The real scale of workers compensation in NSW and Australia
125,474 NSW workers supported last year. Nearly 146,700 serious claims nationally.
We've pulled together the latest verified figures from SIRA, icare and Safe Work Australia — current to 2023–24 — so injured workers, their families and the professionals who support them can see the system clearly. Every number on this page links back to its source.
One year, one state, a system this big
NSW alone supported over 125,000 workers last year, with $5 billion in benefits paid. Nationally, around 400 new serious claims are lodged every single day.
NSW workers supported with income and medical payments
One-year snapshot of NSW workers receiving statutory payments under the NSW workers compensation scheme.
Source:SIRA· 2023–24
NSW benefits paid
Total statutory benefits paid to injured NSW workers — treatment, weekly payments, and lump sums.
Source:icare· 2023–24
Workers supported by icare
Workers receiving active case management through icare during the financial year.
Source:icare· 2023–24
Serious claims nationally
Claims involving a week or more off work, across Australia.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023–24
New serious claims every day, nationally
Derived from 146,700 ÷ 365 — a useful frame for the everyday scale of the system.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023–24
A serious claim is one involving a week or more off work. NSW figures come from SIRA and icare; national figures from Safe Work Australia.
What actually hurts workers
More than half of serious claims come from just two causes — bodies pushed too hard and floors that weren't safe. Mental health is now the third largest, and the fastest growing.
| Injury cause | Claims accepted | Share of serious claims |
|---|---|---|
| Body stressing | 50,326 | 34.3% |
| Falls, slips and trips | 32,000 | 21.8% |
| Mental health | 17,600 | 12% |
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023–24· CC BY 4.0
Body stressing
If you're dealing with a sprain, strain, or musculoskeletal injury, our WorkCover physios handle it from day one.
Meet our physios →Falls, slips and trips
Fractures, head injuries and soft-tissue damage need fast, coordinated assessment.
See our WorkCover doctors →Mental health
Psychological injury is now one in every eight serious claims, and treatment is covered.
Speak to our psychologists →Mental health claims are up 161% — and they're harder to recover from
Over ten years, mental health has gone from the edge of the workers compensation system to the centre of it. Recovery takes longer. Compensation is higher. And for many workers, the first conversation they have is the hardest.
Serious mental-health claims accepted per year, Australia
| Financial Year | Serious Mental Health Claims |
|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 6,700 |
| 2018–19 | 10,400 |
| 2020–21 | 12,155 |
| 2021–22 | 11,700 |
| 2022–23 | 14,600 |
| 2023–24 | 17,600 |
Safe Work Australia publishes exact annual counts for the years shown. 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2019–20 are reported as percentages only and are not shown here.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2013–14 → 2023–24· CC BY 4.0
Time off work
All-injury median
Typical serious claim
Mental health median
Psychological injury claim
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2022–23
Median compensation paid
All-injury median
Mental health median
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2022–23
Who lodges mental health claims
Share of each gender's serious claims that are mental health related. Women lodge mental health claims at roughly 2.1× more likelythe rate of men, as a share of each group's total serious claims.
| Group | Share of group's serious claims | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Women — share of women's serious claims | 17.2% | 17.2% |
| Men — share of men's serious claims | 8.2% | 8.2% |
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023–24· CC BY 4.0
Six industries. Three-quarters of workplace deaths.
Construction, transport, agriculture, manufacturing, public administration and health and social care account for about 76% of Australian workplace fatalities. Some carry risks most workers never have to think about.
Share of workplace fatalities by industry
| Industry | Share of fatalities |
|---|---|
| Construction | 20% |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 29% |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 23% |
| Manufacturing | 14% |
| Public administration & safety | 8% |
| Health care & social assistance | 6% |
Share of workplace fatalities, combined total ~76%. Figures are approximate and sourced from Safe Work Australia's published industry breakdowns.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023· CC BY 4.0
+46.9%
Claim frequency above the national average
The highest-risk broad industry by claim frequency rate — roughly 10 claims per million hours worked against a national average of 6.8.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2023–24
+71%
Year-on-year rise, 2022 → 2023
One of the sharpest single-year movements in the national fatalities data. Falls from height remain a defining risk across construction, agriculture and transport.
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2022 → 2023
If your claim has been disputed, or you're worried about retaliation for raising a safety issue, our compensation lawyer service is free and confidential. Speak to our lawyers →
Getting back to work is the point — but not everyone gets there easily
A coordinated rehabilitation plan matters more than any single stat. When care, case management and return-to-work support are in sync, weeks off work fall dramatically.
Median weeks off work
Typical recovery
All-injury median
Psychological injury
Mental health median
Source:Safe Work Australia· 2022–23
Our workplace rehabilitation providers bridge the gap between treatment and return to work. See how we help →
Three things these numbers should tell you
The data is confronting. But it also makes clear that the right care, early, matters more than almost anything else about a WorkCover claim.
You are not alone
Over 125,474 NSW workers received support last year. The system is used — a lot. Finding your way into it early is the single biggest factor in recovery.
Start hereMental injury is a real injury
One in eight serious claims is now psychological. Treatment is covered under WorkCover, and delay costs — the longer you wait, the longer recovery takes.
Get adviceCoordinated care changes the numbers
When doctors, physios and psychologists work from one plan, return-to-work happens sooner. Our clinic runs exactly that way — everything under one roof.
Book an appointmentQuestions about where these numbers come from
This page was last reviewed on 10 April 2026. CC BY 4.0 for Safe Work Australia data. Crown copyright — NSW Government for SIRA and icare data.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are drawn from the Australian and NSW Government agencies that publish workers compensation data. Direct links to each source below.
SIRA
State Insurance Regulatory Authority (NSW)
Crown copyright — NSW Government
Visit source →icare
icare NSW
Crown copyright — NSW Government
Visit source →Safe Work Australia
Safe Work Australia
CC BY 4.0
Visit source →Page last reviewed 10 April 2026. Figures are updated annually as new data is released. If you spot an error, email us and we'll fix it.
Authored and designed by Sam Eddeen.
Behind every number is a worker who needed help
Whether you're just injured, mid-claim, or trying to return to work — our clinic has the doctors, physios, psychologists, rehab providers and lawyers to walk with you.
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