Insightful First Aid Stats: Are You Prepared for Emergencies?

First aid training is a skill that can save lives. Those trained in first aid have a better understanding of what to do when someone is injured, collapses, stops breathing, and more. However, these fascinating first aid statistics reveal how the majority of people are unable to offer life-saving care before EMS teams arrive.  

These 18+ fascinating first-aid statistics will open your eyes to the truth about bystander care during emergencies and get you to consider signing up for first aid classes ASAP. 

Top Fascinating First Aid Statistics

Here are the top ten most notable first aid statistics to get started with:

  • Performing CPR increases the chances of survival after a cardiac arrest by 2 to 3x. 
  • 85% of adults don’t have the knowledge or confidence to perform first aid procedures on someone who’s collapsed and not breathing.
  • Only 16% of people have the knowledge and confidence to help someone in a life-threatening situation.
  • After calling 911, 1 in 10 people wait nearly 30 minutes for EMS personnel to arrive.
  • Only 56% of Americans have a first aid kit. 
  • You’re 40% less likely to receive bystander first aid care in majority-black neighborhoods than in mostly white and affluent neighborhoods.
  • The chances of someone with first aid knowledge helping in an emergency scenario is 1 in 20.
  • EMS teams in the US receive ~37 million 911 calls annually. 
  • 59% of deaths could have been prevented if first aid care had been provided before EMS arrived.
  • Men are 1.23x more likely to receive life-saving first aid care than women, with 45% of men getting CPR from bystanders compared to 39% of women.

Continue reading for all 18+ first aid statistics and trends.

Fascinating First Aid Statistics You Need to Know

From CPR to how to stop heavy bleeding, first aid is a life-saving skill that better ensures a patient’s survival once trained staff are able to get to the scene. 

These surprising and fascinating first-aid statistics below will reveal just how important fast action, confidence, and training are for saving lives. 

85% of adults don’t have the knowledge or confidence to perform first aid procedures on someone who’s collapsed and not breathing. (Red Cross)

Performing CPR increases the chances of survival after a cardiac arrest by 2 to 3x. (American Heart Association

The average wait time for medical services to arrive after calling 911 is approximately seven minutes. This figure rises to ~14 minutes in rural settings. (Howard K. Mell et al.)

A surprising first-aid statistic is the time it takes to receive care from EMS teams. Brain damage can occur in patients who lose oxygen for 5+ minutes, so bystanders performing CPR prior to an ambulance arriving is essential to help save a life. 

69% of 16 to 24-year-olds are willing to help a person who’s not breathing and is unresponsive. (Red Cross)

In the US alone, 436,000 deaths from cardiac arrests occur in one year. (Peter A. Meaney et al.)

Only 16% of people have the knowledge and confidence to help someone in a life-threatening situation. (Red Cross)

The majority of adults are unable to save a life during a first-aid emergency. (Red Cross)

In 2023, only 40.2% of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) received bystander CPR. (American Heart Association

One of the sad first aid statistics is that less than half of Americans get first aid care when it’s needed. 

In the UK, only 5% of adults are knowledgeable and capable of performing first aid to those who are bleeding heavily, unresponsive and breathing, or unresponsive and not breathing. (Red Cross)

After calling 911, 1 in 10 people wait nearly 30 minutes for EMS personnel to arrive. (Howard K. Mell et al.)

The chances of someone with first-aid knowledge helping in an emergency scenario is 1 in 20. (Red Cross)

Over 350,000 cardiac arrests happen every year outside of the hospital, with ~73% occurring in homes, ~16% in public, and ~10% in nursing homes. (American Heart Association

An estimated 10,000 cardiac arrests occur in the workplace per year in the US. (OSHA)

Half of Americans don’t know where to find an automated external defibrillator (AED) at their workplace. This figure rises to 66% in the hospitality industry. (American Heart Association

A surprising first-aid statistic is how few workers know where to access life-saving tools in their workplace, be it in an office, restaurant, or retail store. 

EMS teams in the US receive approximately 37 million 911 calls annually. (Howard K. Mell et al.)

Only 56% of Americans have a first aid kit. (CDC)

Men are 1.23x more likely to receive life-saving first aid care than women, with 45% of men getting CPR from bystanders compared to 39% of women. (University of Pennsylvania

Men are disproportionately given first-aid care than women.

Research suggests the reasons for this inequality include: different symptoms and presentations for women experiencing a heart attack, the fear of hurting a woman, the fear of harassment allegations, the perception that women have fewer heart problems than men, and discomfort touching a woman’s breasts while performing CPR. 

You’re 40% less likely to receive bystander first aid care in majority-black neighborhoods than in mostly white and affluent neighborhoods. (American Heart Association

A surprising first aid static is that where you have a cardiac arrest greatly affects the chances of bystander first aid care. 

Those in low-income areas are 33% less likely to receive first aid care. Meanwhile, if the neighborhood is predominantly African-American, your chances for care are 40% less likely than in higher-income, mostly white, neighborhoods. 

59% of deaths could have been prevented if first aid care had been provided before EMS arrived. (Red Cross

Wrap Up

Now that you’ve seen the stats, you understand how important first-aid education and training are for the greater good of everyone. 

These fascinating first-aid statistics show the need for more education, equality, confidence, and action in public settings and private residences. If any of these stats surprised you, consider getting more training in first-aid so you can act fast to save lives. 

By Anita Brown

Anita Brown is our go-to contributor to our emergency preparedness website. Anita brings a wealth of personal experience and professional expertise to the table, having weathered several awful natural disasters. Anita is currently working towards obtaining her Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification.