5 trade and tourism industries in australia

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Travel and tourism industry in Australia - statistics & facts

Inbound tourism: the road to recovery, outbound tourism: top destinations and interests, domestic tourism: exploring their own backyard, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2023, by destination

Direct tourism GDP growth rate Australia FY 2006-2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of visitors at Sydney Airport Australia Feb 2019-Dec 2023, by passenger type

Breakdown of hotels Sydney Australia 2023, by category

Number of domestic visitors Sydney, Australia 2014-2023, by type of trip

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia 2013-2028
• Basic Statistic Direct tourism GDP Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Direct tourism GDP growth rate Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by industry
• Premium Statistic Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by state
• Premium Statistic Number of tourism businesses Australia 2023, by type
• Premium Statistic Tourism sector employment Australia FY 2023, by state and type

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia 2013-2028

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Australia from 2013 to 2028

Direct tourism GDP Australia FY 2006-2023

Direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Growth of direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023

Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by industry

Gross value added (GVA) of tourism in Australia in financial year 2023, by tourism related industry (in billion Australian dollars)

Tourism contribution Australia FY 2023, by state

Gross value added (GVA) of tourism in Australia in financial year 2023, by state (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of tourism businesses Australia 2023, by type

Number of businesses in the tourism sector in Australia as of June 2023, by type (in 1,000s)

Tourism sector employment Australia FY 2023, by state and type

Number of employees in the tourism sector in Australia in financial year 2023, by state and type (in 1,000s)

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by country of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by age group
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2010-2023

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by country of residence (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by age group

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by age group (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by state visited

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by state visited (in 1,000s)

Number of international visitors to Australia FY 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of international visitor arrivals to Australia in financial year 2023, by purpose of visit (in 1,000s)

International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2010-2023

Total trip expenditure of international visitors in Australia from financial year 2010 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

International visitor trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by country of residence

Trip expenditure of international visitors to Australia in financial year 2023, by country of residence (in million Australian dollars)

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2006-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia 2017-2024, by state of residence
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2023, by destination
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourist trip expenditure FY 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by destination
• Premium Statistic Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers Australia 2022
• Premium Statistic Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers Australia 2022

Number of outbound tourists from Australia FY 2006-2023

Number of overseas departures of Australian residents from Australia from financial year 2006 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of outbound tourists from Australia 2017-2024, by state of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia from January 2017 to January 2024, by state of residence

Number of outbound tourists from Australia in financial year 2023, by destination (in thousands)

Outbound tourist trip expenditure FY 2019-2023

Trip expenditure of Australian outbound travelers from financial year 2019 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Outbound tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2023, by destination

Trip expenditure of Australian outbound travelers in financial year 2023, by destination (in million Australian dollars)

Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers Australia 2022

Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers from Australia in 2022

Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers Australia 2022

Leading sport tourism experience interests among outbound travelers from Australia in 2022

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia 2023, by state or territory
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by state visited
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2014-2023

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by state visited

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in millions)

Number of domestic overnight visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in millions)

Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia FY 2014-2023

Trip expenditure of domestic overnight visitors in Australia from financial year 2014 to 2023 (in billion Australian dollars)

Domestic overnight tourist trip expenditure Australia 2023, by state or territory

Trip expenditure of domestic overnight visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in billion Australian dollars)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by state visited

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia in 2023, by state visited (in millions)

Number of domestic day visitors Australia 2023, by purpose of visit

Number of domestic day visitors in Australia in 2023, by purpose of visit (in millions)

Further reports

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Bulletin – December 2022 Australian Economy The Recovery in the Australian Tourism Industry

8 December 2022

Angelina Bruno, Kathryn Davis and Andrew Staib [*]

• Download 940 KB

The Australian tourism industry is gradually recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic that brought global travel to an unprecedented standstill. International tourism fell sharply in early 2020 and has only slowly recovered since restrictions were lifted in the first half of this year. By contrast, domestic tourism spending bounced back quickly as local restrictions eased and is now above pre-pandemic levels. This article outlines the recovery in the Australian tourism industry following the pandemic, the challenges the industry has faced in reopening, and the uncertainties around the outlook for the tourism industry over the next few years.

Introduction

Restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and precautionary behaviour by consumers significantly disrupted the movement of people both domestically and internationally during the pandemic period. This had a devastating impact on many Australian businesses that provided services to domestic or international tourists. Nevertheless, many of these businesses have shown considerable resilience and flexibility, aided by a range of government support packages, and are now expanding to service the recovery.

This article presents a snapshot of the tourism industry through the pandemic, before focusing on the recovery over the past year. While international tourism is recovering only slowly, domestic tourism spending has rebounded strongly – to above pre-pandemic levels – as many Australians have chosen to take domestic rather than overseas holidays. The article draws on information from the Bank’s regional and industry liaison program to discuss the challenges the tourism industry has faced in meeting this sudden increase in demand, and the outlook for tourism activity over the next few years. Many tourism businesses have found it difficult to quickly scale up to meet demand, and these supply constraints have limited tourism activity and led to higher prices. Looking ahead, a continued recovery in tourism activity is expected as supply-side issues are gradually resolved and international tourism picks up further. However, there are a number of uncertainties around the timing and extent of this recovery.

International tourism

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp drop in international tourism, as governments around the world implemented travel and border restrictions (Graph 1). In April 2020, international tourism arrivals declined globally by around 90 per cent and Australia’s international tourist arrivals effectively came to a standstill for several months.

The timing and extent of the recovery in international tourism has been uneven across the world, as national governments removed restrictions at a different pace. Globally, international tourism arrivals picked up to be around three-quarters of their pre-pandemic levels by September 2022. In Australia, international tourist arrivals rose slightly in mid-2021 under the temporary operation of the Australia–New Zealand travel bubble, and also in November 2021 as border restrictions eased in some parts of the country. However, it wasn’t until February 2022 – when Australia removed border restrictions for vaccinated persons – that arrivals began to substantially pick up. Since July 2022, people have been able to travel to and from Australia without being required to declare their vaccination status.

Short-term overseas arrivals to Australia (which include tourists but also those visiting for less than 12 months for business, education and employment purposes) picked up to be around half of pre-pandemic levels by September 2022 (Graph 2). However, short-term departures of Australian residents have picked up more quickly than short-term arrivals of overseas visitors, and so the net outflow of travellers has been larger than pre-pandemic levels in recent months.

Reasons for travel

The recovery in short-term travel to and from Australia has been particularly pronounced among those visiting friends and relatives (VFR) (Graph 3). VFR accounted for just over half of all international visitors’ spending over the year to June 2022, whereas it accounted for just under one-fifth in 2019 (Table 1). Short-term travel for business and education purposes has also picked up. However, the recovery in outbound business travel (including conventions and conferences) has outpaced inbound business travel, with relatively few major business events held in Australia in 2022. Short-term travel for employment reasons has almost fully recovered to its 2019 levels. By contrast, the number of visitors arriving in Australia for holidays has picked up only slightly, to be around one-third of its pre-pandemic level (holiday visitors accounted for only 10 per cent of international visitor spending over the year to June 2022, compared to nearly 40 per cent in 2019).

Working holiday makers and international students who are in Australia for more than a year are not included in the short-term arrivals data, but they make a significant contribution to tourism spending. According to Hall and Godfrey (2019), visitors who state the main purpose of their trip as education stay longer and spend more than leisure and business tourists. International students and individuals on working holiday visas have a high propensity to travel within Australia, and often their friends and relatives come to visit. The number of international students and working holiday visa holders in Australia has risen to be around two-thirds and one-half of their pre-pandemic levels in the September quarter of 2022, respectively.

