Injury Matters is proud to release the 2026 Western Australian Falls Report.
This annual publication continues to highlight falls as the leading cause of injury fatalities, hospitalisations and ED attendances in WA. The latest data show ongoing increases in falls hospitalisations and ED attendances from 2023 to 2024, alongside rising fatalities from 2022 to 2023, further reinforcing falls as a significant and growing public health concern in WA.
As highlighted in the infographics below, falls continue to place a substantial burden on individuals, families, communities and the health system across WA.
The Report identifies several population groups that continued to experience a disproportionate burden of falls, including older adults, females, Aboriginal people and people living within the Kimberley, Pilbara, Wheatbelt and Midwest health regions. The high incidence of falls among older adults remains a significant concern, particularly in the context of WA’s ageing population and the increasing demand falls place on health services.
Given the growing impact of falls on the Western Australian community, investment in falls prevention is more important than ever. Within the Report, Injury Matters calls for the urgent need to:
- Increase investment in the implementation of evidence-based falls prevention initiatives across WA.
- Strengthen early identification, intervention and ongoing support for people at increased risk of falls.
- Enhance collaboration across the health, aged care, community and local government sectors to deliver more coordinated, equitable and sustainable approaches to falls prevention throughout WA.
Injury Matters encourages you to access the 2026 WA Falls Report to understand the incidence and impact of falls in WA, share it amongst your networks and work with us to reduce the burden of falls on the WA community.
Injury Matters developed the 2026 WA Falls Report with funding from the Department of Health WA.