Vitamin D Levels in Australia: By Age, Season and State

Vitamin D levels by age and sex

Median vitamin D changed little with age. It was 69 to 73 nmol/L in women under 60 and 79 at 60 and over, and 69 to 84 nmol/L in men. Members aged 60 and over had the highest medians and the fewest results under 50, which may reflect more supplement use, though we can't confirm that from the data.

Low results were most common in younger women. One in five Vively women aged 30 to 39 (20%) was under 50 nmol/L, and 59% were under 75. At 60 and over, 8% of women and 8% of men were under 50.

Very low results were uncommon. Under 3% of members had a vitamin D below 30 nmol/L, the level Australian guidelines call moderate deficiency.

Vitamin D through the year

Vitamin D follows the sun with a lag of a few weeks. In our members, the median was 87 nmol/L last summer (December 2025 to February 2026) and 71 in the 2026 winter. The share under 50 nmol/L went from 5% in summer to 16% in winter, and it stayed at 14% through spring, because levels take time to recover once the UV comes back.

Most of our vitamin D results come from June to August 2026, so the winter figures are the most reliable. Different members tested in each season, so these aren't the same people measured twice.

Winter vitamin D by state

The further south you live, the less UV you get in winter. In June to August 2026, 23% of results from Victorian members were under 50 nmol/L, followed by South Australia (18%), Western Australia and New South Wales (14% each) and Queensland (10%). Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory had fewer than 50 members tested, so they aren't shown.

Normal vitamin D levels in Australia

Each lab sets its own reference range, so read your result against the range printed on your report. Australian guidance groups vitamin D like this:

The range used in the Vively app is 50 to 200 nmol/L. The Australian position statement says a level of at least 50 nmol/L at the end of winter is enough for bone health, and that levels may need to be 10 to 20 nmol/L higher at the end of summer to stay above 50 through winter. The Vively optimal range of 75 to 125 nmol/L is what we aim for to support long-term health. It isn't a diagnostic cut-off.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 23% of Australian adults had a vitamin D level under 50 nmol/L in its 2011 to 2012 health survey.

What lowers vitamin D

• Less sun. Winter, living further south, working indoors, and covering up for cultural or religious reasons all reduce how much vitamin D your skin makes.
• Darker skin. More melanin means skin makes vitamin D more slowly, so people with darker skin need more time in the sun.
• Body fat. Vitamin D is stored in fat, so people with more body fat often have lower blood levels.
• Gut conditions. Coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and weight loss surgery can reduce how much vitamin D you absorb from food and supplements.
• Some medicines. Some anti-epileptic medicines and steroids lower vitamin D.
• Kidney and liver disease. Both organs help turn vitamin D into its active form.

Do you need to fast? Not for vitamin D. The Baseline Health Check is a fasting test because of glucose, insulin and triglycerides, so fast overnight.

Is a vitamin D level of 50 low?

A vitamin D of 50 nmol/L is at the bottom of the adequate range in Australian guidelines and at the bottom of the range used in the Vively app. It is below the Vively optimal range of 75 to 125 nmol/L. A result of 50 at the end of summer is likely to fall over winter.

A result under 30 nmol/L is worth talking to your GP about, especially with bone pain, muscle weakness or frequent falls.

How vitamin D fits with your other results

How to support healthy vitamin D

• Get some sun, safely. Cancer Council Australia's advice depends on the UV index. When the UV is 3 or above, a few minutes outdoors on most days is usually enough, and sun protection is needed. When the UV is below 3, often in southern winters, sun protection isn't needed and time outdoors in the middle of the day helps.
• Eat foods with some vitamin D. Oily fish, eggs and foods with added vitamin D, such as some milks and margarines, help a little. Food alone rarely provides enough.
• Ask about a supplement. A supplement may help if your level is low or you get little sun. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about the dose, because more isn't better.

Vitamin D takes about three months to settle after a change in sun or supplements, so retest about three months later.

When to see your GP

See your GP if your vitamin D is under 30 nmol/L, or under 50 with bone pain, muscle weakness, frequent falls or a condition that affects absorption. See them too if it is over 250 nmol/L, or high with nausea, thirst or confusion. Vively doesn't diagnose, manage or treat vitamin D deficiency or any other condition. If you're concerned about a result, speak with your GP.

Testing vitamin D with Vively

Vitamin D is in the Baseline Health Check, with calcium, magnesium, iron studies, thyroid, liver and kidney markers. A GP from our network signs your request after a short telehealth consult, so you don't need to visit your own GP first. You have one blood draw at one of our 3,700+ partner collection centres, and your results arrive in the Vively app, usually within a few days. A Vively practitioner explains your result, and members have a targeted re-test after 3 months. Get your Baseline Health Check. The vitamin D test page covers the test itself.