The recovery in international visitors to Australia has been uneven across source countries, reflecting both travel restrictions and the quicker recovery in VFR relative to other types of travel (Graph 4). The recovery in the number of visitors from India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom has been faster than for other countries, possibly due to the close relationships residents from those countries have with Australian residents (in the 2021 Census, England and India were the top two countries of birth for Australian residents, other than Australia). While there has been a notable pick-up in people from India visiting friends and relatives, there has also been a pronounced recovery in the number of Indian students coming to Australia. By contrast, the number of Chinese visitors remains more than 90 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, due to ongoing travel restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 in China. This is significant for the Australian tourism sector as, prior to the pandemic, Chinese visitors were the largest source of tourist spending and contributed around 20 per cent of total leisure travel exports in 2019 (or nearly 30 per cent if education-related travel is included).

Domestic tourism

Domestic tourism activity was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the introduction of strict restrictions on household mobility (‘lockdowns’) across the country in March 2020 (Graph 5). At the same time, a number of states and territories implemented interstate border restrictions and quarantine arrangements. As a result, domestic tourist visitor numbers declined sharply. By April 2020, domestic tourist numbers were less than 20 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

The first lockdown ended for most parts of the country by the end of May 2020, although some restrictions on household activity and state border closures remained in place for an extended period of time. Melbourne re-entered lockdown for much of the second half of 2020. By the end of that year, however, a number of states and territories had eased restrictions and reopened domestic borders, allowing domestic visitor numbers to recover to around 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels over the 2020/21  summer and the 2021 Easter holidays (Graph 6).

A third major disruption emerged in mid-2021, as a sharp rise in the number of Delta-variant cases led to the reintroduction of lockdowns in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT. Around half of the Australian population were under significant restrictions for most of the September quarter of 2021 and domestic visitor numbers declined to around 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Domestic tourism numbers rebounded again during the 2021/22  summer holidays as health restrictions eased once more, but not to the levels of the previous year; the Omicron outbreak in early 2022 tempered activity somewhat. As concerns about Omicron abated, domestic visitor numbers again recovered, and have been around 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels since Easter 2022.

While domestic visitor numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, total domestic tourism spending and the average spend per visitor have been above pre-pandemic levels since March 2022. Some liaison contacts report that domestic travellers are staying longer than they did before the pandemic and spending patterns have become more like those on overseas holidays, with domestic tourists spending more on tours and experiences to explore Australia. This higher spending also reflects an increase in domestic travel prices (see below).

The recovery in domestic tourism spending in 2022, to around or above pre-pandemic levels, is evident in all states and territories (Graph 7). Naturally, states that experienced longer and stricter COVID-19 restrictions had much more significant declines in tourism activity over 2020 and 2021. Western Australia experienced the least disruption to the tourism industry, partly due to having fewer restrictions on movement, but also because the closed state border meant that more Western Australians were holidaying in their own state. In recent months, the Northern Territory and Queensland have been the recipients of domestic tourism spending well above 2019 levels, perhaps because these travel destinations are regarded as closer substitutes for overseas holidays.

Travel to regional areas recovered more quickly and fully than travel to capital cities (Graph 8). Regional areas were less affected by lockdowns and liaison suggests that travellers preferred to avoid more densely populated areas. There was also a shift towards driving holidays, which has greatly benefited regions within two to three hours’ drive from capital cities.

Challenges in reopening the Australian tourism industry

While pandemic-related declines in domestic and international tourism weighed heavily on the Australian tourism industry, many businesses have proved resilient and have experienced a strong rebound in demand from domestic tourists in recent months. Nevertheless, many businesses have found it difficult to scale up to meet this demand, and supply constraints have acted to limit tourism activity and led to higher prices.

In 2022, the biggest constraint on the recovery in tourism activity has been difficulty finding sufficient labour to service tourism demand. The tourism industry lost a large number of experienced staff during the pandemic – and so when domestic tourism recovered, the sector had to rapidly hire workers in a tight labour market. Online advertisements for tourism jobs rose to record highs by mid-2022 (Graph 9). These jobs have been difficult to fill. Liaison contacts have suggested that many of the Australians who had worked in the tourism industry prior to the pandemic have since found jobs in other industries. Moreover, many tourism-related jobs had previously been filled by international students and, particularly in regional locations, working holiday makers – many of whom left Australia during the pandemic and have been slow to return. On top of the difficulties in attracting and retaining staff, illness-related absenteeism has been elevated more broadly through 2022.

Tourism businesses in many regional areas have had additional difficulties attracting staff, partly due to a shortage of housing. An increase in net migration to these areas has contributed to very low rental vacancy rates in many popular tourist areas. In response, some holiday accommodation providers have resorted to housing their own staff.

There have also been some changes in consumer behaviour resulting from the pandemic that have made it harder for tourism businesses to plan and have sufficient staff available to meet demand. Trends such as increased working from home and a reduction in business-related day trips have created a larger gap between peak and off-peak periods for many tourism businesses. There are also sharper peaks and troughs in demand because there are fewer international tourists, who often travel at different times to domestic travellers (e.g. filling accommodation mid-week and outside school holidays). Booking lead times substantially shortened during the pandemic, though there is some evidence that perhaps these are lengthening out again. Nevertheless, booking lead times have always been shorter for domestic travel than international travel, so the change in the composition of travellers has made it more difficult for tourism businesses to plan ahead.

While labour has been a constraint across most of the tourism industry, a lack of capital equipment has been an additional constraint for some businesses. Many tourism-related businesses sold off or retired vehicles, boats, aircraft and other equipment during the pandemic when they could not operate and were in need of cash (Grozinger and Parsons 2020). The sudden and stronger-than-anticipated recovery in domestic tourism in 2022, combined with supply chain issues delaying the manufacture and delivery of new equipment and vehicles, has meant that many businesses did not have the capital equipment they need to service the increase in demand.

These supply-side constraints (in both labour and capital) have limited the tourism industry’s ability to ramp up to meet demand. Liaison suggests many tourism operators are operating below their previous capacity – for example, many have had to limit their operating hours because of lack of staff, and some accommodation providers have not been able to offer all their rooms for booking as they do not have enough staff to service them. Labour shortages and supply chain delays have also weighed on aviation capacity and contributed to a decline in domestic airlines ‘on-time performance’ over 2022 (Graph 10).

Similar constraints are also weighing on the recovery in international tourism. Contacts suggest that the recovery has been held back by limited flight availability, the higher cost of travel insurance and, in many cases, the higher cost of flights. Liaison contacts have indicated that delays in visa issuance in 2022 have also been a barrier for those seeking to travel to Australia. Over the past few months, however, visa processing times have shortened somewhat, and visa processing for applicants located overseas – including applicants for visitor, student and temporary skilled visas – have been given higher priority to allow more people to travel to Australia (Department of Home Affairs 2022).

The supply-side constraints in the tourism industry, combined with a strong pick-up in domestic demand and the higher cost of inputs such as fuel, have led to a sharp increase in domestic travel prices (Graph 11). Liaison contacts suggest that consumers have been relatively accepting of price rises for services essential to travel, such as accommodation. However, smaller operators – particularly in highly discretionary services, such as tours – have had less scope to increase their prices, and their margins have been squeezed by the higher costs of inputs such as food, fuel, energy and insurance costs. Prices for overseas travel have also increased significantly in recent quarters, as demand for flights has outstripped capacity, alongside rising jet fuel costs and increases in prices for international tours (ABS 2022).

