📊 First Aid Training Statistics Australia 2026
Comprehensive data on cardiac arrest survival rates, workplace injury statistics, first aid training uptake, CPR bystander rates, and emergency response data across Australia. Compiled from government and research sources for media, researchers, policymakers, and training professionals.
📰 Media Cite-Friendly
🔬 Government & Research Sources
🔄 Updated February 2026
🔗 Free to Reference & Share
🇦🇺 Australia-Specific Data
🔑 Key Statistics at a Glance — Australia 2026
30,000+
Australians suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year
~10%
Overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
2–3×
Improved survival odds when bystander CPR is performed
70%+
Survival rate for witnessed cardiac arrest with immediate CPR + AED within 3–5 minutes
10 min
Average Queensland ambulance response time (regional areas)
10%
Decrease in survival rate for every 1 minute without defibrillation
497,000
Workplace injuries reported in Australia in 2022–23 (Safe Work Australia)
$28.6B
Annual cost of workplace injury to the Australian economy
1. Cardiac Arrest & CPR Statistics — Australia
Cardiac arrest is one of Australia’s most time-critical medical emergencies. The difference between survival and death often comes down to whether a bystander — with basic first aid knowledge — intervenes in the minutes before ambulance arrival.
30,000+
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in Australia per year
~9–10%
Overall OHCA survival to hospital discharge rate in Australia
46%
Bystander CPR rate for witnessed cardiac arrests in Australia (improving)
1,300+
Estimated lives saved annually in Australia by bystander CPR
Survival window: Brain damage begins within 4–6 minutes of cardiac arrest without CPR. After 10 minutes without CPR, survival is extremely unlikely without advanced medical intervention. The average Queensland Ambulance Service response time in urban areas is 8.1 minutes — meaning bystander CPR is not optional; it is critical.
CPR — Survival Rate Comparison
Sources: Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC); Australian & New Zealand Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ANZCOR); Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES)
Queensland specific: In Queensland, approximately 8,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are attended by QAS annually. Bystander CPR rates in Queensland have improved from 22% (2011) to approximately 46% (2024), largely attributed to community CPR training programmes. For every 1% increase in bystander CPR rates, approximately 40 additional lives are saved in Queensland each year.
2. Australian Workplace Injury Statistics
Workplace injuries remain a significant public health and economic burden in Australia. These statistics underscore why the WHS Regulations mandate first aid training and why rapid, competent first aid response can be the difference between a manageable injury and a fatality.
497,300
Work-related injuries reported in Australia, 2022–23 (Safe Work Australia)
195
Worker fatalities in Australia in 2023 (Safe Work Australia)
$28.6B
Estimated annual cost of work-related injuries and illness to Australia
6.3 weeks
Median time off work for serious injuries requiring compensation
Workplace Fatalities by Industry — Australia 2023
Source: Safe Work Australia — Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities, Australia 2023
Top 5 Causes of Workplace Injury in Australia
Being hit by moving objects
Source: Safe Work Australia — Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2024
Queensland Specific: Queensland accounts for approximately 22% of all Australian workplace fatalities despite representing around 20% of the national workforce — a slight over-representation that reflects the state’s high concentration of construction, agriculture, and mining workers. WorkSafe QLD prosecuted 52 workplace safety matters resulting in penalties totalling $16.4M in 2022–23.
3. First Aid Training Uptake — Australia
Despite the clear evidence that first aid training saves lives, training rates remain lower than optimal in many Australian communities and workplaces. The following data highlights the gap between where training uptake is today and where public health researchers believe it needs to be.
~1 in 5
Australians hold a current first aid certificate (est. based on RTO registration data)
1.2M+
Estimated first aid certificates issued in Australia annually (NCVER VET data)
63%
Australians have never completed any first aid training (survey data)
78%
People who say they would feel “not confident” responding to a cardiac arrest
The confidence gap: Research consistently shows that formal first aid training dramatically increases confidence and willingness to intervene in emergencies. Post-training surveys of IRFA graduates show 94% feel confident to perform CPR immediately after completing HLTAID009, compared to 12% confidence reported before training.
Who Gets First Aid Trained in Australia?
Childcare/education sector
Source: NCVER — Australian Vocational Education and Training Statistics; IRFA internal training data 2024–25
4. Specific Emergency Statistics — Australia
Anaphylaxis
85,000+
Australians with confirmed food allergy-related anaphylaxis risk
2,500+
Hospitalisations for anaphylaxis in Australia per year
10–20
Annual anaphylaxis deaths in Australia (preventable with EpiPen + first aid)
~5%
Australian children affected by food allergy — highest rates globally
Source: ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) — 2024 Anaphylaxis Resources
Choking
~900
Choking-related hospitalisations in Australia per year
200+
Deaths from choking annually in Australia (primarily elderly and under 5s)
4 min
Time to brain damage from severe airway obstruction without intervention
Drowning
280+
Drowning deaths in Australia per year (Royal Life Saving Society)
3,000+
Non-fatal drowning incidents requiring hospitalisation annually
QLD #1
Queensland consistently has highest state drowning death rate in Australia
Source: Royal Life Saving Society Australia — National Drowning Report 2024
Queensland drowning context: Queensland’s high drowning rate reflects the state’s extensive coastline, pool ownership rates, and waterway access. The Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Moreton Bay areas are consistent hotspots. Royal Life Saving Society data shows that 80% of drowning victims were males, and the 25–34 age group is disproportionately represented.
5. AED & Defibrillation Statistics — Australia
~50,000
Estimated registered AEDs in Australia (Defibrillator Registry data)
<5%
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who receive a shock from a public AED before ambulance arrival
70%
Cardiac arrests occur in the home — where no AED is available
QLD law
Queensland mandated public access AEDs in registered sports venues 100+ capacity (Public Access Defibrillation Act)
Why AED access matters: In ideal conditions — immediate CPR + AED within 3–5 minutes — survival rates for ventricular fibrillation (the most common shockable cardiac arrest rhythm) can exceed 70%. Yet fewer than 5% of Australian OHCA patients receive pre-hospital defibrillation from a bystander before ambulance arrival. Closing this gap represents one of the most significant opportunities to save lives.
📚 Data Sources & References
All statistics presented on this page are sourced from peer-reviewed research, government agencies, and recognised public health authorities. Where ranges are presented, they reflect variation across available sources and time periods.
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🎙️ Media & Research Enquiries: For expert commentary on first aid training trends, CPR survival rates, workplace safety, or Queensland-specific data, contact IRFA’s principal trainer. IRFA (RTO 32154) has delivered first aid training to 60,000+ Australians over 18 years and can provide context, quotes, and data for media stories, research papers, and policy documents.
Contact: info@irfa.au |
1300 766 298 |
irfa.au
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