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Fatal occupational injury rates in Australia

Australia: Fatal occupational injury rates was 1.42 per 100,000 employees in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
1.42 per 100,000 employees
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
56th
of 79 countries
All-time high
2.65 per 100,000 employees
in 2009
All-time low
1.31 per 100,000 employees
in 2021
Years of data
22
2000–2023

Fatal occupational injury rates in Australia, 2000–2023

01232000201120232000: 2 per 100,000 employees2001: 2.6 per 100,000 employees2002: 2.4 per 100,000 employees2003: 2.3 per 100,000 employees2004: 2.1 per 100,000 employees2005: 2 per 100,000 employees2006: 2.1 per 100,000 employees2007: 2 per 100,000 employees2008: 2.1 per 100,000 employees2009: 2.6 per 100,000 employees2010: 2 per 100,000 employees2011: 2 per 100,000 employees2012: 2 per 100,000 employees2013: 1.7 per 100,000 employees2014: 1.6 per 100,000 employees2015: 1.6 per 100,000 employees2017: 1.6 per 100,000 employees2019: 1.6 per 100,000 employees2020: 1.6 per 100,000 employees2021: 1.3 per 100,000 employees2022: 1.4 per 100,000 employees2023: 1.4 per 100,000 employees

Source: International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100,000 employees.

Analysis

The most recent figure for fatal occupational injury rates in Australia is 1.42 per 100,000 employees, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fatal occupational injury rates in Australia peaked at 2.65 per 100,000 employees in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.31 per 100,000 employees, in 2021.

Australia ranks 56th of 79 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.

Fatal occupational injury rates in Australia, year by year

Year per 100,000 employees Change
2000 2 per 100,000 employees —
2001 2.6 per 100,000 employees +30.0%
2002 2.4 per 100,000 employees -7.7%
2003 2.3 per 100,000 employees -4.2%
2004 2.1 per 100,000 employees -8.7%
2005 2 per 100,000 employees -4.8%
2006 2.1 per 100,000 employees +5.0%
2007 2 per 100,000 employees -4.8%
2008 2.1 per 100,000 employees +5.0%
2009 2.65 per 100,000 employees +26.2%
2010 1.96 per 100,000 employees -26.0%
2011 2 per 100,000 employees +2.0%
2012 2.01 per 100,000 employees +0.5%
2013 1.71 per 100,000 employees -14.9%
2014 1.61 per 100,000 employees -5.8%
2015 1.65 per 100,000 employees +2.5%
2017 1.62 per 100,000 employees -1.8%
2019 1.57 per 100,000 employees -3.1%
2020 1.55 per 100,000 employees -1.3%
2021 1.31 per 100,000 employees -15.5%
2022 1.43 per 100,000 employees +9.2%
2023 1.42 per 100,000 employees -0.7%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 1.42 per 100,000 employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.61 per 100,000 employees, 88% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 1.42 per 100,000 employees is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.86 per 100,000 employees, 37% of the median. (11 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.23 per 100,000 employees 2 per 100,000 employees 2.65 per 100,000 employees 10
2010s 1.77 per 100,000 employees 1.57 per 100,000 employees 2.01 per 100,000 employees 8
2020s 1.43 per 100,000 employees 1.31 per 100,000 employees 1.55 per 100,000 employees 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 53 Israel 1.62 per 100,000 employees compare
  2. 54 Hungary 1.6 per 100,000 employees compare
  3. 55 Ireland 1.44 per 100,000 employees compare
  4. 57 Estonia 1.4 per 100,000 employees compare
  5. 58 Iceland 1.38 per 100,000 employees compare
  6. 59 Japan 1.32 per 100,000 employees compare

See the full ranking of 79 places →

More work & labour data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is fatal occupational injury rates in Australia?
Fatal occupational injury rates in Australia was 1.42 per 100,000 employees in 2023, according to International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fatal occupational injury rates recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 2.65 per 100,000 employees in 2009.
What is the lowest fatal occupational injury rates recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.31 per 100,000 employees in 2021.
How does Australia rank for fatal occupational injury rates?
Australia ranks 56th out of 79 countries with data for 2023.
Is fatal occupational injury rates rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fatal occupational injury rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Fatal occupational injury rates in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/fatal-occupational-injuries-among-employees/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Fatal occupational injury rates
Unit
per 100,000 employees
Source
International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
79 places, 1,365 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Fatal occupational injuries among employees, by sex and migrant status (per 100,000 employees).