The outlook

Looking ahead, tourism activity is expected to continue to recover as supply-side issues are slowly resolved and international tourism picks up further. Most liaison contacts suggest a full recovery will not occur until at least mid-2023; many expect it to take a few more years. There are a number of factors that will affect the timing and extent of the ongoing recovery in tourism, including:

• The easing of supply-side constraints : It is unclear how long it may take for some of the supply-side constraints in the industry to ease, including whether planned changes in flight availability will be sufficient to meet changes in demand, and whether the sector will be able to fill more job vacancies over time and as migration returns.
• The return of international students and working holiday visas : Many people have recently had working holiday visas approved and are expected to arrive over the coming year. Liaison contacts also expect international student numbers to increase over the next few years. The return of working holiday and student visa holders will increase demand for tourism services, and will likely alleviate labour shortages as they take jobs in the sector.
• Australians’ preferences for domestic and international travel : Demand for Australia’s tourism services may decline if Australians’ preference for overseas rather than domestic holidays picks up before international inbound tourism demand increases further. It is possible that cost-of-living pressures, combined with the higher cost of international travel, could lead Australian households to continue to prefer domestic holidays for a time. Nevertheless, many households have significant savings and pent-up demand for international travel after planned trips have been deferred over the past few years.
• The global economic outlook : Global economic conditions and the exchange rate affect decisions about whether to travel the long distance to Australia (as they have in the past) (Dobson and Hooper 2015). Financial concerns and the rising cost of living could make expensive, long-haul travel less attractive.
• The timing and extent of recovery in Chinese tourism : As noted above, China accounted for a large share of tourism spending prior to the pandemic. The outlook for Chinese tourism (and international students from China) remains highly uncertain and will depend on a number of factors, including China’s policies to restrict the spread of COVID-19 , the outlook for the Chinese economy and the travel preferences of Chinese tourists more generally.

Restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and precautionary behaviour significantly disrupted the movement of people both domestically and internationally throughout the pandemic. Since restrictions have eased, international travel has been slow to recover, but domestic tourism spending has rebounded to be above pre-pandemic levels and many tourism service providers are currently operating at capacity. Looking ahead, tourism activity is expected to continue to recover, as supply-side issues are slowly resolved and international tourism picks up further. Australia remains an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists, and the resilience and flexibility demonstrated by Australian tourism businesses in recent years bode well for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

The authors are from the Regional and Industry Analysis section of Economic Analysis Department. The authors are grateful for the assistance provided by others in the department, in particular Aaron Walker and James Holloway. [*]

ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2022), ‘Main Contributors to Change’, Consumer Price Index , June.

Department of Home Affairs (2022), ‘Visa processing times’, viewed 14 November 2022. Available at <https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times>.

Dobson C and Hooper K (2015), ‘ Insights from the Australian Tourism Industry ’, RBA Bulletin , March, pp 21–31.

Grozinger P and Parsons S (2020), ‘ The COVID-19 Outbreak and Australia’s Education and Tourism Exports ’, RBA Bulletin , December.

Hall R and Godfrey A (2019), ‘Edu-tourism and the Impact of International Students’, International Education Association of Australia, 3 May.

Tourism industry

Learn how we support the Australian tourism industry and boost the visitor economy.

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Austrade leads work to support the sustainable growth and prosperity of Australia’s visitor economy. 

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We manage the national long-term strategy for the visitor economy, THRIVE 2030 .

THRIVE 2030 is an industry-led, government-enabled strategy. It provides an action plan to rebuild and grow the sector.

The visitor economy was Australia’s fourth-largest export sector before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the sector:

• was worth $166 billion
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COVID-19 compounded pre-existing challenges facing the visitor economy.  THRIVE 2030  seeks to address these challenges and set out a long-term vision.

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Read about the latest  Tourism Ministers' Meeting, 20 May 2024 .

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Trade and investment at a glance 2020, download pdf version.

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Ministerial foreword

Welcome to Trade and Investment at a Glance, a concise summary of Australia’s engagement with the global economy over 2018-19. Although 2020 is now the most difficult of years, Australian businesses will still rely on strong levels of trade and foreign investment for their future success.

An economy made stronger by trade and investment relationships that are more open means a brighter future for Australians. By strengthening our economy we can provide the essential services that all Australians rely upon.

Trade as a whole is equivalent to 45 per cent of Australian GDP and is directly responsible for one in five Australian jobs. Businesses with foreign investment generate around 40 percent of Australian exports, and foreign investment supports one in ten jobs in Australia.

To build an even stronger economy, the Australian Government continues to pursue an active and ambitious open trade and investment agenda. In the past six years, we have secured duty-free or preferential access to an extra 1.7 billion consumers in other economies. In January and February 2020, new trade agreements with Hong Kong and Peru entered into force. The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership will enter into force after Indonesia has completed its domestic ratification process.

In November 2019, we reached a milestone in joining 14 other economies in agreeing to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in 2020. This landmark trade agreement will boost export opportunities for Australian businesses in the world’s fastest growing region.

Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment

Australia is a top 20 country

Australia’s key economic indicators 2016-17 to 2018-19

Australia’s industry structure, australia’s trade balance.

Australia’s trade balance is the difference between what we export and what we import. It is calculated by subtracting the value of the goods and services Australia buys from overseas from the value of the goods and services we sell to other countries.

As of December 2019, Australia’s trade balance was $5,223 million (seasonally adjusted).

Two-way trade

Asian partners dominate Australia’s two-way trade flows, as Australia’s economy continues to complement those of a growing Asia. Dynamic changes underway in our region will continue to drive our economy and offer Australia significant opportunities. Asia overall stands to deliver nearly two-thirds of global growth to 2030.

Australia’s two-way trade by region 2018-19

Australia’s top two-way trading partners 2018-19

Australia’s top ten trading partners in 2018-19 in order were China, Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia and Thailand.

China remained Australia’s largest two-way trading partner in 2018-19 and was our largest export market and import source. Two-way trade with China surged past $230 billion, well over double the second ranked trading partner, Japan. Australia’s top four two-way trading markets remained in the same order for a third consecutive year, with Singapore replacing India as Australia’s fifth-largest two-way trading partner – up from eighth in 2017-18.

Australia’s top 10 two-way trading partners 2018-19 ($ billion)

Australia’s more than 53,000 goods exporters have seized opportunities amidst global headwinds to export a record $373 billion worth of goods in 2018-19. This represents an increase of 18.3 per cent from the previous year and continues an expansion in exports that commenced five years ago.

The minerals and fuels sector made the greatest contribution to Australia’s exports in 2018-19. Australia’s second-largest export sector, services, accounts for nearly three quarters of our economy and more than four out of five Australian jobs.

Australia’s exports (a) (b) A$ billion

(a) Balance of payments basis.

(b) By value.

Based on ABS catalogues 5302.0 & 5368.0.

Australia’s top 10 export markets 2018-19 ($ billion)

(a) All data is on a balance of payments basis, except for goods by country which are on a recorded trade basis.  

(b) May exclude selected confidential export commodities. Refer to the DFAT website ( http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/trade-investment/Pages/dfat-ad… ) for more information and a list of the commodities excluded.

(c) Special Administrative Region of China.

(d) Totals may not add due to rounding.

Based on ABS trade data on DFAT STARS database, ABS catalogue 5368.0.55.003 and unpublished ABS data.

Australia’s global export ranking 2018

(a) Goods on recorded trade basis. 

(b) Services on balance of payments basis.

Source: WTO online database.

Australia’s exports by sector (a) 2018-19 $A billion

Services and technology are embedded in all of Australia’s export sectors. Land transport and electricity services used in the mining and export of resources are reflected in trade on a ‘value added’ basis. On a ‘gross exports’ basis, which is the more common statistical practice, these values are not separately identified. However, using the value added measure, Australia’s domestic services industries account for over 45 per cent of the value of exports.

Australia’s top 20 exports 2018-19

(a) Goods trade is on a recorded trade basis. Services trade is on a balance of  payments basis.

