Summary

This report presents interactive maps and data visualisations based on counts and rates of hospitalised injury and injury deaths by remoteness of usual residence for Australian jurisdictions in 2017–18.

Injury hospitalisations and deaths vary according to the regions in which Australians live. Generally, rates of injury hospitalisations and deaths increase with remoteness. The number and rate of injury hospitalisations and deaths also vary by sex, age and external cause according to the remoteness of usual residence (AIHW 2019a, 2019b).

In 2017–18, 350,000 hospitalisations and 8,300 deaths occurred for residents of Major cities of Australia. While the numbers of hospitalisations and deaths were higher for residents of Major cities, after adjusting for population size, the rates of hospitalised injury and deaths were much higher for residents of Very remote areas. For both injury hospitalisations and deaths, rates increased as remoteness of usual residence increased. 

The highest rates of injury hospitalisations and deaths occurred for residents of the Northern Territory and the lowest rates were seen for New South Wales. Within each state higher rates of hospitalised injury and death were associated with more remote areas of usual residence.

Transport accidents and Assaults/Homicide showed the strongest relationship between increasing remoteness of usual residence and increasing rates of hospitalisations and deaths.