Head injuries compared with all injuries
Injuries are the sixth leading contributor to the burden of disease for Australians (AIHW 2022a). In 2020–21, head injuries contributed to:
![](/kenticoimage.axd/media/1ffffcf3-6427-436d-8fa0-8b4495c68b5e/AIHW-INJCAT-231-Ambulance.png?width=200&height=200&quality=90&rmode=crop&d=051723&hmac=3e9522959c8af5c00b6c30fb3c55ac9255a1d02f67f0f27aa5b6721dac314ebc)
21% of injury ED visits
![](/kenticoimage.axd/media/f5e43727-4834-4fb8-aa25-03ef6876eae1/AIHW-INJCAT-231-Hospital-bed.png?width=200&height=200&quality=90&rmode=crop&d=052513&hmac=f313e7272c2632941c663ac263b2a79c456c108fe90a37b96383b2e19e3e764b)
25% of injury hospitalisation
![](/kenticoimage.axd/media/8c445065-cb07-4c1e-b7dd-bd6f0d84d214/AIHW-INJCAT-231-Heart-flatline.png?width=200&height=200&quality=90&rmode=crop&d=052457&hmac=4db64d3bb3700646de7dd471cfd777d0cc20de6b399f5396e2c0b5bc44e1dc25)
17% of injury deaths
The 0–4 age group was especially afflicted by head injuries. Figure 1 shows that around half of all injury ED presentations and hospitalisations for this group were for head injuries (48% and 52% respectively). Head injuries additionally contributed to 32% of injury deaths for the 0–4 age group (AIHW 2023b).
Figure 1: Number and proportion of head injury ED presentations, hospitalisations, and deaths compared with all injuries, by age, 2020–21
The graph has 2 tabs, number and percentage of head injuries compared with all injuries for hospitalisations, ED presentations, and deaths. The graphs present data in stage-of-life age groups from age 0 to 4 up to age 65 and over. Head injuries in the 0–4 age group make up around half of all injury ED presentations and hospitalisations.
![](https://viz.aihw.gov.au:443/t/Public/views/INJCAT_231_Proportions_16112023/Percentages.png?:embed=y&:showVizHome=no&:display_spinner=no&:host_url=https%3a%2f%2fviz.aihw.gov.au)
AIHW (2022a) Australian Burden of Disease Study 2022, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 25 May 2023.
AIHW (2023b) Injury in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 6 July 2023.