(b) Includes student expenditure on tuition fees and living expenses. 

(c) Total exports on a balance of payments basis.

Based on ABS trade data on DFAT STARS database and ABS catalogues 5302.0 & 5368.0.

Minerals and fuels sector

In 2018-19, Australia’s minerals and fuels exports grew by 26.4 per cent. Australia’s exports of iron ore, coal and natural gas were our top three exports overall and recorded strong increases over the year of 25.7 per cent, 15.3 per cent and 60.9 per cent respectively.

The Australian Government released a Critical Minerals Strategy in 2019 to position Australia as a world leader in the exploration, extraction, production and processing of critical minerals. Australia has some of the world’s richest stocks of these important minerals that are considered essential for economic and industrial development.

Australia’s minerals and fuels exports (a) (b) A$m

Australia’s top 20 minerals and fuels exports 2018-19

(a) Recorded trade basis.

(b) Excludes confidential items of trade. 

(c) Mainly Zinc ores & concentrates, Manganese ores & concentrates and Lead ores & concentrates. 

(d) Total minerals and fuels exports on a balance of payments basis.

Services sector

Australia’s services exports rose 10.2 per cent to $97.1 billion in 2018-19. Services exports benefitted from strong demand from overseas students seeking a high-quality education and successful tourism campaigns attracting increasing numbers of international visitors. Tourism and international education together account for over 60 per cent of total services exports.

Education-related travel and personal travel services (mainly recreational travel for tourism) were Australia’s fourth and fifth largest exports overall in 2018-19. They also grew over the year by 15.2 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively.

A further boost is coming from a growing trend among Australian businesses to sell complementary services along with goods exports, such as in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.

In November 2019, the Australian Government released the Government Response to Industry’s Action Plan to Boost Australian Services Exports. Through the Action Plan, the services industry proposes ambitious recommendations aimed at improving the competitiveness of Australia’s services sector and boosting services exports.

The Government response addresses three primary areas of focus: supporting business to ‘go global’, removing barriers facing exporters abroad and simplifying regulation. The Government response, and the industry-led Services Exports Action Plan, are available on the DFAT website.

Growth of Australia’s services exports (a) (b)

Australia’s services exports (a) 2018-19

(b) Passenger services includes air transport-related agency fees & commissions.

(c) Inbound tourism for mainly recreational purposes.

International student numbers

Source: Dept of Education and Training International Student Data

Trade in education creates longer-term benefits for Australia including business and people-to-people linkages. It helps to strengthen our educational institutions through greater funding and diversity. Education is Australia’s largest services export. During the year to October 2019, Australian educational institutions received more than 917,000 international student enrolments.

The strong growth in exports of education-related travel services was driven by increases in student numbers from China (up 9 per cent) to $12.1 billion, India (up 44.3 per cent) to $5.5 billion and Nepal (up 60.6 per cent) to $2.6 billion.

Among short-term education visitors in 2017-18, more than 70 per cent were from Asian markets, 15 per cent had family come to visit while they were studying and 24 per cent travelled to regional Australia1.

Top 10 country of origin, international students in Australia 2019

Source: Dept of Education and Training International Student Data.

Australia’s international visitors 2018-19

(a) Special Administrative Region of China.

Source: Department of Home Affairs.

Australia’s $152 billion tourism industry is our single largest services export industry. It is a vital part of our economy, directly employing 666,000 people in 2018-19, up 3.3 per cent on the previous year.

Despite the competitive global market, the number of international visitors arriving in Australia continued to increase alongside the value of tourist spend.

Top 10 economies by expenditure 2018-19

Source: Tourism Research Australia, International Visitor Survey.

Manufactures sector

Australian manufacturing businesses employ around 900,000 Australians. The manufacturing sector’s future lies in embracing new technologies and developing high value-added products and services sought by the global market.

Australia’s manufactures exports (a) (b)

Australia’s top 20 manufactures exports 2018-19

(b) Excludes confidential items of trade.

(c) Total manufactures exports on a balance of payments basis.

Rural sector

Australia’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports (a) (b) a$billion.

(a) Definition of agriculture, forestry and fisheries includes alcoholic beverages as set out in the WTO International Trade Statistics publication.

Based on ABS catalgoue 5368.0 and ABS special data services.

Australia’s reputation as a provider of clean, green, safe and high-quality produce stands our agricultural exporters in good stead. Around two-thirds of Australia’s agricultural products are exported, contributing to food security in Australia and many other nations.

Exports of beef, Australia’s eighth-largest export overall, grew by 19 per cent in 2018-19, while other meat exports (excluding beef) and alcoholic beverages also performed strongly in export markets.

Australia’s top 20 agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports (a) 2018-19

(a) Recorded trade basis. 

(b) Excludes confidential items of trade except sugar.

(c) Definition of agriculture, forestry and fisheries includes alcoholic beverages as set out in the WTO International Trade Statistics publication.

Based on ABS catalogue 5368.0 and ABS special data services.

Australia imports a wide range of goods and services. Since the start of the new millennium, at least half of our total imports have come from economies in Asia. The total value of Australian imports rose by 6.5 per cent to $421.4 billion in 2018-19.

Personal travel services received by Australians abroad was the largest component, accounting for around a tenth of total import values and almost double the second-largest import, refined petroleum.

The top five favourite short-term travel destinations abroad among Australians (measured by short-term resident returns), based on local data as at the year ended September 2019, were (in order) New Zealand, Indonesia, the United States, the United Kingdom and China.

Australia’s imports (a) (b) A$ billion

Australia’s top 20 imports 2018-19

(a) Goods trade is on a recorded trade basis. Services trade is on a balance of payments basis.

(b) Excludes imports of large aircraft which are treated confidentially by the ABS. DFAT estimates aircraft imports would rank within Australia's top 20 imports with a value around $4.6 billion in 2018-19. 

(c) Includes Related agency fees & commissions.

(d) Total imports on a balance of payments basis.

Australia’s top 10 import sources (a) (b) 2018-19  ($ billion) 

(b) May exclude selected confidential import commodities. Refer to the DFAT website ( http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/trade-investment/Pages/dfat-ad… ) for more information and a list of the commodities excluded.

(c) Totals may not add due to rounding.

Australia’s imports by sector (a) 2018-19 A$b

Australia’s global import ranking 2018

(b) Services on balance of payments basis. 

Australia’s investment landscape

Foreign investment plays an important role in the Australian economy by promoting economic activity that helps sustain and generate jobs. There are a number of types of foreign investment: portfolio, direct, financial derivatives and ‘other’ investment, for example loans and reserve assets.

Portfolio investment includes the purchase of securities, such as stocks or bonds, or equity and debt transactions where the investor does not gain any control over the operation of the enterprise. This is the largest type of investment overall for Australia and many other developed economies.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) occurs when a foreign individual or entity establishes a new business or acquires 10 per cent or more share of a local enterprise and, importantly, has some control over its operations.

FDI though both majority and minority ownership supported the employment of nearly 1.2 million people or 1 in 10 jobs in Australia in 2014-15. Businesses with foreign investment generated around 40 per cent of Australia’s total exports, worth around $132 billion.

The global marketplace for foreign investment is highly competitive and businesses must show the potential for an attractive return. Many firms seek investment to help purchase innovative technology or to diversify their product range with the intention of expanding their market share, making savings on running costs or increasing productivity.

FDI is also often associated with knowledge transfers, particularly from a foreign head office to a local subsidiary. This process expands the domestic skills-base available to employers in Australia over time.

Two-way investment

Two-way Australian investment of all types amounted to $6.05 trillion dollars at the end of 2018. Of the total, $3.5 trillion was invested in Australia by foreign entities or persons, while Australians or Australian entities invested $2.5 trillion overseas.

