 2024 Aged Care Worker Survey found 43% of workers were born overseas, 41% speak a language other than English and only 36% are satisfied with their pay. Sources: AIHW GEN 2023 provider survey; Aged Care Worker Survey 2024.

Pay

Measure	Value
Interim Work Value increase for direct care workers, 30 June 2023	15%
Final nurse tranche paid	1 Aug 2026
Workers who benefited	≈400,000
Government funding for the Work Value increases	$17.7bn
Annual Wage Review increase from 1 July 2026	4.75%
Median hourly rate paid, registered nurse	$53.58
Median hourly rate paid, enrolled nurse	$40.36
Median hourly rate paid, personal care worker	$35.27
Wages as a share of residential revenue (median)	73.7%
Agency staff share of direct care hours	4.5%

Hourly rates are medians actually paid in residential care in the January–March 2026 quarter, excluding penalties, casual loadings and on-costs. Quarterly turnover by role: service managers 6.6%, registered nurses 6.5%, enrolled nurses 6.0%, personal care workers 4.7%. Sources: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Better and fairer wages; ROACA 2024–25; Quarterly Financial Snapshot Q3 2025–26; Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2026.

What aged care costs in 2026

Residential fees are set by the government schedule and indexed on 20 March and 20 September. The figures below are from the schedule effective 20 September 2026, with interest rates that apply from 1 October 2026.

$68.93basic daily fee, 85% of the single age pension (about $25,159 a year)Schedule of fees, 20 September 2026

$789,686maximum Refundable Accommodation Deposit without IHACPA approval, since 1 July 2026Schedule of fees, 20 September 2026

$417,444average RAD held at 30 June 2025, up 6.4% in a yearFRAACS 2024–25 table 1.20

8.51%Maximum Permissible Interest Rate, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (8.43% in the previous quarter)Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Residential care fees for new residents (entered from 1 November 2025)

Fee	Amount
Basic daily fee	$68.93 / day
Hotelling contribution (means-tested), maximum	$22.15 / day
Non-clinical care contribution (means-tested), maximum	$109.45 / day
Non-clinical care contribution lifetime cap	$140,652.80
Maximum accommodation supplement	$73.73 / day
Income free area	$36,454.60 / yr
Asset free area	$66,500
Home value cap for the assets test	$219,858.40
Provider RAD retention (new residents)	2% a year, up to 5 years

Residents who entered before 1 November 2025 stay on the old means-tested care fee (maximum $380.46 a day from 1 October 2026, annual cap $37,055.98, lifetime cap $88,934.57). The hotelling contribution was unchanged in September. Source: Schedule of fees and charges for residential care, 20 September 2026. Daily accommodation payments are indexed twice a year for new residents.

Support at Home participant contributions

Share of the service price paid by the participant, from 1 November 2025

Service type	Full pensioner	Part pensioner / CSHC	Self-funded
Clinical care	0%	0%	0%
Independence	5%	5–50%	50%
Everyday living	17.5%	17.5–80%	80%

People who held a Home Care Package before 12 September 2024 keep grandfathered rates of 0% clinical, 0–25% independence and 0–25% everyday living. Lifetime cap on contributions $140,652.80 from 20 September 2026 ($88,934.57 for grandfathered participants), indexed twice a year. Since 1 October 2026 personal care services have been fully government funded, with no participant contribution, a $1 billion Budget measure. Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home participant contributions; Budget 2026–27.

RAD ceiling. The maximum accommodation price a home may charge without approval rose from $550,000 to $750,000 on 1 January 2025 and is indexed each 1 July, reaching $789,686 from 1 July 2026 (Schedule of fees, 20 September 2026). Providers held $48.4 billion in refundable deposits at 30 June 2025 across 115,847 RADs.

Government spending and provider finances

Aged care is one of the fastest-growing lines in the federal Budget, yet a majority of residential homes report an operating loss.

$39.8bngovernment recurrent spending on aged care, 2024–25, 98.9% of it federalRoGS 2026

$7,895spent per older person in 2024–25 (people aged 65+, and First Nations people aged 50+)RoGS 2026 table 14A.5

$43.8bnBudget estimate for aged care services in 2026–27, rising to $50.7bn by 2029–30Budget Paper No. 1, 2026–27

+73%real growth in aged care spending since 2017–18AIHW GEN, Spending on aged care

Where the money goes, 2024–25

Government recurrent expenditure by program

Residential care

$24.2bn

Home Care Packages

$8.7bn

Home support (CHSP)

$3.3bn

Flexible care

$1.2bn

Assessment & information

$0.7bn

Residential and flexible care account for 63.9% of spending, home care and support 32%. Home care spending has grown 106% in real terms since 2017–18, residential 56%. Sources: RoGS 2026 tables 14A.4–14A.5; AIHW GEN Spending on aged care.

Budget 2026–27 measures

Measure	Funding
Total new aged care package	$3.7bn
Incentives for up to 5,000 new residential beds a year ($606.5m over four years plus $1.1bn provisioned)	$1.7bn
Personal care reclassified as clinical (no co-contribution) from 1 Oct 2026	$1.0bn
Support at Home refinements and faster release of places	$389.8m
Dementia care, including up to 20 more specialist dementia care units	$224.3m

Aged care payments are projected to grow 5.4% a year. The Intergenerational Report 2023 projects aged care spending rising from 1.1% of GDP in 2022–23 to about 2.5% by 2062–63. Sources: Budget Paper No. 1 2026–27; Minister for Health and Ageing media release, 12 May 2026.

