AIHW Report Highlights Need for Better GP Data on Pregnancy Loss
30 Jul 2026
The report, Pregnancy Loss in Australia: A Data Scoping Study, is the first national review to examine available data on pregnancy loss, related healthcare and the gaps that remain across the health system.
Data from five states and territories found that 30% of women who gave birth in 2022 had experienced at least one miscarriage, while one in 10 had experienced two or more miscarriages. However, the report notes these figures only include women who later had a live birth, meaning the true number of pregnancy losses is likely to be higher.
The AIHW found that current national data does not fully capture pregnancy loss, particularly for people who receive care only through general practice or who do not access hospital services.
Hospital records show there were between 34,000 and 37,000 pregnancy loss-related admissions each year between 2019–20 and 2024–25, with miscarriage accounting for around 80% of these admissions. Most hospitalisations occurred in public hospitals, and women aged 30–39 years represented the largest group receiving hospital care.
Despite this, the report says much of Australia's sexual and reproductive healthcare is delivered in primary care, where consistent national data collection is limited. As a result, many patient experiences are not reflected in existing health datasets.
The AIHW identified several priority areas for improvement, including better information on how common pregnancy loss is, access to care, quality of care, health outcomes and community health literacy.
According to the report, improving data collection through initiatives such as My Health Record and the proposed National Primary Health Care Data Collection System could provide a more complete picture of pregnancy loss across Australia.
The AIHW says more comprehensive data will help guide future healthcare policies, improve service planning and ensure support better reflects the experiences of people affected by pregnancy loss.
AIHW Report Highlights Need for Better GP Data on Pregnancy Loss
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) – Pregnancy Loss in Australia: A Data Scoping Study and newsGP.