New figures released by Safe Work Australia during National Safe Work Month show that the rate of work-related fatalities in 2024 is lower than the 5-year average from 2020 to 2024. However, claims for Mental health conditions continue to rise.
Work-related fatalities
According to Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025, 188 workers were fatally injured at work in Australia in 2024, down from 200 in 2023.
Significantly, 80% of these fatalities occurred in just 6 industries: Agriculture, forestry and fishing; Public administration and safety; Transport, postal and warehousing; Manufacturing; Health care and social assistance; and Construction.
The report also shows that Vehicle incidents remain the leading cause of fatal injuries (42% or 79 fatalities), followed by Falls from a height (13% or 24 fatalities).
While workplace safety in Australia has improved significantly - with the current injury rate at 3.5% (about one-third of the global rate of 12.1%) and a slight decline in the 2024 worker fatality rate compared to the 5-year average from 2020 to 2024 - the impact of workplace injury, illness and death continues to be felt by workers, families and communities.
Work-related injury and illness
In 2023-24, there were 146,700 serious workers' compensation claims involving at least one week of working time lost. That's equivalent to more than 400 serious claims every day across Australia.
Claims for Mental health conditions continue to rise and now account for 12% of all serious claims, an increase of 14.7% from the previous year. The median time lost from work in these claims is almost 5 times that recorded across all other injuries and diseases.
Safe Work Australia's Key Work Health and Safety Statistics report provides the latest national data on work-related fatalities, injuries and disease. The 2025 edition has been released during National Safe Work Month - a time for employers and workers across Australia to renew their commitment to safe and healthy workplaces.
Insights from Safe Work Australia's national work health and safety and workers' compensation data provide a powerful evidence base to help workplaces assess risks, understand common causes of injury, and identify the most affected industries. These insights support evidence-based policy, guide prevention efforts, and ultimately contribute to safer and healthier workplaces.
Quotes attributable to Marie Boland, Safe Work Australia CEO
'All workers have the right to safe and healthy work. Our data show there is still more to be done to ensure every worker, regardless of occupation or industry, returns home safely at the end of the day.
'Behind every statistic is a person, a family, workmates, a community and a story.
'National Safe Work Month is a great opportunity to prioritise discussions about work health and safety and use the national data compiled by Safe Work Australia to support safe and healthy work for everyone.'
Explore Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025 and more national work health and safety and workers' compensation data on Safe Work Australia's interactive data website.
Learn more about National Safe Work Month 2025.
