Males in Australia experience a greater share than females of ill health and death from some disease groups including injuries (70% of which are sustained by males, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023).
Loneliness and mental health among men
Men aged 35 and older in Australia are vulnerable to loneliness and its associated mental health challenges, and this is also true in Boroondara. This can be linked to various factors like relationship changes, a decline in social connections and conservative gender role attitudes (Botha and Bower 2024).
Between 2001 and 2023, one Australian study found that males across almost all age groups experienced higher levels of social isolation than females, and in 2023 men aged 55+ were more likely than women in the same age group to experience loneliness (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2025).
Leading causes of death among men in North Eastern Melbourne
In the North Eastern Region1 of metropolitan Melbourne:
- suicide was the top cause of death among men aged 30 to 49 years and the sixth top cause of death among men aged 50 to 64
- coronary heart disease was the top cause of death for men aged 50 to 84 years
- dementia was the top cause of death for men aged 85+.
1 Comprised of 12 metropolitan Melbourne LGAs, including Boroondara, and ranging from Hume to the west and Yarra Ranges to the East.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare analysed survey data collected by the ABS in 2023 and found that rates of loneliness among men peaked at 18% among men aged 55 to 64, which was higher than the rate for women in this age group (15%).
Men are also a population group disproportionately impacted by suicide in Australia (Suicide Prevention Australia 2024). Men diagnosed with mental health conditions are more likely to die by suicide than women, even though women are diagnosed with mental health conditions more often.
In Boroondara, 5.7% of men aged 35+ have a diagnosed mental health condition, according to the 2021 Census.
Source: North Eastern Public Health Unit 2025 - 2022 data.
Health risks and behaviours by age group in Victorian males
Across Victorian males, the 35+ age group is more at risk in relation to self-reported fair or poor health status (55 to 74 years), overweight (45 to 74 years) and alcohol related disease or injury (55 to 74 years).
While Australian data indicates males aged 35 to 44 years and over 55 years have higher rates of loneliness, Victorian data shows that younger males (18-34) have higher levels of loneliness.
In Victoria, males 35+ also tend to be lower risk than younger males for life satisfaction and psychological distress (the level of negative emotional states, such as nervousness, agitation, psychological fatigue, and depression, experienced by individuals within the past 4 weeks).
Table 1: Proportion (%) of men in Victoria.
Males 18-24 | Males 25-34 | Males 35-44 | Males 45-54 | Males 55-64 | Males 65-74 | Males 75-84 | Males 85+ | All genders, 18+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low or medium life satisfaction | 26.2 | 23.5 | 20.5 | 23.5 | 23.4 | 15.5 | 12.7 | 16.3 | 21.9 |
Fair/Poor self-reported health status | 16.7 | 18.2 | 18.4 | 20.8 | 25.8 | 25.5 | 24.2 | 24.4 | 20.9 |
Sought professional help for a mental health problem | 19.6 | 20.3 | 18.6 | 14.8 | 12.1 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 20.1 |
High/very high level of psychological distress | 24.1 | 20.8 | 15.9 | 13.7 | 14.3 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 5.2 | 19.1 |
Experienced loneliness | 31.2 | 25.4 | 23.7 | 20.8 | 19.2 | 15.3 | 10.2 | 15.0 | 23.3 |
Overweight | 36.7 | 53.5 | 63.3 | 71.8 | 70.1 | 68.7 | 64.0 | 50.7 | 54.4 |
Increased risk of alcohol-related disease or injury | 12.5 | 14.3 | 16.4 | 20.8 | 23.3 | 26.9 | 20.5 | 18.3 | 13.1 |
Source: Victorian Population Health Survey 2023.
Alcohol consumption and related harm among men
Across metropolitan Melbourne, men are more likely to drink alcohol at volumes which put them at risk of alcohol-related disease or injury (16.5%, compared to 7.4% for women) (Victorian Population Health Survey 2023).
In Boroondara, males and people aged 35 to 44 were most frequently attended by ambulance for alcohol intoxication-related incidents, indicating a higher rate of acute alcohol harm in these groups (Figure 1). Boroondara residents who are males and those aged 45 to 64 had the highest rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions, highlighting greater long-term alcohol-related harm (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Rate of ambulance attendances for alcohol intoxication-related events, with or without involvement of other drugs per 100,000 population, 2022-23.
Source: Turning Point 2024
Figure 2: Rate of hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication-related events with or without involvement of other drugs per 100,000 population, 2021-22.
Source: Turning Point 2024
Gender differences in experience of violence
While men are more likely to experience physical violence overall (42% of men vs 31% of women), women are significantly more likely to experience sexual violence (22% vs 6.1%) and violence from an intimate partner or family member (27% vs 12%) (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021-22). Childhood abuse was also more commonly reported by women (18%) than men (11%).
These patterns suggest that while violence affects both men and women, women are disproportionately impacted by violence in private, relational contexts, whereas men are more likely to experience violence in public or social settings.