Deaths in road incidents in Australia
Australia: Deaths in road incidents was 1,188 deaths in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
1,188 deaths
Change on year
up 6.5%
World rank
27th
of 65 countries
All-time high
3,798 deaths
in 1970
All-time low
1,094 deaths
in 2020
Years of data
53
1970–2022
Deaths in road incidents in Australia, 1970–2022
Source: OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for deaths in road incidents in Australia is 1,188 deaths, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deaths in road incidents in Australia peaked at 3,798 deaths in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1,094 deaths, in 2020.
That places Australia 27th out of 65 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Deaths in road incidents in Australia, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,798 deaths | — |
| 1971 | 3,590 deaths | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 3,422 deaths | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 3,679 deaths | +7.5% |
| 1974 | 3,572 deaths | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 3,694 deaths | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 3,583 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 3,578 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 3,705 deaths | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 3,508 deaths | -5.3% |
| 1980 | 3,272 deaths | -6.7% |
| 1981 | 3,321 deaths | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 3,252 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 2,755 deaths | -15.3% |
| 1984 | 2,822 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 2,941 deaths | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 2,888 deaths | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 2,772 deaths | -4.0% |
| 1988 | 2,887 deaths | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 2,800 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 2,331 deaths | -16.8% |
| 1991 | 2,113 deaths | -9.4% |
| 1992 | 1,974 deaths | -6.6% |
| 1993 | 1,953 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 1,928 deaths | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 2,017 deaths | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 1,970 deaths | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 1,767 deaths | -10.3% |
| 1998 | 1,755 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1,764 deaths | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 1,817 deaths | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 1,737 deaths | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 1,715 deaths | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1,621 deaths | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 1,583 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 1,627 deaths | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 1,598 deaths | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 1,603 deaths | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 1,437 deaths | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 1,490 deaths | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 1,349 deaths | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 1,277 deaths | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 1,300 deaths | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 1,184 deaths | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 1,150 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 1,205 deaths | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 1,295 deaths | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 1,223 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 1,135 deaths | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 1,187 deaths | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 1,094 deaths | -7.8% |
| 2021 | 1,116 deaths | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 1,188 deaths | +6.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1,188 deaths is above the median for high income countries, which is 528 deaths, 2.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1,188 deaths is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,735 deaths, 43% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3,613 deaths | 3,422 deaths | 3,798 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,971 deaths | 2,755 deaths | 3,321 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,957 deaths | 1,755 deaths | 2,331 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,623 deaths | 1,437 deaths | 1,817 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,230 deaths | 1,135 deaths | 1,349 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,133 deaths | 1,094 deaths | 1,188 deaths | 3 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 24 Canada 1,768 deaths compare
- 25 United Kingdom 1,750 deaths compare
- 26 Spain 1,533 deaths compare
- 28 Laos 995 deaths compare
- 29 Azerbaijan 834 deaths compare
- 30 Netherlands 745 deaths compare
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2021)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deaths in road incidents in Australia?
- Deaths in road incidents in Australia was 1,188 deaths in 2022, according to OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deaths in road incidents recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3,798 deaths in 1970.
- What is the lowest deaths in road incidents recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,094 deaths in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for deaths in road incidents?
- Australia ranks 27th out of 65 countries with data for 2022.
- Is deaths in road incidents rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2023); OECD (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths in road incidents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of reported deaths due to road accidents.