Key Takeaway
1.07% of Australian workers make a serious workers' compensation claim each year.¹ This means that out of every 100 employees, approximately one will lodge a claim requiring at least one week off work due to a workplace injury or illness.
The Definitive Data
In the most recent reporting period (2022–23), Safe Work Australia's National Data Set for Compensation-based Statistics captured 139,000 serious claims from the Australian workforce, translating to an incidence rate of 10.7 serious claims per 1,000 workers.¹
Safe Work Australia compiles these statistics by collecting data from workers' compensation authorities across all states, territories, and Commonwealth government agencies — making it the most reliable source for national workplace injury trends.²
How "Serious Claims" Are Defined
Safe Work Australia defines "serious claims" as workers' compensation cases that result in one working week or more of time off work, excluding minor incidents with no lost time.¹
Independent Validation
The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides independent validation through their Work-related Injuries Survey (2021–22):³
- 3.5% of workers experienced some form of work-related injury or illness during the year.
- 34.9% of those injured workers actually proceeded to make a workers' compensation claim.
- This yields approximately 1.22% of the total workforce making claims — closely aligning with the Safe Work Australia figure.
Alternative Measurement: Frequency Rate
The data can also be expressed as a frequency rate of 6.6 serious claims per million hours worked, which accounts for variations in working hours across different employee groups and provides a more precise measurement for comparative analysis.¹
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the annual workers' compensation claim rate in Australia?
1.07% of Australian workers lodge a serious workers' compensation claim each year, equating to 10.7 serious claims per 1,000 workers based on 2022–23 data from Safe Work Australia.
How many serious workers' compensation claims are made in Australia per year?
In 2022–23, there were approximately 139,000 serious workers' compensation claims nationally.
What qualifies as a "serious" workers' compensation claim?
Safe Work Australia defines a serious claim as an accepted workers' compensation claim resulting in one or more working weeks of lost time, excluding fatalities and journey claims.
References
- Safe Work Australia, Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2024.
- Safe Work Australia, Workers' compensation data — About our datasets.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Work-related injuries, 2021–22 financial year.