What is ‘normal’ blood pressure? A quick guide

Published January 2026 | 5 min read
Expert contributor: Professor Clara Chow AM, Professor of Medicine, cardiologist and Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre
Words by Alana Wulff

Summary

• Normal blood pressure is about 120/80mmHg for most adults, with ranges classified from low to high based on systolic and diastolic numbers.
• Normal blood pressure ranges change across life stages, with readings typically rising with age.
• Women generally have lower blood pressure than men early in life, but levels often rise after menopause.
• High blood pressure is linked to factors like ageing, family history, excess weight, inactivity, smoking, high salt intake, low potassium, alcohol, stress and chronic conditions.

What is normal blood pressure and why is it important to monitor? Learn how to understand your readings and what the numbers reveal about your health.

In Australia, it’s estimated up to 4.5 million people experience high blood pressure (hypertension). Your blood pressure naturally rises and falls throughout the day depending on your activity levels, but consistently high or uncontrolled blood pressure can be one of the main risk factors for heart disease, especially heart attacks and strokes.

“We know that people who have higher blood pressure are much more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke, and that greater exposure to untreated high blood pressure increases that risk,” says Professor Clara Chow AM, Professor of Medicine, cardiologist and Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre.

“So, the longer you’re exposed to higher blood pressures, the greater your risk, which is why we’re so focused on identifying high blood pressure early and treating it until it is controlled.”

What is normal blood pressure?

Ever wondered what’s happening when your GP wraps a cuff around your arm to measure your blood pressure? That cuff is attached to a device that measures how hard your blood is pushing against your artery walls.

Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers – systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number). Both are measured in units called millimetres of mercury (or mmHg).

• Systolic number: The top or first number in a reading is a measure of your blood pressure at its peak, when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood.
• Diastolic number: The bottom or second number is measured when the heart relaxes and refills with blood.
  

Together, these numbers provide an indication of how hard your heart is working and are an important assessment of your general health. “Normal readings tend to sit around 120/80,” says Prof Chow.

These are the different blood pressure ranges for most adults.

• Low blood pressure    
  • Systolic: less than 90mmHg
  • Diastolic: less than 60mmHg
• Optimal blood pressure
  • Systolic: less than 120mmHg
  • Diastolic: less than 80mmHg
• Normal blood pressure
  • Systolic: 120 to 129mmHg
  • Diastolic: 80 to 84mmHg
• Normal to high blood pressure
  • Systolic: 130 to 139mmHg
  • Diastolic: 85 to 89mmHg
• High blood pressure
  • Systolic: greater than 140mmHg
  • Diastolic: greater than 90mmHg

How normal blood pressure ranges change with age

“As you get older, blood pressure does go up, but this doesn’t mean higher blood pressure is good for you,” explains Prof Chow. High blood pressure often increases as we age due to the structural changes in our blood vessels and vascular system.

The normal blood pressure range for children is very different to that for adults. “Their normal blood pressure tends to be much lower,” says Prof Chow. “We also need to use different cuff sizes for children, because an adult-sized cuff used on a child will give you the wrong measurements.”

These are the normal blood pressure ranges for children, from newborns through to adolescents.

• Newborns (up to 1 month)
  • Systolic: 60 to 90mmHg
  • Diastolic: 20 to 60mmHg
• Infants
  • Systolic: 87 to 105mmHg
  • Diastolic: 53 to 66mmHg
• Toddlers
  • Systolic: 95 to 105mmHg
  • Diastolic: 53 to 66mmHg
• Preschoolers
  • Systolic: 95 to 110mmHg
  • Diastolic: 56 to 70mmHg
• School-aged children
  • Systolic: 97 to 112mmHg
  • Diastolic: 57 to 71mmHg
• Adolescents
  • Systolic: 112 to 128mmHg
  • Diastolic: 66 to 80mmHg

What is normal blood pressure for women?

While younger women tend to experience lower blood pressure readings than men, this can change as you age. “The pattern of distribution across the population is that blood pressure is lower for younger women and then higher later in life,” explains Prof Chow. “After menopause blood pressure can go up and it is important to have this checked.”

If you’re pregnant, your blood pressure should ideally be lower than it would normally be. “If it runs higher, and you develop high blood pressure of pregnancy, or pre-eclampsia, it can be a medical emergency,” explains Prof Chow. “You can treat this with medication, but if it gets too severe it can affect the baby and may lead to earlier delivery.”

What causes high blood pressure?

For most adults, there’s no single cause of high blood pressure. Hypertension commonly develops over many years, influenced by a range of risk factors:

• Age: the risk of high blood pressure increases as you age.
• Family history: high blood pressure often runs in families.
• Being overweight: your blood pressure rises as your weight increases, because the larger your body mass, the more blood is required to be pumped around your body, increasing the pressure on artery walls.
• Lack of exercise: being active helps keep your heart and blood vessels in good shape, which means they don’t have to work as hard to get blood around your body.
• Smoking: this causes your arteries to narrow, forcing your heart to work harder.
• High salt consumption: too much salt (sodium) in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure.
• Lack of potassium: potassium helps regulate sodium levels. If you don’t get enough potassium in your diet, sodium can build up in your blood, which can lead to increased blood pressure.
• Alcohol: drinking more than recommended amounts can raise blood pressure.
• Stress: high levels of stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.
• Chronic conditions: certain chronic conditions may increase your risk of high blood pressure, including kidney disease, diabetes and sleep apnoea.

How to check if you’ve got healthy blood pressure

Thankfully, checking your blood pressure is easy and can be done at home, at the doctor’s surgery or even at the pharmacy. “You can check your blood pressure anywhere and at any time of the day,” explains Prof Chow. “It’s normal for blood pressures to swing up and down though, so look for trends as opposed to a one-off reading.”

It’s important to remember that your blood pressure will be higher after you’ve exercised, so be mindful of checking your measurements during a resting or sitting period.

Book a heart health check today

Checking your blood pressure is the first step, but regular heart checks give you a more complete picture of your heart health. Eligible members 18 years and older can get a free HCF Heart and Diabetes Health Check, delivered by the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, at selected locations and dates^*. It only takes 10 minutes, and you can get your results right away.