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ICU statistics

These statistics are provided by and with consent from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) who maintain detailed records of ICU locations and statistics through their registries.

All figures quoted are accurately sourced via ANZICS CORE Registry (Centre for outcome resource evaluation).

This total encompasses both public and private hospitals, and the data is primarily tracked through the ANZICS Adult Patient Database (APD), which covers over 90% of all ICU beds in these regions.) Data held within the Registry helps to contribute to the delivery of world class standards of care across the sector.

We are very grateful for the support of ANZICS.

For more information please visit the ANZICS Core Registries (LINK) https://www.anzics.org/core-reports/

Every year, over 200,000 children and adults are admitted to ICUs across Australia and New Zealand

Australian and New Zealand outcomes are amongst the best in the world

Patients are needing less less time to get better

Survival from serious illness (e.g. sepsis) is improving

Children with bronchiolitis spend less time on a breathing machine

Data published in October 2024 shows there were 226 ICU’s and 2,655 ICU beds across Australia and New Zealand in the fin year 2022/23 with nearly 200,000 adults and over 12,000 children accessing ICU.

226

ICUs throughout Australia & New Zealand

2,655

There are over 2,655 ICU beds across Australia and NZ.

199,418

Adults accessing ICU

12,090

Children needing ICU

CCR data for the 2022/23 financial year, APD and ANZPICR data for 01/07/2023-30/06/2024. Data as of 14/10/2024.

Australia

9.03 beds per 100,000 population

New Zealand

5.44 beds per 100,000 population

See full report here

Western Australia

ICU beds: 202
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 13
Paediatric ICUs: 1
Total ICUs: 14

Northern Territory

ICU beds: 24
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 2
Paediatric ICUs: 0
Total ICUs: 2

South Australia

ICU beds: 182
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 11
Paediatric ICUs: 1
Total ICUs: 12

Queensland

ICU beds: 428
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 37
Paediatric ICUs: 1
Total ICUs: 38

New South Wales

ICU beds: 893
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 64
Paediatric ICUs: 3
Total ICUs: 67

ACT

ICU beds: 44
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 5
Paediatric ICUs: 0
Total ICUs: 5

Victoria

ICU beds: 555
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 47
Paediatric ICUs: 2
Total ICUs: 49

Tasmania

ICU beds: 44
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 4
Paediatric ICUs: 0
Total ICUs: 4

New Zealand

ICU beds: 283
Adult/Mixed ICUs: 30
Paediatric ICUs: 1
Total ICUs: 31

Patient Characteristics and Source of admission to ICU

Patient Characteristics
Australia and NZ
Australia only
NZ only

Total Adult Admissions

209,000+

190,000+

19,000+

Total Paediatric Admissions

12,000

10,000

2,000

Median adult age in years

65

Median paediatric age in years

3.1

Male/Female admissions

57%/43%

Planned admission after elective surgery

38%

25%

Median length of stay in ICU (days)

1.8days

Readmissions during same hospital episode

4.30%

Total ICU units including adult, paediatric, & specialised units

226 units

195 units

31 units

Total ICU beds

2,655 (combined public/private hospitals)

2,372

(9 beds/100,000ppl)

283

(5 beds/100,000 ppl)
       
Source of Admission

Ward

16%

    

Operating Theatre/Recovery

52%

    

Emergency Department

26%

    

Other Hospital

6%

    

Diagnosis upon Admission Adult ICU's

Admission Diagnoses (Adult ICUs)
In Australia, coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) have overtaken orthopaedic surgery as the most common diagnosis for admission to ICU. In New Zealand, CABG has remained the most common admission diagnosis. However, sepsis, which was previously not in the top 5 admission diagnoses, is now second in New Zealand.

Australia
Number
Percentage

Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG)

9,485

5.5%

Orthopaedic surgery

9,254

5.3%

Other GI diseases

8,537

4.9%

Laminectomy/Spinal cord surgery

6,595

3.8%

GI neoplasm

6,358

3.7%
     
New Zealand
Number
Percentage

Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG)

1,107

7.3%

Sepsis, other than urinary

595

3.9%

Drug overdose

579

3.8%

Valvular heart surgery

561

3.7%

Cardiac arrest

531

3.5%

Public Vs Private Hospital ICU Departments

In both Australia and New Zealand, public hospitals play a dominant role in delivering critical care services, with the majority of ICU beds housed within these institutions. This reflects the reliance on public healthcare systems to meet the needs of the broader population, particularly in critical care.

Australia
  • Public Hospitals: The vast majority of ICU beds are located in public hospitals, primarily  large tertiary hospitals.  Public hospitals serve as the frontline providers of intensive care, managing a wide range of critically ill patients.
  • Private Hospitals: While private hospitals predominantly care for insured patients or those paying out-of-pocket, they also play a vital role during periods of high demand, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public hospitals experienced overflow. However, private ICUs generally have fewer beds and a more limited capacity compared to public hospitals.
New Zealand
  • Public Hospitals: Nearly all of New Zealand’s ICU capacity is concentrated in public hospitals, which handle the overwhelming majority of critically ill patients.
  • Private Hospitals: With only a limited number of ICU beds, private hospitals in New Zealand play a much smaller role in critical care. Most ICU services remain in the public domain, with private hospitals focusing on less acute patient needs.