A national survey by the Cancer Council has found about 19 per cent or potentially 53,000 adult Canberrans were getting sunburned each weekend in the 2016/17 financial year.

The bush capital was the third-worst offender, following the Northern Territory's 25 per cent and Tasmania's 21 per cent.

Western Australia was Australia's most sun smart state, with only 15 per cent sunburned on the weekends in the 2016/17 summer.

Cancer Council ACT chief executive Sandra Turner warned Canberra's high altitudes and people being less sun smart on cloudy days could be behind the figures.

She said it meant a significant amount of Canberrans were getting sunburned and they needed to take care for their skin in the future.

"Our children are learning to be very sun smart, the adults aren't quite doing the same," Ms Turner said.

Nationally the survey found about 17 per cent of Australian adults were getting sunburned on the weekends, roughly 2.7 million of the population.

Australia-wide it appeared sunscreen use had improved over time, rising from 37 per cent to 42 per cent between the 2013/14 and 2016/17 financial years.

But it appeared there had been little improvement or even declining rates of people wearing a hat, wearing long sleeved clothing or even seeking the shade when protecting themselves from the sun.

"The data shows they're perhaps not covering up as much as they have in the past," Ms Turner said.

"Skin cancer is still something we need to be concerned about. Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70."

Ms Turner said parents were sun smart with their kids but seemed to be missing the message when it came to them.

"Children are taught from a young age to be protective of their skin because we know now the problems that can occur," she said.

Ms Turner reminded people concerned about missing out on their lack of vitamin D that a walk to the shops when they got their morning coffee was enough sun.