Key takeaways
- Finder research shows 14% of Australians, about 1.2 million people, had plastic surgery in the past 12 months.
- Compare procedure costs before booking, with eyelid surgery estimated at $4,500 to $8,000 and facelifts up to $30,000.
- Check whether your surgery is medically necessary, since Medicare and private health usually exclude purely cosmetic procedures.
Statistics show plastic surgery is on the rise in Australia. With social media increasingly shaping our beauty ideals, it isn't hard to see why more and more Aussies want to change their appearance.
But this kind of beauty comes with a price tag. Finder analysis estimates Australians are spending an estimated $1.4 billion each year on cosmetic treatments from eyelash extensions and laser hair removal to Botox and plastic surgery.
How many Australians have had plastic surgery?
Finder's research found that 14% of Australians admit to having had some form of plastic surgery within the past 12 months – equivalent to 1.2 million people.
Australians spend a combined $1 billion each year on cosmetic treatments, according to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine. On a per-capita basis, that's 40% more than what Americans spend.
It's not just the operating table Aussies are lining up for. Other beauty treatments like teeth whitening (15%), laser hair removal (16%), eyelash extensions (17%) and Botox (17%) are attracting millions of customers each year.
Percentage of Australians who have undergone cosmetic treatments in the past 12 months
| Treatment | % that have done it |
|---|---|
| Nail appointments | 20 |
| Anti-ageing injections (e.g. Botox) | 17 |
| Eyelash extensions | 17 |
| Laser hair removal | 16 |
| Waxing | 16 |
| Eyebrow microblading or lamination | 15 |
| Fake tanning | 15 |
| Skin treatments/facials | 15 |
| Teeth whitening | 15 |
| Plastic surgery | 14 |
How much do cosmetic treatments cost?
According to SBS Insight, a single session of Botox can cost up to $700 and only lasts 3-4 months.
Skin treatments like photorejuvenation (IPL) can set you back up to $400. Eyebrow microblading – a form of tattooing – can come to an eye-watering $650 per session.
When it comes to surgical procedures, prices can reach tens of thousands of dollars according to Costhetics. A facelift can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $21,000, and rhinoplasty (a nose job) ranges between $8,000 and $20,000.
An eyelid surgery procedure – one of the most common cosmetic operations – can cost between $4,500 and $8,000.
Estimated cost of cosmetic treatments in Australia
| Treatment | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Teeth whitening (in chair) | 500 | 1500 |
| Eyebrow microblading | 400 | 650 |
| Botox | 250 | 300 |
| Teeth whitening (at home) | 250 | 450 |
| Photorejuvenation (IPL) | 140 | 300 |
| Laser hair removal (legs) | 100 | 200 |
| Eyelash extensions | 80 | 300 |
| Microdermabrasion | 80 | 300 |
| Eyebrow lamination | 75 | 150 |
| Manicure and pedicure | 60 | 80 |
| Waxing (legs) | 45 | 60 |
| Fake tanning (full body) | 40 | 50 |
Estimated cost of plastic surgery in Australia
| Treatment | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Breast reduction | 12000 | 14000 |
| Breast augmentation | 10000 | 15000 |
| Tummy tuck | 9000 | 29000 |
| Nose reshaping | 8000 | 20000 |
| Facelift | 8000 | 21000 |
| Eyelid surgery | 4500 | 8000 |
The most popular plastic surgery procedures in Australia
There were 102,404 cosmetic surgery procedures in 2018, plus an additional 100,238 non-surgical procedures.
The most popular procedures are breast augmentation (17,553), eyelid surgery (11,444) and liposuction (9,839).
The statistics don't include non-surgical procedures such as breast lifts (7,223) and breast implant removals (4,505).
