More than 11,000 Australians were employed as physiotherapists
in Australia in 1998-representing about 60 physiotherapists per
100,000 population-according to a new report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Physiotherapy Labour Force 1998 also shows that this
rate varied considerably according to geographic area. Across the
States and Territories, South Australia had the highest rate (75
per 100,000 population) and the Northern Territory the lowest (43).
Capital cities had a higher rate (70) than regional areas, which
ranged from 59% in large rural centres to 30% in remote areas.
The report shows that 95% of employed physiotherapists worked as
clinicians in their main job. The other 5% worked as
administrators, educators and researchers, or in other
physiotherapy-related fields.
Although a predominantly female field, males made up a larger
proportion of physiotherapists (23% of employed physiotherapists in
1998) than some other health occupations such as nursing (8% in
1997) and occupational therapy (5% in 1998). That proportion is
likely to grow-almost 40% of new physiotherapy graduates in 1998
were men.
Head of the Labour Force and Rural Health Unit, Glenice Taylor,
said that, as with many other health occupations, the physiotherapy
labour force was getting older.
'In 1993, the largest proportion of physiotherapists were aged
between 25 and 34-this has now shifted to the 35 to 44 age group,'
Ms Taylor said.
Although physiotherapists are getting older, the profession as a
whole is a growth area.
'According to Census figures from the Australian Bureau of
Statistics there was a 25% increase in the number of employed
physiotherapists between 1991 and 1996', Ms Taylor said.
'This growth is expected to continue-the Department of
Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has predicted
strong employment growth, and the number of students graduating
from physiotherapy courses also increased by just over 30% in the
four years between 1996 and 1999.'
7 September 2001
Further information: Ms Glenice Taylor, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1153
Mr Graham Angus, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1183
Media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability.