Australia may be a nation of sports lovers, but as we all know, taking part doesn't come without risks. In fact, research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that 56,000 Aussies are hospitalised each year due to sports injuries, according to the latest data.
So what sports are the most dangerous? We've put together a table below.
Which sports cause the most injuries in Australia?
The table shows the top 10 sports that cause the most serious injuries in Australia.
The number of cases represents how many people stayed at least one night in hospital for treatment. Each sport has been ranked according to the total number of cases. We've split the table to show the separate data for emergencies and elective treatment, to give a more accurate representation of the risks in each sport.
Rank | Sports | Emergency | Sports | Elective |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cycling | 7,036 | Australian Rules Football | 1,802 |
2 | Wheeled and motor sports | 3,241 | Soccer | 1,675 |
3 | Roller sports | 3,041 | Cycling | 1,472 |
4 | Australian Rules Football | 2,454 | Other & unspecified football | 1,245 |
5 | Rugby | 2,048 | Rugby | 1,242 |
6 | Soccer | 2,004 | Basketball | 1,032 |
7 | Equestrian activities | 1,996 | Roller sports | 1,030 |
8 | Recreational Walking | 1,931 | Netball | 763 |
9 | Basketball | 1,322 | Wheeled motor sports | 541 |
10 | Other & unspecified football | 1,074 | Combat sports | 458 |
*Figures represent patients who have stayed at least 1 night in hospital following a sports injury across 2021-22.
Which types of sport are the most dangerous?
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