Residential provider finances

Measure	Value	Period
Sector net profit before tax	$891.5m	2024–25
Net profit per resident per day	$12.21	2024–25
Providers with a positive net result	61.8%	2024–25
Providers with positive EBITDA	79.6%	2024–25
Net profit per resident per day	$10.60	Jul 2025–Mar 2026
Providers profitable on net result	60.9%	Jul 2025–Mar 2026
Revenue per resident per day	$481.75	Jul 2025–Mar 2026
Occupancy	91.4%	Jul 2025–Mar 2026

Sources: Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector 2024–25; Quarterly Financial Snapshot Q3 2025–26.

StewartBrown survey, nine months to 31 March 2026

Measure (1,173 homes, about 45% of the sector)	Value
Homes with an operating loss	62%
Homes with an operating loss, a year earlier	49%
Operating result per bed per day	−$9.16
Operating result per bed per day, a year earlier	+$0.91
Direct care revenue growth vs cost growth	+6.6% vs +11.7%
Occupancy in surveyed homes	95.2%

The Department's figures count providers and include all income; StewartBrown counts homes on an operating basis, which is why the loss-making shares differ. Source: StewartBrown Aged Care Financial Performance Survey, March 2026, as reported by Inside Ageing (July 2026) and The Weekly Source (August 2026).

Reform scorecard

Five years after the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the sector is part-way through the largest restructure in its history.

Royal Commission recommendations, status at 1 January 2025

Finalised

Substantially progressed

Partially progressed

Not commenced or rejected

148 recommendations in total; the remaining 10 were not commenced, rejected or still under consideration. Source: Inspector-General of Aged Care, 2025 Progress Report (September 2025). No 2026 tally had been published at the time of writing.

Key milestones

Date	Change
1 Jul 2023	24/7 registered nurse requirement begins
1 Oct 2024	Care minutes target lifted to 215 total / 44 RN minutes
9 Dec 2024	Single Assessment System replaces ACATs and RAS
1 Jan 2025	Maximum RAD without approval rises to $750,000
1 Nov 2025	Aged Care Act 2024 commences; Support at Home replaces Home Care Packages; new contribution rules
1 Aug 2026	Final Work Value Case pay tranche for nurses
1 Oct 2026	Personal care in Support at Home becomes fully government-funded

Assessments: 232,520 comprehensive and 291,251 home support assessments were completed in 2024–25. The median wait from referral to comprehensive assessment approval was 27 days, up from 22 days in 2023–24. Sources: ROACA 2024–25; RoGS 2026 tables 14A.21 and 14A.32.

Sources and method

All figures are taken from the primary documents listed here, as published at 4 October 2026. Where two official sources differ we name both. We do not derive or estimate figures that are not published.

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, 2024–25 Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997, November 2025.
Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2026, Part F section 14 Aged care services, January 2026.
AIHW GEN Aged Care Data, People using aged care, Providers, Admissions, People leaving, Care needs and Spending topic pages (30 June 2025 data).
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home Program Data Report Q3 2025–26, May 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Home Care Packages Program Data Report Q2 2025–26.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Aged Care Act 2024 Wait Times Report, second report, August 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Financial Report on the Australian Aged Care Sector 2024–25, June 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Quarterly Financial Snapshot of the Aged Care Sector Q3 2025–26, September 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Star Ratings quarterly data extract, August 2026.
AIHW GEN, Residential Aged Care Quality Indicators, January to March 2026.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, Sector performance reports and data tables, 2024–25 Q4 to 2025–26 Q3.
AIHW GEN, 2023 Aged Care Provider Workforce Survey; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Aged Care Worker Survey 2024.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Better and fairer wages for aged care workers.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Schedule of fees and charges for residential care, 20 September 2026; BIR and MPIR; Support at Home participant contributions.
IHACPA, Refundable accommodation deposits.
Australian Government, Budget Paper No. 1, 2026–27; Budget 2026–27 ministerial release.
The Treasury, Intergenerational Report 2023; Centre for Population, 2025 Population Statement; ABS, National, state and territory population and Population projections.
AIHW, Dementia in Australia; Dementia Australia, Dementia facts and figures.
Inspector-General of Aged Care, 2025 Progress Report.
StewartBrown Aged Care Financial Performance Survey, March 2026, via The Weekly Source; waiting list counting change via ABC News, August 2026.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Registered nurse coverage in residential aged care dashboard, June 2026 data.

Update log. 4 October 2026: all figures re-verified against primary sources. Fees updated to the 20 September 2026 schedule and the 1 October 2026 interest rate; Support at Home wait times and triage figures updated to the second Wait Times Report; serious incident data updated to April–June 2026; population updated to 31 March 2026; state and territory tables, ownership comparisons and a data download added. Corrected: the pre-November 2025 means-tested care fee maximum, a serious incident rate comparison, the scope of two workforce figures, and an assessments total. Removed three figures we could not confirm from a primary source. First published 13 September 2026.

Cite this page. Aged Care Checker, "Aged Care Statistics Australia 2026", agedcarechecker.com, updated 4 October 2026. These figures are free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence: credit the original source and link to this page.