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Australia (2018)
| Procedure | # |
|---|---|
| Breast augmentation | 17553 |
| Eyelid surgery | 11444 |
| Liposuction | 9839 |
| Abdominoplasty | 9539 |
| Breast reduction | 7592 |
| Breast lift | 7223 |
| Nose reshaping | 6864 |
| Fat grafting (face) | 5928 |
| Breast implant removal | 4505 |
| Facelift | 3301 |
| Lower body lift | 3076 |
| Ear surgery | 2659 |
| Male breast reduction | 2065 |
| Neck lift | 1905 |
| Upper arm lift | 1840 |
| Brow lift | 1546 |
| Buttock augmentation | 1396 |
| Thigh lift | 1370 |
| Facial bone contouring | 1247 |
| Labiaplasty | 1188 |
| Buttock lift | 326 |
Male plastic surgery is on the rise
In 2019, men accounted for 8% of total cosmetic procedures in the US and 10% of injectable treatments like Botox, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The most common surgical procedures for men are liposuction and gynecomastia (male breast reduction).
Although there is no equivalent data published in Australia, anecdotal reports from local plastic surgeons indicate the trend exists here too.
The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) has reported an increase in male cosmetic surgery procedures, including male breast reduction, liposuction and "Brotox".
Most common plastic surgery procedures for men in 2020 (US)
| Procedure | Procedures |
|---|---|
| Liposuction | 11588 |
| Male breast reduction | 8853 |
| Eyelid surgery | 7893 |
| Nose reshaping | 7475 |
| Tummy tuck | 3591 |
Interest in Botox is growing
Google Trends data shows interest in Botox has increased over time, based on relative search interest (rather than absolute search volume).
This is an increase of 57% when compared to just 4 years ago in 2018.
Lip blushing, lip filler and eyebrow lamination have also seen a strong increase in interest over the past few years.
Google interest in select cosmetic treatments (2017 - 2022)
| Week | Tummy tuck | Lip filler | Nose job | Laser hair removal | Profhilo* | Botox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29/12/2019 | 49 | 28 | 61 | 80 | 0 | 36 |
| 05/01/2020 | 57 | 36 | 71 | 73 | 0 | 51 |
| 12/01/2020 | 54 | 42 | 66 | 74 | 0 | 53 |
| 19/01/2020 | 47 | 38 | 64 | 72 | 0 | 53 |
| 26/01/2020 | 45 | 29 | 66 | 71 | 0 | 44 |
