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Antibiotic Resistance Australia

Australia's evidence-based, medically reviewed guide to antibiotic resistance.

Independent public-health resource
Content last reviewed 3 July 2026

Statistics

Antibiotic resistance in Australia: key statistics

The numbers that describe resistance and antibiotic use in Australia. Every figure carries its source and the date it was last updated, so it can be checked and cited.

Scope: These pages are refreshed periodically from published Australian surveillance. The figures below are illustrative examples formatted for launch; in the live site each is drawn directly from the cited report.

Resistance rates by pathogen

From national surveillance

Resistance is not evenly spread. It varies by the type of bacteria, by where an infection is acquired, and by the antibiotic being used.

Table 1. Estimated resistance in selected bacteria from bloodstream infections, Australia
Bacterium and antibioticResistant (%)Isolates testedTrend since 2019
E. coli: ceftriaxone14.218,640Rising
Staph. aureus: methicillin (MRSA)16.89,910Stable
K. pneumoniae: ceftriaxone9.46,205Rising
Enterococcus faecium: vancomycin (VRE)36.12,480Falling
N. gonorrhoeae: ciprofloxacin31.77,150Rising

Source: Illustrative figures modelled on AURA 2023, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).1Last updated: 3 July 2026.

Antibiotic prescribing and use

Community setting

Australia's antibiotic use is high by international standards, and a meaningful share of prescriptions are for conditions that do not benefit from them. Most antibiotics are prescribed in the community rather than in hospitals.

Table 2. Selected community antibiotic prescribing indicators, Australia
IndicatorEstimate
Adults dispensed at least one antibiotic per year~40%
Community prescriptions from general practice~88%
Prescriptions estimated unnecessary or sub-optimal~25%

Source: Illustrative figures modelled on ACSQHC community dispensing analyses.2Last updated: 3 July 2026.

Australian angles worth knowing

Two areas draw particular attention in Australia: resistance inaged care, where high antibiotic use meets a vulnerable population, and resistance in animals and agriculture, where Australia's conservative rules on farm antibiotics are an international point of difference. Both are covered in ourprevention andAustralia's response pillars.

Our original data

The differentiator

Alongside national surveillance, we publish our own Australian surveys and datasets. These live in the Research & Toolkits pillar, each independently citable with its own source and last-updated date.

References

  1. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. AURA 2023: Fourth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health. ACSQHC, Sydney, 2023.
  2. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Antimicrobial use in the community: PBS and RPBS dispensing data. ACSQHC, 2023.