Statistics 2016 – Animal use in research and teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Figures will be updated as they become available.

The latest available figures, from 2016, show that:

• In Victoria, 1,080,136 animals were used
• In New South Wales, 4,977,239 animals were used
• In Tasmania, 225,994 animals were used
• In Queensland, 4,519,470 animals were used
• In Western Australia, 933,242 animals were used.

Figures for 2016 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, an average of 122,628 animals were used
• 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 2016 to over 12 million. Approximately 75% of these animals were used for observational studies, however this can still involve some harm to the animals involved.

2016 Statistics by Species

2016 Statistics by Procedure Severity

Of those animals used in 2016 that were reported (by only four states):

• 22,689 (or 0.31%) were in the ‘Death as end point’ category

The aim of experiments in this category requires the animal(s) to die unassisted, i.e. not euthanased, as death is ‘a critical measure of the experimental treatment’. For example, toxicological experiments such as the LD50 test, in which animals are forced to ingest, inhale, be exposed to, or be injected with a particular substance up until the point where 50% of the animals die. The test is generally conducted without anesthesia or pain relief due to concern that they would alter test results.

• 115,663 (or 1.6%) were in the ‘Major physiological challenge’ category

Experiments in this category require the animal(s) to remain conscious for some or all of the procedure. There is interference with the animal’s physiological or psychological processes. The challenge causes a moderate or large degree of pain/distress, which is not quickly or effectively alleviated. Examples include causing major infection, or artificially inducing cancer, without pain alleviation; isolation or environmental deprivation for extended periods; and monoclonal antibody production in mice.

• 5,415,983 (or 75%) were in the ‘Observational studies involving minor interference’ category

2016 Statistics by Project Purpose