| 02/02/2020 | 47 | 42 | 64 | 64 | 0 | 47 |
| 09/02/2020 | 49 | 35 | 59 | 67 | 0 | 55 |
| 16/02/2020 | 36 | 36 | 57 | 71 | 0 | 52 |
| 23/02/2020 | 54 | 37 | 59 | 68 | 0 | 55 |
| 01/03/2020 | 53 | 37 | 71 | 59 | 0 | 51 |
| 08/03/2020 | 38 | 33 | 65 | 60 | 0 | 46 |
| 15/03/2020 | 36 | 35 | 53 | 46 | 0 | 33 |
| 22/03/2020 | 23 | 22 | 51 | 31 | 0 | 31 |
| 29/03/2020 | 23 | 19 | 70 | 41 | 0 | 29 |
| 05/04/2020 | 37 | 21 | 92 | 46 | 0 | 33 |
| 12/04/2020 | 36 | 20 | 82 | 50 | 0 | 35 |
| 19/04/2020 | 44 | 23 | 78 | 47 | 0 | 35 |
| 26/04/2020 | 35 | 23 | 79 | 49 | 0 | 35 |
| 03/05/2020 | 45 | 31 | 69 | 45 | 0 | 44 |
| 10/05/2020 | 39 | 40 | 85 | 51 | 0 | 48 |
| 17/05/2020 | 40 | 45 | 88 | 54 | 0 | 49 |
| 24/05/2020 | 46 | 50 | 86 | 65 | 0 | 64 |
| 31/05/2020 | 43 | 64 | 68 | 79 | 0 | 69 |
| 07/06/2020 | 47 | 63 | 82 | 86 | 0 | 72 |
| 14/06/2020 | 61 | 69 | 97 | 80 | 0 | 71 |
| 21/06/2020 | 51 | 72 | 91 | 74 | 0 | 74 |
| 28/06/2020 | 57 | 68 | 87 | 77 | 0 | 71 |
| 05/07/2020 | 59 | 66 | 85 | 71 | 0 | 72 |
| 12/07/2020 | 52 | 67 | 96 | 65 | 0 | 67 |
| 19/07/2020 | 58 | 68 | 92 | 62 | 0 | 65 |
| 26/07/2020 | 46 | 56 | 100 | 62 | 0 | 67 |
| 02/08/2020 | 44 | 52 | 87 | 61 | 0 | 62 |
| 09/08/2020 | 48 | 54 | 78 | 67 | 0 | 59 |
| 16/08/2020 | 50 | 48 | 78 | 68 | 0 | 57 |
| 23/08/2020 | 55 | 52 | 80 | 67 | 0 | 56 |
| 30/08/2020 | 54 | 40 | 71 | 71 | 0 | 52 |
| 06/09/2020 | 51 | 50 | 66 | 70 | 0 | 55 |
| 13/09/2020 | 53 | 53 | 76 | 77 | 0 | 61 |
| 20/09/2020 | 55 | 53 | 76 | 74 | 0 | 57 |
| 27/09/2020 | 63 | 51 | 78 | 76 | 0 | 62 |
| 4/10/2020 | 62 | 50 | 75 | 74 | 0 | 57 |
| 11/10/2020 | 60 | 55 | 77 | 74 | 0 | 59 |
| 18/10/2020 | 56 | 49 | 75 | 76 | 0 | 58 |
| 25/10/2020 | 48 | 58 | 72 | 84 | 0 | 66 |
| 1/11/2020 | 42 | 53 | 56 | 78 | 0 | 63 |
| 8/11/2020 | 50 | 44 | 54 | 89 | 0 | 65 |
| 15/11/2020 | 54 | 61 | 56 | 90 | 0 | 65 |
| 22/11/2020 | 43 | 60 | 56 | 100 | 0 | 61 |
| 29/11/2020 | 45 | 61 | 59 | 97 | 0 | 67 |
| 6/12/2020 | 55 | 68 | 74 | 81 | 0 | 78 |
| 13/12/2020 | 43 | 58 | 75 | 77 | 0 | 74 |
| 20/12/2020 | 45 | 39 | 62 | 73 | 0 | 51 |
| 27/12/2020 | 45 | 32 | 75 | 87 | 0 | 49 |
| 03/01/2021 | 62 | 45 | 79 | 84 | 0 | 56 |
| 10/01/2021 | 55 | 53 | 69 | 87 | 0 | 60 |
| 17/01/2021 | 58 | 50 | 65 | 89 | 0 | 66 |
| 24/01/2021 | 54 | 51 | 71 | 80 | 0 | 54 |
