Statistics 2018 – Animal use in research and teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only.

The latest available figures, from 2018 show that:

• In Victoria,  2,310,553 animals were used
• In New South Wales, 2,253,943 animals were used
• In Tasmania, 255,015 animals were used
• In Western Australia, 740,458 animals were used.
• In Queensland, 4,545,288 animals were used (noting over 2 million poultry were used for agricultural research) and the reporting period is the 2018-19 financial year.

Figures for 2018 are not available for South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, or the Northern Territory. However, statistics available from previous years indicate that:

• In South Australia, an average of 315,822 animals were used
• In the Australian Capital Territory,  51,689 animals were used in the 2021/222 year 
• In the Northern Territory, an average of 160,792 animals were used

If figures for all states and territories are collated, this would bring the approximate total number of animals used in Australia in 2018 to 10,704,499.

Sources:

Victoria – Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Statistics of animal use in research and teaching, Victoria, Report Number 36, 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018.

New South Wales – NSW Animal Use Statistics Report 2018.

Tasmania – Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Animal Research Statistics Tasmania, Annual Report Number 23 (2018)

Queensland – DAF Animal Ethics Committees Annual Report Summary for the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019

Western Australia – Data used to collate figures provided by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA).

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