The United States and the United Kingdom were the top two sources and destinations for Australian investment, while Japan was the third-largest destination and fourth-largest source. Neither Belgium nor Hong Kong were among Australia’s top 10 destinations for investment, instead their ranking as top five two-way investment partners comes from their large investments in Australia, as our third and fifth-largest sources.

Australia’s top 5 two-way investment partners 2018 ($ million)

Source: ABS catalogue 5352.0.

Inbound investment

The United States and United Kingdom are Australia’s largest investors, followed by Belgium, Japan and Hong Kong. At the end of 2018, total foreign investment in Australia reached $3.5 trillion, a record level in this country.

The United States was Australia’s largest foreign investor by a wide margin, accounting for $939.5 billion in investments in Australia at the end of 2018, up 3.7 per cent on 2017. The United States also received the largest portion of Australian investment overseas, again by a wide margin, accounting for $718.9 billion of the total at the end of 2018, up 6.2 per cent on 2017.

Australia’s top 10 investment sources (a) 2018 ($ million)

(a) Foreign investment in Australia: level of investment (stocks) as at 31 December 2018.

(b) Ranked on level of total investment in Australia.

(c) Includes portfolio investment.

(d) The majority of total investment from Belgium is portfolio investment liabilities in the form of debt securities (Belgium hosts a major clearing house and despository for euro-denominated bonds and other securities, Euroclear).

(e) Special Administrative Region of China.

Australia’s top 10 investment destinations (a) 2018 ($ million)

(a) Australian investment abroad: level of investment (stocks) as at 31 December 2018.

(b) Ranked on total Australian investment abroad.

np = not published.

Foreign investment in Australia by type 2018 (a)

(a) Includes loans, trade credit, currency, deposits and reserve assets.

Based on ABS catalogue 5352.0.

Australia’s top 5 foreign direct investment sources 2018 (a) A$ billion

Australia’s foreign direct investment by industry 2018 (a) $ billion

(a) Data at year end.

The majority share of FDI went to Australia’s mining industry at 37.8 per cent of the total, up by 6.4 per cent over 2017. Manufacturing, the second most popular sector for FDI, grew by 5.8 per cent, while financial and insurance activities recorded the largest increase in FDI over the year of 45.6 per cent.

Australia’s inward foreign direct investment global ranking 2018

Source: UNCTADstat database.

Outbound investment

The stock of Australian investment abroad rose by $180.2 billion or 7.6 per cent to $2.5 trillion at the end of 2018. The top destination for Australian direct investment abroad was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom in a narrowing margin.

Australia’s top 5 total investment abroad destinations 2018 (a) A$ billion

The most attractive industry for Australian direct investment abroad at the end of 2018 was financial and insurance activities. Although investment in this sector decreased by 3.9 per cent to $169.0 billion at the end of 2018, it accounted for 24.3 per cent of the total. Mining received the second-highest share at 21.4 per cent, with stock up 14.4 per cent to $149.0 billion. Investment in manufacturing grew by 27.0 per cent to reach $144.4 billion, or 20.8 per cent of the total.

Australia’s direct investment abroad by industry 2018 (a) A$ billion

(b) Amounts either suppressed by confidentiality or not attributable to a specific category.

Australia’s top 5 total foreign investment sources 2018 (a) A$ billion

(b) Special Administrative Region of China.

Australia’s top 5 direct investment abroad destinations 2018 (a) A$ billion

(b) DFAT estimate.

Australia’s direct investment abroad global ranking 2018

Multilateral and regional organisations.

Australia is one of 164 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) the sole global body responsible for the rules of trade between nations. We want to see the WTO reinvigorated with a more effective dispute settlement mechanism and a broader remit to deal with e-commerce and the opportunities created by the digital economy. This will make it stronger and more relevant to today’s trade environment.

To this end, we are leading an initiative to develop international rules for e-commerce and are pushing for global agricultural reforms to address trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. At the same time, we are working to strengthen global trade in services rules and supporting the extension of rules into new areas, such as investment.

Australia is an active and effective member of the Group of Twenty or G20, the world’s premier forum for international economic cooperation. The G20’s geographically dispersed membership of 19 countries and the European Union represent over 85 per cent of the world economy, more than 75 per cent of global trade and almost two-thirds of the world’s population. Australia hosted the G20 in 2014. We are working with Saudi Arabia as it has the 2020 Presidency.

We promote our regional trade and investment interests through our membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. APEC is the premier economic organisation in a region with 2.9 billion people that generates around 60 per cent of world GDP. The collaborative approach to breaking down barriers to trade across our region has yielded a wide range of reforms over APEC’s 30-year history. These reforms have directly benefitted Australian businesses and consumers and added to the region’s prosperity.

Australia supports policies, cooperation and dialogue to facilitate trade and investment though our membership of a range of other bodies including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Customs Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Australia’s trade and investment framework

As part of a comprehensive trade and investment strategy, the Australian Government has an active agenda of negotiating, implementing, reviewing and advocating bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs) that yield significant trade and investment opportunities, and support multilateral liberalisation efforts.

Australia currently has 13 free trade agreements with 20 partners. Most of these are bilateral and two are regional agreements. Regional free trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, include rules governing trade and investment between several parties. They facilitate the involvement of Australian businesses in regional value chains and more seamless trade and investment between businesses in the parties. The Government is also working hard to negotiate new free trade agreements that open up entirely new export and investment opportunities for our nation’s businesses in the future. Our free trade agreement negotiations with the European Union, a bloc of 27 countries and a market of around 450 million people, is just one example of this work.

Where possible, Australia also reviews free trade agreements to upgrade the benefits business obtain from them. One example is the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), which entered into force in January 2010 for Australia and eight other countries (Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia became parties in 2011-12). AANZFTA has been upgraded since its entry into force, and Australia and other AANZFTA parties agreed to begin another upgrade in 2020.

The Government has a goal of increasing the coverage of Australia’s two-way trade with free trade agreement partners to around 90 per cent of total trade by 2022.

FTAs in force

Australia had 13 regional and bilateral FTAs as at March 2020, including new agreements with Hong Kong and Peru that came into force on 17 January and 11 February 2020 respectively.

FTAs concluded but not yet in force

Indonesia-australia comprehensive economic partnership agreement.

Australia completed its domestic treaty-making processes for the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) on 18 December 2019 and the Indonesian parliament passed the IA-CEPA legislation in early February 2020. The agreement will enter into force 60 days after Indonesia notifies Australia that it has completed its remaining domestic treaty making procedures.

Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus

Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Kiribati have ratified the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus). PACER Plus will come into force 60 days after the eighth signatory notifies the Depositary in Tonga that their domestic ratification processes are complete.

Free trade agreements under negotiation

Australia’s active free trade agreement negotiating agenda includes the following:

• Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement
• Pacific Alliance Free Trade Agreement
• Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
• Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement negotiations are expected to commence when the United Kingdom is ready.

DFAT’s FTA Portal helps businesses explore the benefits of FTAs. Goods and services exporters and importers can find comprehensive information on tariffs and services commitments, guidance on rules of origin to determine whether goods qualify for FTA concessions, and market data for prospective exporters.

The Portal is updated to include information on new agreements as they come into force. Find it at ftaportal.dfat.gov.au

Trade and development assistance

Australia supports a range of bilateral and regional development partnerships around the globe and is the single largest development partner of Pacific Island nations. Our assistance helps to boost prosperity and stability, while expanding opportunities for two-way trade.

Supporting countries in our region to access and benefit from trade is a core part of our work as members of the WTO, APEC and the OECD. In 2018-19, two-way goods trade with our bilateral development partnership countries [1] reached $42.0 billion, an average increase of 4.0 per cent per year over the past decade. Least Developed Countries [2] (LDC) exports of goods to Australia, which receive duty and quota-free access, reached $1.6 billion in 2018-19, an average increase of 22.1 per cent per year over the past decade.