| 31/01/2021 | 44 | 64 | 59 | 74 | 0 | 64 |
| 07/02/2021 | 45 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 0 | 62 |
| 14/02/2021 | 51 | 52 | 60 | 73 | 0 | 58 |
| 21/02/2021 | 54 | 59 | 56 | 71 | 0 | 64 |
| 28/02/2021 | 49 | 51 | 57 | 69 | 0 | 63 |
| 07/03/2021 | 51 | 50 | 65 | 68 | 0 | 60 |
| 14/03/2021 | 48 | 50 | 49 | 74 | 0 | 58 |
| 21/03/2021 | 39 | 54 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 62 |
| 28/03/2021 | 56 | 59 | 61 | 62 | 0 | 68 |
| 04/04/2021 | 54 | 64 | 55 | 73 | 0 | 65 |
| 11/04/2021 | 45 | 47 | 72 | 63 | 0 | 67 |
| 18/04/2021 | 47 | 62 | 73 | 64 | 0 | 63 |
| 25/04/2021 | 43 | 49 | 73 | 66 | 0 | 65 |
| 02/05/2021 | 48 | 46 | 63 | 60 | 0 | 61 |
| 09/05/2021 | 48 | 47 | 64 | 58 | 0 | 66 |
| 16/05/2021 | 47 | 54 | 57 | 60 | 0 | 65 |
| 23/05/2021 | 57 | 58 | 80 | 57 | 0 | 66 |
| 30/05/2021 | 44 | 53 | 88 | 52 | 0 | 64 |
| 06/06/2021 | 41 | 46 | 62 | 61 | 0 | 58 |
| 13/06/2021 | 45 | 54 | 75 | 62 | 0 | 67 |
| 20/06/2021 | 48 | 53 | 82 | 65 | 0 | 62 |
| 27/06/2021 | 49 | 50 | 84 | 58 | 0 | 54 |
| 04/07/2021 | 46 | 55 | 81 | 63 | 0 | 60 |
| 11/07/2021 | 51 | 54 | 66 | 60 | 0 | 59 |
| 18/07/2021 | 47 | 48 | 70 | 53 | 0 | 55 |
| 25/07/2021 | 44 | 59 | 68 | 66 | 0 | 60 |
| 01/08/2021 | 54 | 59 | 76 | 66 | 0 | 54 |
| 08/08/2021 | 37 | 53 | 88 | 59 | 0 | 54 |
| 15/08/2021 | 43 | 48 | 65 | 59 | 0 | 55 |
| 22/08/2021 | 50 | 48 | 61 | 57 | 0 | 47 |
| 29/08/2021 | 43 | 34 | 79 | 56 | 0 | 53 |
| 05/09/2021 | 51 | 40 | 66 | 54 | 0 | 54 |
| 12/09/2021 | 51 | 48 | 82 | 63 | 0 | 57 |
| 19/09/2021 | 55 | 47 | 70 | 59 | 0 | 57 |
| 26/09/2021 | 41 | 49 | 82 | 65 | 0 | 58 |
| 3/10/2021 | 52 | 58 | 70 | 67 | 0 | 65 |
| 10/10/2021 | 47 | 65 | 77 | 72 | 0 | 66 |
| 17/10/2021 | 52 | 71 | 83 | 80 | 0 | 82 |
| 24/10/2021 | 50 | 78 | 60 | 84 | 0 | 88 |
| 31/10/2021 | 45 | 78 | 74 | 79 | 0 | 76 |
| 7/11/2021 | 59 | 89 | 68 | 68 | 0 | 79 |
| 14/11/2021 | 42 | 87 | 56 | 70 | 0 | 83 |
| 21/11/2021 | 39 | 77 | 69 | 79 | 0 | 81 |
| 28/11/2021 | 40 | 83 | 57 | 72 | 0 | 80 |
| 5/12/2021 | 45 | 89 | 62 | 72 | 0 | 83 |
| 12/12/2021 | 37 | 79 | 57 | 70 | 0 | 79 |
| 19/12/2021 | 33 | 60 | 54 | 72 | 0 | 53 |
| 26/12/2021 | 45 | 38 | 62 | 76 | 0 | 42 |
| 02/01/2022 | 40 | 48 | 75 | 80 | 0 | 48 |
| 09/01/2022 | 33 | 60 | 69 | 72 | 0 | 53 |
| 16/01/2022 | 39 | 60 | 66 | 72 | 0 | 57 |
