Key figures for August 2025

  • 118
    Road deaths in August 2025
    25.8% higher than the average for August over the previous 5 years
  • 1,353
    Road deaths in past 12 months
    4.3% higher than the same time last year
  • 4.9
    Deaths per 100,000 people in the past 12 months
    2.8% higher than the same time last year
  • 500
    Vulnerable road user deaths in the past 12 months
    2.7% higher than the same time last year.

Monthly and annual deaths

Monthly fatalities over the last 5 years
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
20208293102808282969683104102951,097
2021979510085791031077984104941021,129
20229311195101104937693120881031051,182
20231038811292102861071021271021111191,251
202497106111111959712299931111311181,291
202511083115120133102119118900

 

Annual deaths - past 12 months
12 months ending AugustNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
2021271211298971683636121,129
2022273245284821564749141,150
2023323271280981723222101,208
202432329629099182326871,297
202537529031189196424281,353
Latest per cent change16.1%-2.0%7.2%-10.1%7.7%31.2%-38.2%14.3%4.3%

 

Annual deaths - calendar year to date
Year to dateNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
Jan to Aug 20242021901975712119466838
Jan to Aug 20252511962065712930283900
Latest per cent change24.3%3.2%4.6%0.0%6.6%57.9%-39.1%-50.0%7.4%

National fatality rate

For the 12 months ending August 2025, the national road fatality rate was 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people. This rate is 2.8% higher than the same time last year.

The fatality rate was 4.7 for the 12 months ending December 2024 and was 1.2% higher compared to the previous calendar year.

Fatality rate - past 12 months
12 months ending AugustNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
20213.33.25.75.46.16.414.52.74.4
20223.43.75.44.55.68.219.53.14.4
20233.94.05.25.36.05.68.62.14.6
20243.84.35.25.36.25.626.21.54.8
20254.44.15.54.76.57.316.01.74.9
Latest per cent change14.8%-3.6%5.4%-11.0%5.4%30.9%-38.9%12.8%2.8%

 

Fatality rate - calendar year
Calendar yearNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
20203.53.25.45.25.76.812.51.64.3
20213.43.55.35.56.06.214.12.44.4
20223.43.65.63.96.38.720.53.94.5
20234.14.35.06.35.55.612.00.84.7
20243.84.15.44.76.35.423.02.34.7
Latest per cent change-5.7%-5.9%7.8%-24.9%15.5%-3.3%91.1%170.8%1.2%

State comparison

Total deaths

For the 12 months ending August 2025, the states that experienced the most road deaths were New South Wales with 375 (16.1% increase on previous 12 months), followed by Queensland with 311 (7.2% increase). Australian Capital Territory had the lowest number of deaths in the past 12 months, with 8 (14.3% increase).

So far in 2025, the greatest number of deaths have occurred in New South Wales with 251 (24.3% increase), followed by Queensland with 206 deaths (4.6% increase).

Monthly deaths by state/territory
Current monthNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
August 202415242781546099
August 2025391639117240118
Latest per cent change160.0%-33.3%44.4%37.5%-53.3%-50.0%-33.3%0.0%19.2%

 

Annual deaths by state/territory - past 12 months
12 months ending AugustNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
2021271211298971683636121,129
2022273245284821564749141,150
2023323271280981723222101,208
202432329629099182326871,297
202537529031189196424281,353
Latest per cent change16.1%-2.0%7.2%-10.1%7.7%31.2%-38.2%14.3%4.3%

 

Annual deaths by state/territory - calendar year to date
Year to dateNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
Jan to Aug 20242021901975712119466838
Jan to Aug 20252511962065712930283900
Latest per cent change24.3%3.2%4.6%0.0%6.6%57.9%-39.1%-50.0%7.4%

Fatality rate

Fatality rates more accurately describe the risk of death within jurisdictions by adjusting for population. The fatality rate for Northern Territory reached 16.0 per 100,000 people for the 12 months ending August 2025 (38.9% decrease from the previous year). Tasmania had the second highest rate at 7.3 per 100,000 people (30.9% increase from the previous year), 2.19 times lower than that of Northern Territory. Australian Capital Territory reported the lowest fatality rate, at 1.7 deaths per 100,000 people (12.8% increase from the previous year).

Fatality rate by state/territory - past 12 months
12 months ending AugustNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
20213.33.25.75.46.16.414.52.74.4
20223.43.75.44.55.68.219.53.14.4
20233.94.05.25.36.05.68.62.14.6
20243.84.35.25.36.25.626.21.54.8
20254.44.15.54.76.57.316.01.74.9
Latest per cent change14.8%-3.6%5.4%-11.0%5.4%30.9%-38.9%12.8%2.8%

 

Fatality rate by state/territory - calendar year
Calendar yearNSWVICQLDSAWATASNTACTTotal
20203.53.25.45.25.76.812.51.64.3
20213.43.55.35.56.06.214.12.44.4
20223.43.65.63.96.38.720.53.94.5
20234.14.35.06.35.55.612.00.84.7
20243.84.15.44.76.35.423.02.34.7
Latest per cent change-5.7%-5.9%7.8%-24.9%15.5%-3.3%91.1%170.8%1.2%

Deaths by demographics and circumstances

Road users

Road deaths are grouped by vehicle type and position to describe deaths by road user type. By this measure, deaths were most frequently drivers, with 624 in the 12-month period ending August 2025 (a 9.5% increase compared to the previous 12 months). Motorcyclists were the next most highly represented, with 260 deaths in the period (9.4% decrease).