Australia also provides preferential treatment for LDC service suppliers in tourism, transport (maritime, air, rail, road and auxiliary services) and business services (computer, professional and other business services).

[1] Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam.

[2] Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Former Sudan, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia.

Australia in value chains

A Global Value Chain (GVC) is a network of interlinked stages of production in the manufacture of goods and services that cross international borders.

Typically, a GVC involves combining imported intermediate goods and domestic goods and services into products that are then exported for use as intermediates in subsequent stages of production.

Fremantle-based traffic monitoring technology company MetroCount uses a range of inputs to produce a vehicle classifier system that contributes to safer roads in Australia and 120 other countries. Visit the DFAT website for more trade and investment stories: www.dfat.gov.au/tradeandinvestmentstories

Australian Industry

Annual estimates of key economic and financial performance of industries in Australia, including income, expenses, profit and capital expenditure

• Australian Industry Reference Period 2021-22 financial year
• Australian Industry Reference Period 2020-21 financial year
• Australian Industry Reference Period 2019-20 financial year
• View all releases

Key statistics

• Total selected industries earnings grew $93.4b (12.9%).
• The Mining industry had the largest growth in earnings of $52.0b (23.4%).
• Wholesale trade earnings grew $7.9b (21.9%).
• Retail trade earnings grew $6.8b (16.2%).
• Construction earnings grew $6.1b (11.6%).
• Total selected industries operating profit before tax (OPBT) was steady, declining $2.1b (0.3%) in 2022-23.
• The Mining industry had the largest increase in OPBT of $57.2b (31.0%), while the Rental, hiring and real estate services industry had the largest decrease of $45.5b (-44.8%).
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Note: EBITDA refers to Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. OPBT refers to Operating profit before tax.

Industry summary

• The Mining industry grew across all key data items in 2022-23. EBITDA increased 23.4% ($52.0b), following a 34.7% ($57.4b) increase in 2021-22. Mining IVA increased 23.2% ($66.4b) following a 31.2% ($68.1b) increase in 2021-22.
• Wholesale trade industry EBITDA grew 21.9% ($7.9b), following a 36.2% ($9.6b) increase in 2021-22. Wholesale trade IVA increased 16.7% ($14.8b), following a 22.5% ($16.2b) increase in 2021-22.
• Retail trade industry EBITDA grew 16.2% ($6.8b), following a 4.0% ($1.6b) increase in 2021-22. Retail trade IVA increased 14.4% ($14.8b), following a 12.7% ($11.6b) increase in 2021-22.
• Construction industry EBITDA increased 11.6% ($6.1b), following an 8.4% (-$4.8b) decrease in 2021-22. Construction IVA increased 14.8% ($21.0b), following a 9.6% ($12.4b) increase in 2021-22.
• Transport, postal and warehousing industry EBITDA grew 14.4% ($5.2b), following an 11.6% ($3.8b) increase in 2021-22. Transport, postal and warehousing industry IVA grew 15.3% ($12.6b), following a 13.8% ($9.9b) increase in 2021-22.
• Accommodation and food services EBITDA grew 35.3% ($4.7b), following a 7.4% (-$1.1b) decrease in 2021-22. Accommodation and food services IVA grew 31.3% ($14.4b), following a 14.6% ($5.8b) increase in 2021-22.
• Total Employment increased 572,000 people (4.6%), with the largest growth reported in the Accommodation and food services industry (145,000 people or 13.6%), and the Health care and social assistance industry (123,000 people or 8.0%).

Note: Financial estimates in this release are expressed in current prices.

For more information on the scope and coverage or survey design for this release, refer to the  Methodology  page.

Industry analysis

Agriculture, forestry and fishing.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing experienced increases in most key data items for 2022-23.

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry division earnings increased 7.2% ($1.9b), driven by an 8.9% ($11.0b) increase in Sales and service income.
• Division growth was driven by the Agriculture subdivision, which experienced a 5.7% ($1.3b) increase in earnings, amid high export volumes.
• Total expenses grew 8.4% ($9.1b), slower than the growth experienced in 2021-22 (10.4%, $10.2b). Increasing expenses were driven by higher input costs for farming products such as fertiliser and petrol. 
• The division experienced another year of Employment declines, with Employment decreasing by 5,000 people (-1.1%). This decrease was driven by the Agriculture subdivision, which saw a decline of 8,000 people (-2.3%).

Estimates for the Mining industry largely reflect calendar year reporting for 2022. For a limited range of estimates adjusted to a June financial year basis, see the 'Off-June adjusted estimates by subdivision' data cube in the Data Downloads. The Mining industry division grew in all key data items for 2022-23.

• Mining earnings and IVA grew 23.4% ($52.0b) and 23.2% ($66.4b) respectively, driven by a 21.6% ($93.3b) increase in Sales and service income.
• Mining earnings growth was driven by the Coal mining and Oil and gas extraction subdivisions, up 54.9% ($26.1b) and 73.9% ($37.7b) respectively. Earnings growth was slightly offset by a 16.5% (-$19.9b) decline for the Metal ore mining subdivision. The growth of the Coal mining and Oil and gas extraction subdivisions, and the decline of the Metal ore mining subdivision were similarly represented in Merchandise Exports .
• The Export Price Index for Mining increased 11.0% between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years, following an increase of 39.9% between the 2021 and 2022 calendar years. This price effect is reflected in the difference between the increase of 24.0% ($108.9b) in Mining Total income in the Australian industry, and Mining data cubes, which largely reflect calendar year growth for this industry, and the contrasting growth of 12.4% ($62.1b) for the financial year contained in the Off-June adjusted estimates data cube.
• Prices for key export commodities in metallurgical coal, thermal coal and LNG rose strongly over the calendar year period, reflecting price rises following global supply shocks resulting from the conflict in Ukraine in March Qtr 2022. This is in contrast to the performance over the June year end, which saw moderate price growth for LNG and thermal coal as supply chain issues began to ease and metallurgical prices fall due to global growth concerns in the latter half of 2022-23. 
• Mining industry Employment increased 8.8% (18,000 people), driven by growth of 7.7% (7,000 people) in the Metal ore mining subdivision and growth of 8.6% (4,000 people) in the Exploration and other mining support services subdivision.

For more detailed financial performance information on the Mining industry please refer to the 'Mining industry' data cube. 

Manufacturing

The Manufacturing industry grew in most key data items for 2022-23.

• Manufacturing industry division earnings grew 2.2% ($1.1b), driven by a 9.9% ($45.6b) increase in Sales and service income. This was offset by an increase in Purchases of goods and materials of 8.4% ($23.1b) and an 10.5% ($7.9b) increase in Other intermediate input expenses.
• The Manufacturing industry's earnings was driven by the Machinery and equipment subdivision, which rose 18.8% ($1.1b) due to strong government investment in infrastructure, transport and defence, while increasing Merchandise Exports also contributed to growth.
• Primary metal and metal product manufacturing subdivision and Fabricated metal product manufacturing subdivision earnings declined 19.9% (-$1.4b) and 8.3% (-$409m) respectively, as the demand for metal production and metal products softened, notably aluminium and steel, in response to weakening global growth in 2022-23.
• Wages and salaries grew 9.0% ($5.8b), driven by strong growth in the Food product manufacturing subdivision (12.8%, $1.7b) and the Transport equipment manufacturing subdivision (19.8%, $1.1b).
• Employment grew 3.5% (31,000 people), driven by increases in the Transport equipment manufacturing subdivision (21.0%, 15,000 people).