| 23/01/2022 | 42 | 51 | 53 | 70 | 0 | 53 |
| 30/01/2022 | 44 | 68 | 63 | 70 | 0 | 64 |
| 06/02/2022 | 41 | 68 | 69 | 75 | 0 | 61 |
| 13/02/2022 | 40 | 73 | 55 | 69 | 0 | 68 |
| 20/02/2022 | 41 | 65 | 62 | 65 | 0 | 70 |
| 27/02/2022 | 37 | 68 | 51 | 59 | 0 | 68 |
| 06/03/2022 | 52 | 76 | 54 | 58 | 0 | 67 |
| 13/03/2022 | 38 | 62 | 92 | 72 | 0 | 66 |
| 20/03/2022 | 44 | 68 | 69 | 61 | 0 | 68 |
| 27/03/2022 | 49 | 62 | 66 | 63 | 0 | 61 |
| 03/04/2022 | 47 | 59 | 68 | 60 | 0 | 64 |
| 10/04/2022 | 43 | 57 | 70 | 55 | 0 | 62 |
| 17/04/2022 | 48 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 0 | 67 |
| 24/04/2022 | 43 | 52 | 67 | 61 | 0 | 69 |
| 01/05/2022 | 37 | 61 | 67 | 60 | 0 | 71 |
| 08/05/2022 | 45 | 68 | 70 | 55 | 0 | 68 |
| 15/05/2022 | 40 | 68 | 59 | 50 | 0 | 68 |
| 22/05/2022 | 42 | 63 | 69 | 57 | 0 | 70 |
| 29/05/2022 | 45 | 69 | 55 | 61 | 0 | 69 |
| 05/06/2022 | 48 | 61 | 64 | 53 | 0 | 67 |
| 12/06/2022 | 46 | 66 | 63 | 58 | 0 | 70 |
| 19/06/2022 | 39 | 60 | 54 | 59 | 0 | 70 |
| 26/06/2022 | 100 | 63 | 59 | 65 | 0 | 73 |
| 03/07/2022 | 67 | 78 | 65 | 66 | 0 | 71 |
| 10/07/2022 | 62 | 72 | 71 | 60 | 0 | 74 |
| 17/07/2022 | 61 | 89 | 66 | 61 | 0 | 71 |
| 24/07/2022 | 71 | 89 | 80 | 67 | 0 | 75 |
| 31/07/2022 | 57 | 77 | 71 | 60 | 0 | 81 |
| 07/08/2022 | 55 | 83 | 56 | 65 | 0 | 79 |
| 14/08/2022 | 54 | 87 | 65 | 62 | 0 | 80 |
| 21/08/2022 | 53 | 71 | 66 | 67 | 0 | 75 |
| 28/08/2022 | 57 | 74 | 55 | 71 | 0 | 79 |
| 04/09/2022 | 49 | 77 | 61 | 63 | 0 | 75 |
| 11/09/2022 | 56 | 78 | 62 | 66 | 0 | 72 |
| 18/09/2022 | 51 | 72 | 65 | 69 | 0 | 78 |
| 25/09/2022 | 52 | 75 | 57 | 67 | 0 | 76 |
| 2/10/2022 | 51 | 69 | 66 | 66 | 0 | 73 |
| 9/10/2022 | 50 | 74 | 73 | 70 | 0 | 71 |
| 16/10/2022 | 54 | 61 | 45 | 67 | 0 | 69 |
| 23/10/2022 | 58 | 74 | 52 | 68 | 0 | 71 |
| 30/10/2022 | 53 | 70 | 57 | 65 | 0 | 72 |
| 6/11/2022 | 48 | 72 | 57 | 74 | 0 | 68 |
| 13/11/2022 | 46 | 68 | 56 | 77 | 0 | 71 |
| 20/11/2022 | 45 | 65 | 51 | 78 | 0 | 69 |
| 27/11/2022 | 45 | 68 | 56 | 73 | 0 | 72 |
| 4/12/2022 | 59 | 75 | 55 | 68 | 0 | 77 |
| 11/12/2022 | 43 | 73 | 46 | 70 | 0 | 77 |
| 18/12/2022 | 38 | 67 | 52 | 72 | 0 | 67 |
| 25/12/2022 | 55 | 52 | 55 | 85 | 0 | 49 |
| 01/01/2023 | 48 | 56 | 58 | 82 | 0 | 53 |
| 08/01/2023 | 49 | 67 | 64 | 81 | 0 | 64 |
