Introduction

Injury is a broad category which includes many different types of physical trauma. Injuries are classified based on the type and, when known, the external cause of the injury. Major contributors to injury hospitalisations are from the external causes of falls, contact with objects, transport (which includes road traffic accidents), and self-harm.1

This section includes information for all injuries and the selected external causes of transport and falls. Together these two sub-categories accounted for 54% of all hospitalisations for injuries in Australia in 2020–21, or 12% and 42% respectively.2

Injury burden

Nationally in 2022, injury accounted for 8.1%1 of the burden of disease and 7.6% of disease expenditure.2

For selected injuries included in this section, the number and age-standardised rate for years of healthy life lost nationally in 2022 were:

  • All injuries: 449,090 years (standardised rate 17.1 per 1,000 persons)
  • Falls: 87,328 years (standardised rate 2.7 per 1,000 persons)
  • Road traffic accidents: 58,823 years (standardised rate 1.1 per 1,000 persons).

Corresponding disease expenditure for 2019–20 was $10.721 billion (all injuries), $4.681 billion (falls), $856.1 million (road traffic injuries).

References

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2022. Australian burden of disease study 2022. doi: 10.25816/E2V0-GP02.
  2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2021. Australian Burden of Disease Study: Impact and causes of illness and death in Australia 2018. doi: 10.25816/5PS1-J259.

Last updated: May 2024