Electricity, gas, water and waste services

Electricity, gas, water and waste services increases in most key data items for 2022-23.

• Electricity supply subdivision earnings increased 5.3% ($887m), while Gas supply subdivision earnings increased 37.8% ($728m). The Electricity and Gas industry faced higher input prices for coal and natural gas at the end of the previous financial year stemming from global energy shortages, negatively impacting the profitability of the Industry in 2021-22. To remain economically viable, these higher costs were priced into business and customer tariffs in 2022-23.
• IVA for the Electricity, gas, water and waste services industry increased by 6.9% ($3.3b), driven by an increase in Sales and service income of 11.3% ($16.5b), which was offset by a 15.6% ($10.0b) increase in Purchases of goods and materials and a 10.4% ($4.8b) increase in Other intermediate input expenses. 
• Employment within the Electricity, gas, water and waste services division increased 4.0% (5,000 people).

Construction

The Construction industry experienced growth across all key data items in 2022-23.

• Construction industry division earnings increased 11.6% ($6.1b), driven by an increase of 14.1% ($69.3b) in Sales and service income. The division continued its post-pandemic growth due to increased demand for civil and non-residential work, as well as increases in output prices . Higher cost of materials and labour were factored into new and existing contracts, resulting in higher output prices.
• Construction IVA experienced similar growth of 14.8% ($21.0b), driven by the 17.3% ($14.4b) growth within the Construction services subdivision, which predominately provides the trade services required to the building and civil construction projects.
• Purchases of goods and materials for the Construction industry increased 17.3% ($35.6b) as greater demand resulted in an increase in building material prices.
• Despite steep declines in both dwelling commencements and approvals in response to surging borrowing and construction costs, the volume of dwellings under construction remained high, resulting in an increase in the value of construction work done for the period. 
• Wages and Salaries within the Construction industry increased 12.7% ($9.8b), despite a 1.8% (22,000 people) increase in Employment, as shortages in skilled workers combined with increased demands led to upward wage pressures on businesses.

Wholesale trade

The Wholesale trade industry experienced growth across all key data items in 2022-23.

• Wholesale trade industry division earnings grew 21.9% ($7.9b), with strong earnings growth coming from the Basic material wholesaling subdivision (34.3%, $3.9b) and the Machinery and equipment wholesaling subdivision (25.7%, $2.6b).
• Basic materials wholesaling subdivision saw a 38.4% ($76.3b) increase in Sales and service income. Petroleum wholesalers continued to benefit from rises in petroleum prices and volumes , while Agricultural product wholesalers benefitted from record high grain crop production .
• Machinery and equipment wholesaling Sales and service income increased 12.3% ($19.5b), after recovering from supply chain disruptions related to COVID-19 restrictions.
• Employment for the Wholesale trade division increased 1.6% (10,000 people).

Retail trade

The Retail trade industry experienced growth across all key data items.

• Retail trade industry division earnings grew 16.2% ($6.8b), as retail turnover increased despite a fall in Retail sales volumes.
• Growth in earnings was driven by the Other store-based retailing subdivision, which reported an increase in earnings of 21.0% ($4.4b), due to many retailers benefitting from the surge back to physical stores and high level of demand for products.
• Retail trade division IVA increased 14.4% ($14.8b), with the largest growth seen in the Other store-based retailing subdivision (17.4%, $8.7b) and the Food retailing subdivision (11.8%, $3.4b).
• Food retailing subdivision Sales and service income increased 6.3% ($10.3b). The Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts retailing subdivision also experienced growth in Sales and service income of 7.3% ($7.5b), as a result of increased demand and recovery from supply chain issues.
• Employment for the Retail trade division increased by 4.2% (60,000 people).

Accommodation and food services

The Accommodation and food services industry division grew in all key data items.

• Accommodation and food services industry earnings increased 35.3% ($4.7b), with many businesses operating at full capacity following the easing of the final COVID-19 restrictions.
• Accommodation subdivision earnings increased 97.3% ($2.0b), as the number of international travellers returned to almost pre-pandemic levels. 
• IVA increased 31.3% ($14.4b), driven by an increase in Sales and service income of 22.2% ($25.6b) and offset by increases in Purchases of goods and materials (16.0%, $6.1b) and Other intermediate input expenses (15.9%, $5.1b).
• Employment increased by 13.6% (145,000 people), bolstered by the return of international students and workers.

Transport, postal and warehousing

The Transport, postal and warehousing industry division experienced growth in all key data items.

• The Transport, postal and warehousing industry division earnings increased 14.4% ($5.2b).
• Despite this, a decrease in earnings of 9.5% (-$1.1b) was recorded for the Road transport subdivision, due to an increase in Purchases of goods and materials 18.8% ($2.5b) and Total labour costs 7.0% ($1.3b). The growth in purchases came as a result of inflated operational and maintenance costs, most notably increased expenditure on fuel. Truck driver shortages resulted in higher wage offerings across the industry.
• Transport postal and warehousing Employment grew by 1.4% (9,000 people).

Information media and telecommunications

The Information, media and telecommunications industry division experienced growth in most key data items.

• The Information, media and telecommunications industry division reported an increase of 1.1% ($233m) in earnings.
• Subdued division earnings growth was predominantly a result of a 50.1% (-$832m) decline in the Publishing (except internet and music publishing) subdivision as customers continue to shift away from traditional forms of media while software publishers prioritise the enhancement of product offerings over earnings. The Motion picture and sound recording activities subdivision increased 632.5% ($774m), as cinema attendance increased following COVID-19 restrictions in 2021-22. 
• Total expenses increased 13.0% ($12.7b), driven by an increase in Total labour costs of 13.6% ($3.1b) and Other intermediate input expenses of 15.8% ($6.3b).
• Employment within the Information media and telecommunications industry rose 4.0% (7,000 people).

Auxiliary finance and insurance services

The Auxiliary finance and insurance services subdivision experienced continued growth across most key data items.

• Auxiliary finance and insurance services subdivision saw earnings decrease 11.7% (-$1.9b). Increased market volatility, and a fall in consumer confidence resulted in reduced trading volumes. 
• The Auxiliary finance and insurance services subdivision experienced an 0.3% ($116m) increase in IVA.
• Employment within the Auxiliary finance and insurance services subdivision increased by 6.8% (11,100 people), while Wages and salaries increased 6.6% ($1.3b).

Rental, hiring and real estate services

The Rental, hiring and real estate services industry experienced continued growth across some key data items.

• Rental, hiring and real estate services division earnings fell 0.7% (-$516m), driven by the Property operators and real estate services subdivision (2.9%, -$1.6b), which was adversely impacted by a decline in residential property transfers . The decline was offset by the Rental and hiring services (except real estate) subdivision (8.7%, $1.1b), which saw strong demand for equipment from the Engineering construction sector, where the value of work done increased 12.6% in chain volume measures between 2021-22 and 2022-23.  
• Rental, hiring and real estate services division IVA increased 3.4% ($3.3b). Sales and service income increased 6.5% ($10.5b), this was offset by increases in Other intermediate input expenses (7.9%, $3.5b) and Purchases of goods and materials (22.6%, $4.3b).
• Rental, hiring and real estate services industry division Employment grew 18,000 people (4.2%), while Total labour costs increased 8.1% ($1.9b).

Professional, scientific and technical services

The Professional, scientific and technical services industry recorded growth across most key data items.