Road user
12 months ending AugustDriverPassengerPedestrianMotorcyclistPedal cyclistTotal
2021559177130225321,129
2022552183139232351,150
2023555193169243441,208
2024570220164287361,297
2025624206206260341,353
Latest per cent change9.5%-6.4%25.6%-9.4%-5.6%4.3%

Motorcyclist and Pedal cyclist categories include pillion passengers

Totals may include unknown values

Age group

In the 12-month period ending August 2025, 30.6% of road deaths were aged 40 to 64 years (414 deaths). This was followed by 22.2% of deaths for those aged 26 to 39 years (300 deaths).

Comparing the change in deaths by age group for the most recent 12 months compared to previous:

  • The cohort with the greatest decrease in deaths was people aged 17 to 25 years, with 16 fewer deaths (6.6% decrease from 244 to 228 deaths).
  • The cohort with the greatest increase in deaths was people aged 75 years and over, with 36 more deaths (22.5% increase from 160 to 196 deaths).
Age group (years)
12 months ending August0 to 78 to 1617 to 2526 to 3940 to 6465 to 74≥ 75Total
20211942214272354981291,129
202222422272343531271401,150
20239502292863651171521,208
202422472442704041471601,297
202520422283004141501961,353
Latest per cent change-9.1%-10.6%-6.6%11.1%2.5%2.0%22.5%4.3%

Totals may include unknown values

Gender

In the past year, around 2.9 times more males than females were involved in fatal crashes. In the 12 months to August 2025, 1,005 males died in crashes, compared to 347 females. The road death count for males increased from 1,001 to 1,005 in the past 12 months (0.4% increase) compared to female road deaths, which increased from 294 to 347 deaths (18.0% increase).

Gender
12 months ending AugustMaleFemaleTotal
20218402891,129
20228702791,150
20238893181,208
20241,0012941,297
20251,0053471,353
Latest per cent change0.4%18.0%4.3%

Totals may include unknown values

Remoteness area

The majority of road deaths in the last 12 months (395 deaths, 29.2%) occurred in major cities areas. Very remote regions made up the smallest proportion of road deaths at 1.8%, reporting 25 deaths.

In recent years, remoteness area has not been routinely provided, resulting in a significant increase in Unknown remoteness area. We suggest caution interpreting findings from this chart, as total deaths in all other regions may be underreported.

Remoteness area
12 months ending AugustMajor citiesInner regionalOuter regionalRemoteVery remoteUnknownTotal
20213603542735370191,129
2022393380245685861,150
20234474172553940101,208
202440538426767461281,297
202539538625531252611,353
Latest per cent change-2.5%0.5%-4.5%-53.7%-45.7%103.9%4.3%

Totals may include unknown values

Fatal crashes

Road crashes are a leading cause of death and hospitalised injuries in Australia. It’s important to understand their underlying factors, especially crashes that result in at least one fatality.

Single and multiple vehicle crashes

Most fatal crashes involve a single vehicle, totalling 678 crashes in the past 12 months ending August 2025 (54.1% of all fatal crashes). There were 573 fatal crashes involving multiple vehicles (9.6% increase from previous year).

There has been a 4.6% increase for single-vehicle crashes, from 648 to 678 fatal crashes in the 12 months ending August 2025.

Crash type (number of vehicles involved in crash)
12 months ending AugustSingleMultipleTotal
20215864641,050
20226514211,072
20236214951,119
20246485231,174
20256785731,254
Latest per cent change4.6%9.6%6.8%

Totals may include unknown values

Speed limit

Of all fatal road crashes in the past 12 months, 27.5% (345) happened in 100 km/h zones (0.6% decrease from previous year). This was followed by 312 fatal crashes in 60 to 75 km/h zones (2.0% increase from previous year). Fatal crashes in 80 to 90 km/h zones had the greatest increase, with 11 more deaths (5.5% increase from 200 to 211 deaths).

Speed limit (km/h)
12 months ending August≤ 405060 to 7580 to 90100≥ 110Total
2021141242371673471481,050
2022211182741803481241,072
2023331362941913191411,119
2024321393062003471401,174
2025291483122113451391,254
Latest per cent change-9.4%6.5%2.0%5.5%-0.6%-0.7%6.8%

Totals may include unknown values

Explore the data

Explore the monthly deaths data in dashboard format. The dashboard allows further drilling down by categories such as age group, jurisdiction and road user. 

Definitions

Road death

A person who dies within 30 days as a result of injuries received in an unintended crash on a public road.

Fatal injuries are coded using the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) system. For more details, see ICD-10 Version 2010(Opens in a new tab/window)

Fatality rate

The fatality rate allows for easier like-for-like comparison between states and territories and other sub-groups as it is not affected by differences in the sizes of the populations. In particular, it refers to the count of road deaths in the last 12 months divided by the resident population at the midpoint of that period, multiplied by 100,000. Population estimates are sourced from ABS' national, state and territory population statistics. The midpoint population may be interpolated if necessary.

Fatal crash

A crash reported to police resulting from the movement of at least one road vehicle on a public road and involving at least one death that is not the result of a pre-meditated act.

Vulnerable Road User

Road users not in a car, bus or truck, generally including pedestrians, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists. Can also include children 7 years and under, the elderly and users of mobility devices.

About the data

We collect the data from each state and territory and collate them in the Australian Road Deaths Database.

The raw data are obtained from:

Download data

CKAN Data Catalogue:

Note: If CKAN is offline, refer to file downloads above.

Limitations

Road deaths from recent months are preliminary and are subject to revision.

Have a question or feedback?

Contact the Road Safety Data Hub team