The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released new data on rates Australians getting sunburnt last spring and summer.
The ABS collected data from 8,600 Australians between November 2023 and February 2024.
It found that people in Tasmania reported the highest frequency of sunburn. 11.3% of Australians over the age of 15 reported getting sunburnt in the week before being surveyed.
Data on Australians getting sunburnt
- One in 14 Australians reported getting sunburnt in the week before being surveyed.
- Three in five people spent over 15 minutes outside in peak UV — 11am to 3pm, or 10am to 2pm for Qld, WA, and the NT.
- More men than women reported spending at least 15 minutes outdoors.
Findings on sunscreen usage
- Two in five people used a minimum SPF30 sunscreen.
- People born overseas were more likely to use sunscreen.
- 21.8% more women wore sunscreen than men.
- 36.2% of people born in Australia reported using sunscreen on most days from November 2023 to February 2024, compared to…
- 41.8% of people born overseas who said they use sunscreen on most days.
Melanoma
The ABS data coincides with research from the medical research institute QIMR Berghofer. It shows a declining rate in melanoma, with around 30% of young people now facing a “low to moderate risk of melanoma”.
Researcher David Whiteman said: “More than half of Australia’s population are either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas”.
This increase in diversity has lead to more people with “darker skin tones”, who are at less risk of melanoma.
Improvements
In 2006, it was estimated that over 85% of Australia’s population faced a high risk of melanoma. That number decreased to nearly 70% in 2021.
Whiteman said a change in lifestyle – with people spending more time indoors – “could be contributing to lower rates of melanoma.”