| 15/01/2023 | 52 | 61 | 55 | 76 | 0 | 68 |
| 22/01/2023 | 45 | 65 | 62 | 80 | 0 | 66 |
| 29/01/2023 | 47 | 71 | 63 | 70 | 0 | 65 |
| 05/02/2023 | 43 | 67 | 52 | 69 | 0 | 76 |
| 12/02/2023 | 36 | 65 | 53 | 68 | 0 | 67 |
| 19/02/2023 | 54 | 65 | 56 | 66 | 0 | 73 |
| 26/02/2023 | 55 | 79 | 55 | 59 | 0 | 73 |
| 05/03/2023 | 42 | 76 | 56 | 66 | 0 | 73 |
| 12/03/2023 | 45 | 58 | 66 | 63 | 0 | 68 |
| 19/03/2023 | 47 | 70 | 57 | 61 | 0 | 65 |
| 26/03/2023 | 43 | 60 | 46 | 59 | 0 | 70 |
| 02/04/2023 | 51 | 66 | 51 | 63 | 0 | 67 |
| 09/04/2023 | 42 | 75 | 63 | 61 | 0 | 73 |
| 16/04/2023 | 41 | 77 | 56 | 68 | 0 | 87 |
| 23/04/2023 | 46 | 82 | 63 | 61 | 0 | 73 |
| 30/04/2023 | 39 | 73 | 66 | 61 | 0 | 75 |
| 07/05/2023 | 46 | 68 | 53 | 66 | 0 | 78 |
| 14/05/2023 | 35 | 63 | 55 | 59 | 0 | 75 |
| 21/05/2023 | 41 | 73 | 57 | 60 | 0 | 75 |
| 28/05/2023 | 41 | 89 | 65 | 53 | 0 | 80 |
| 04/06/2023 | 53 | 77 | 50 | 61 | 0 | 80 |
| 11/06/2023 | 45 | 70 | 52 | 63 | 0 | 73 |
| 18/06/2023 | 44 | 63 | 66 | 65 | 0 | 80 |
| 25/06/2023 | 43 | 77 | 61 | 66 | 0 | 79 |
| 02/07/2023 | 48 | 71 | 49 | 67 | 0 | 88 |
| 09/07/2023 | 35 | 74 | 58 | 63 | 0 | 79 |
| 16/07/2023 | 51 | 71 | 57 | 58 | 0 | 82 |
| 23/07/2023 | 46 | 90 | 59 | 64 | 0 | 85 |
| 30/07/2023 | 43 | 69 | 53 | 64 | 0 | 80 |
| 06/08/2023 | 39 | 74 | 59 | 60 | 0 | 81 |
| 13/08/2023 | 37 | 71 | 51 | 62 | 100 | 78 |
| 20/08/2023 | 58 | 75 | 65 | 68 | 0 | 84 |
| 27/08/2023 | 49 | 73 | 48 | 67 | 0 | 74 |
| 03/09/2023 | 57 | 61 | 60 | 67 | 0 | 82 |
| 10/09/2023 | 53 | 76 | 52 | 73 | 0 | 79 |
| 17/09/2023 | 44 | 73 | 53 | 81 | 0 | 81 |
| 24/09/2023 | 51 | 72 | 57 | 78 | 0 | 73 |
| 1/10/2023 | 52 | 71 | 54 | 73 | 0 | 79 |
| 8/10/2023 | 50 | 72 | 64 | 65 | 0 | 78 |
| 15/10/2023 | 41 | 80 | 48 | 69 | 0 | 80 |
| 22/10/2023 | 49 | 74 | 56 | 65 | 0 | 78 |
| 29/10/2023 | 52 | 73 | 53 | 69 | 0 | 82 |
| 5/11/2023 | 44 | 70 | 57 | 67 | 0 | 78 |
| 12/11/2023 | 45 | 78 | 54 | 77 | 0 | 84 |
| 19/11/2023 | 41 | 77 | 60 | 95 | 0 | 78 |
| 26/11/2023 | 47 | 73 | 56 | 80 | 0 | 81 |
| 3/12/2023 | 38 | 67 | 45 | 76 | 0 | 84 |
| 10/12/2023 | 39 | 77 | 47 | 72 | 0 | 82 |
| 17/12/2023 | 36 | 67 | 53 | 69 | 0 | 78 |
| 24/12/2023 | 46 | 60 | 49 | 80 | 0 | 61 |
| 31/12/2023 | 53 | 57 | 60 | 82 | 0 | 60 |
| 07/01/2024 | 41 | 74 | 62 | 82 | 0 | 75 |
| 14/01/2024 | 59 | 81 | 62 | 76 | 0 | 70 |
| 21/01/2024 | 48 | 66 | 50 | 71 | 0 | 70 |
| 28/01/2024 | 45 | 67 | 60 | 68 | 0 | 75 |
| 04/02/2024 | 47 | 77 | 61 | 67 | 0 | 75 |
| 11/02/2024 | 39 | 58 | 63 | 66 | 0 | 71 |
| 18/02/2024 | 47 | 66 | 62 | 60 | 0 | 75 |
| 25/02/2024 | 42 | 60 | 53 | 62 | 0 | 70 |
| 03/03/2024 | 32 | 71 | 55 | 57 | 0 | 77 |
| 10/03/2024 | 45 | 74 | 46 | 61 | 0 | 71 |
| 17/03/2024 | 40 | 68 | 55 | 63 | 0 | 77 |
| 24/03/2024 | 42 | 62 | 47 | 54 | 0 | 73 |
| 31/03/2024 | 41 | 73 | 62 | 64 | 0 | 72 |
| 07/04/2024 | 35 | 75 | 63 | 59 | 0 | 79 |
| 14/04/2024 | 33 | 81 | 76 | 60 | 0 | 76 |
| 21/04/2024 | 45 | 84 | 49 | 60 | 0 | 77 |
| 28/04/2024 | 40 | 72 | 57 | 61 | 0 | 77 |
| 05/05/2024 | 39 | 74 | 53 | 55 | 0 | 78 |
| 12/05/2024 | 44 | 73 | 52 | 63 | 0 | 84 |
| 19/05/2024 | 36 | 82 | 59 | 57 | 0 | 83 |
| 26/05/2024 | 46 | 84 | 61 | 58 | 0 | 81 |
| 02/06/2024 | 39 | 79 | 58 | 53 | 0 | 78 |
| 09/06/2024 | 39 | 81 | 67 | 61 | 0 | 79 |
| 16/06/2024 | 40 | 88 | 52 | 58 | 0 | 82 |
| 23/06/2024 | 42 | 80 | 55 | 65 | 0 | 89 |
| 30/06/2024 | 45 | 87 | 60 | 64 | 0 | 88 |
| 07/07/2024 | 39 | 100 | 58 | 64 | 0 | 95 |
| 14/07/2024 | 44 | 94 | 58 | 63 | 0 | 90 |
| 21/07/2024 | 51 | 100 | 49 | 66 | 0 | 90 |
| 28/07/2024 | 45 | 89 | 60 | 63 | 0 | 87 |
| 04/08/2024 | 45 | 90 | 57 | 56 | 0 | 100 |
| 11/08/2024 | 41 | 95 | 56 | 62 | 0 | 84 |
| 18/08/2024 | 43 | 74 | 66 | 62 | 0 | 96 |
| 25/08/2024 | 42 | 85 | 54 | 63 | 0 | 82 |
| 01/09/2024 | 51 | 70 | 49 | 69 | 0 | 89 |
| 08/09/2024 | 43 | 83 | 71 | 60 | 0 | 84 |
| 15/09/2024 | 42 | 83 | 59 | 72 | 0 | 85 |
| 22/09/2024 | 44 | 81 | 56 | 62 | 0 | 85 |
| 29/09/2024 | 51 | 85 | 64 | 63 | 0 | 91 |
| 6/10/2024 | 48 | 72 | 66 | 70 | 0 | 84 |
| 13/10/2024 | 45 | 75 | 56 | 70 | 0 | 89 |
| 20/10/2024 | 51 | 76 | 58 | 70 | 0 | 81 |
| 27/10/2024 | 43 | 78 | 53 | 59 | 0 | 83 |
| 3/11/2024 | 46 | 80 | 39 | 69 | 0 | 81 |
| 10/11/2024 | 42 | 79 | 41 | 62 | 0 | 80 |
| 17/11/2024 | 41 | 88 | 47 | 77 | 0 | 79 |
| 24/11/2024 | 38 | 78 | 50 | 91 | 0 | 82 |
| 1/12/2024 | 33 | 73 | 43 | 78 | 0 | 89 |
| 8/12/2024 | 49 | 86 | 51 | 68 | 0 | 82 |
| 15/12/2024 | 38 | 83 | 48 | 72 | 0 | 90 |
| 22/12/2024 | 42 | 65 | 52 | 78 | 0 | 69 |
| 29/12/2024 | 46 | 64 | 52 | 77 | 0 | 63 |
Which countries have the most plastic surgery?
In 2018, there were 102,404 cosmetic surgery procedures in Australia, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS). When compared to the global giants, this is not much to look at. Countries like the US and Brazil are renowned for being plastic surgery meccas, with 2,229,368 and 2,361,010 surgical procedures respectively.
However, when you account for population, the story changes. Greece has a rate of 750 surgeries per 100,000 people – the highest of the countries included in the ISAPS dataset. This is followed by Argentina (630 per 100,000), Brazil (615 per 100,000) and Germany (508 per 100,000).
At 402 per 100,000, Australians are more likely to undergo plastic surgery than their Spanish, Russian or Japanese counterparts. In Australia, spending on cosmetic procedures is estimated at $1.4 billion, and Australians also have a higher procedure rate per capita than the US.
Number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed by country
| Country | Cosmetic surgery procedures |
|---|---|
| United States | 1485116 |
| Brazil | 1306962 |
| Russia | 478200 |
| Mexico | 456489 |
| Germany | 425855 |
| Turkey | 360542 |
| Argentina | 284320 |
| India | 255528 |
| Italy | 245400 |
| Japan | 222642 |
| Colombia | 208416 |
| Spain | 165906 |
| Thailand | 102407 |
| Australia | 102404 |
| Greece | 78131 |
When it comes to the number of plastic surgeons, the US leads the world with 7,000 qualified surgeons. Brazil (5,843) trails closely in second place. However, once we account for population, South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgeons (5 per 100,000), followed by Argentina (4.4 per 100,000).
Source: International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), 2020
Number of plastic surgeons by country
| Country | Surgeons |
|---|---|
| United States | 7000 |
| Brazil | 5843 |
| China | 3000 |
| Japan | 2707 |
| South Korea | 2581 |
| India | 2400 |
| Argentina | 2000 |
| Russia | 2000 |
| Mexico | 1749 |
| Germany | 1541 |
| Turkey | 1300 |
| Italy | 1200 |
| Colombia | 1200 |
| France | 1020 |
| Spain | 900 |
| Taiwan | 759 |
| Venezuela | 700 |
| United Kingdom | 619 |
| Netherlands | 605 |
| Egypt | 570 |
| Peru | 563 |
| Thailand | 465 |
| Canada | 460 |
| Australia | 424 |
| Greece | 350 |
| Ukraine | 350 |
| Romania | 342 |
| Iran | 310 |
| Belgium | 280 |
| Austria | 260 |
Does health insurance cover plastic surgery?
Neither Medicare nor private health insurance covers cosmetic procedures that aren't medically necessary. However, you can receive health insurance cover for plastic and reconstructive surgeries needed to restore health and bodily function.
This could include repairing nasal deformities that cause breathing problems, breast reconstruction following cancer removal, repairing scars or burns on the skin and repairing cleft palates among other surgeries.
Typically, this kind of cover is available under bronze-level hospital policies and above.
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Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.
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Sophie Wallis is a senior insights analyst with a passion for data storytelling. She spends her time turning complex data into digestible stories and uncovering new consumer trends. When she isn't working, you'll find her planning her next overseas holiday or bingeing on a big novel. Sophie has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Melbourne. See full bio
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when was this article published?
Hi Demi,
The research was conducted in 2022.
Hope this helps!