• Professional, scientific and technical services industry earnings grew 8.5% ($3.2b), led by engineering firms supporting the delivery of several major civil infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
• Growth in earnings was driven by a 12.7% ($3.8b) increase in the Professional, scientific and technical services (excluding computer design and related services) subdivision. The Computer system design and related services subdivision mitigated this growth, with a decrease in earnings of 6.6% (-$546m).
• IVA grew 12.5% ($20.5b), driven by a 10.8% ($31.9b) increase in Sales and service income, which was partly offset by a 20.9% ($7.7b) increase in Purchases of goods and materials, and a 4.2% ($4.2b) increase in Other intermediate input expenses.
• Professional, scientific and technical services industry Employment grew 40,000 people (3.1%). Total labour costs increased 12.1% ($14.7b).

Administrative and support services

The Administrative and support services industry recorded growth across most key data items.

• Administrative and support services industry division earnings grew 9.6% ($1.2b). 
• Administrative and support services earnings growth was primarily driven by the Administrative services subdivision (14.8%, $1.1b), where recruitment service providers benefitted from the from the scarcity of skilled labour, resulting in a higher number of advertised jobs in a low employment rate environment.
• IVA grew 15.9% ($12.5b), driven by a 14.7% ($17.2b) increase in Sales and service income, which was partly offset by a 26.3% ($2.2b) increase in Purchases of goods and materials, and a 9.1% ($3.0b) increase in Other intermediate input expenses. Operating profit before tax increased 20.1% ($2.1b).
• Employment fell by 4,000 people (0.4%), mainly driven by the Building cleaning, pest control and other support services subdivision which decreased by 10,000 people (-4.5%) due to labour shortages.

Public administration and safety (private)

The Public administration and safety industry grew across all key data items.

• Public administration and safety in scope of the Economic Activity Survey consists of the private sector component of SD 77 Public order, safety and regulatory services.
• Public order, safety and regulatory services (private) subdivision reported an increase of 20.4% ($285m) in earnings, due to an increase in demand from businesses for security services to hospitality and recreational venues. 
• IVA grew 13.6% ($1.0b). The increases in earnings and IVA were driven by an increase in Sales and service income of 14.8% ($1.8b), while Purchases of goods and materials increased 12.4% ($130m).
• Public order, safety and regulatory services (private) subdivision Employment increased by 4,000 people (4.3%).

Education and training (private)

The Education and training industry grew across all key data items.

• Education and training (non-Government) sector industry earnings increased 10.3% ($655m), largely driven by the Adult, community and other education subdivision, which increased 25.2% ($350m). 
• IVA increased 8.9% ($3.2b), largely driven by a 10.5% ($5.3b) increase in Sales and service income, offset by a 34.3% ($1.1b) increase in Purchases of goods and materials.
• IVA growth was experienced across all subdivisions in the Education industry, with the Preschool and school education subdivision showing the largest growth in IVA of 5.1% ($1.3b).
• Total labour costs increased in the Education and training (non-Government) sector by 8.2% ($2.4b) with Wages and salaries driving the bulk of this movement, increasing 7.6% ($2.0b). Education and training industry Employment increased 18,000 people (3.8%).

Health care and social assistance (private)

The Health care and social assistance industry grew across all key data items.

• Health care and social assistance industry division earnings grew 2.5% ($895m). This was driven by the Residential care services subdivision, which increased by 178.9% ($2.0b), offset by the Hospitals subdivision and the Social assistance services subdivision, decreasing earnings by 37.5% (-$555m) and 27.9% (-$460m) respectively.
• IVA grew 9.7% ($12.2b), driven by an increase in Sales and service income of 9.2% ($17.3b) and an increase in Recurrent government funding excluding COVID subsidies of 40.4% ($1.5b).
• Health care and social assistance industry Employment increased by 123,000 people (8.0%), driven by the Social assistance services subdivision, which increased 66,000 people (12.6%). 
• The Residential care services subdivision also increased 35,000 people (11.0%), as businesses increased staffing levels in advance of changing staffing requirements from 1 July 2023.

Arts and recreation services

The Arts and recreation services industry experienced continued growth across most key data items.

• Arts and recreation services industry division earnings grew 29.6% ($1.6b). 
• The earnings increase was driven by a rise in Sales and service income of 21.1% ($8.1b), due to strong consumer demand for recreational activities following the end of COVID-19 restrictions.
• IVA growth was driven by the Sports and recreation activities subdivision, which showed IVA growth of 36.6% ($2.5). 
• Wages & salaries growth (18.1%, $1.6b) outpaced Employment (11,000 people, 4.5%), due to the return of normal working hours following the conclusion of COVID-19 related restrictions. 

Other services

Other Services grew across all key data items in 2022-23.

• Other services earnings increased 4.1% ($239m). Growth was due to businesses no longer being impacted by COVID restrictions or supply chain issues. 
• IVA for Other services experienced growth of 17.6% ($6.8b), driven by an increase in Sales and service income of 16.0% ($12.2b), which was partially offset by a 18.3% ($4.1b) increase in Purchases of goods and materials.
• Wages and Salaries within the Other services industry increased 13.0% ($3.3b). 
• Other services industry Employment grew by 52,000 people (9.4%), driven by the Personal and other services subdivision, which increased 41,000 people (12.0%).

Business performance by size

• In 2022-23, businesses of all sizes recorded an increase in most key data items, with small sized businesses displaying the strongest signs of growth in Employment (179,000 people, 8.1%), Total income (14.8%, $88.6b), Operating profit before tax (26.3%, $17.3b) and EBITDA (22.4%, $15.6b).
• Businesses of all sizes increased earnings, with the 2022-23 financial year being the first financial year businesses were able to operate without the financial impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
• Micro and large businesses saw Operating profit fall 7.0% (-$16.1b) and 4.3% (-$13.3b) respectively. The fall in Operating profit for micro businesses was primarily driven by the Rental, hiring and real estate division (46.9%, -$38.1b), whilst the fall in Operating profit for large businesses was driven by the Professional, scientific and technical services industry (54.2%, -$41.2b).

Note: Business size by industry division estimates excludes Division K Financial and insurance services.

Micro businesses

Micro businesses (those with 0-4 employees) are more likely than other businesses to be sole proprietors and partnerships, and also include a large number of non-employing businesses. These businesses have low or nil wages, and the owner operators pay themselves out of business profits rather than receiving a wage or salary. This can have a distorting effect on some indicators, reducing their share of Wages and salaries, but increasing their OPBT and EBITDA when compared to other key indicators and other business sizes.

• In 2022-23, micro businesses contributed a 10-25% share of the overall total of most key data items, with the exception of OPBT (30.6%).

In 2022-23, compared to 2021-22, micro businesses reported increases in all key data items with the exception of Operating profit before tax, which had a decrease of 7.0% (-$16.1b).

• Sales and service income increased 13.0% ($109.4b), with the largest increases reported by the Construction industry at 19.1% ($33.6b) and Mining at 37.5% ($15.9b). The only division to report a decrease was Other services at 1.2% (-$344m).
• Wages increased by 10.8% ($9.0b). This increase was primarily due to the Construction (18.2%, $2.8b) and Transport, postal and warehousing industries (54.9%, $1.9b). The largest negative contributor to the movement was the Administrative and support services industry (7.9%, -$438m).
• Employment increased by 41,000 people (1.3%), driven mainly by increases Transport, postal and warehousing (23,000 people, 10.8%), and Construction (16,000 people, 3.0%). These increases were offset by a decline in the Administrative and support services industry (40,000 people, -20.0%).
• OPBT decreased by 7.0% (-$16.1b), driven heavily by the Rental, hiring and real estate services industry (46.9%, -$38.1b), while other industries such as Mining (78.3%, $12.0b) and Construction (21.1%, $5.0b) showed increases.

Small businesses

• Small businesses (those with 5-19 employees), contributed a 10%-20% share to the overall total of all key data items in 2022-23.

In 2022-23, compared to 2021-22 the small business sector experienced growth for all indicators.

• Sales and service income increased 14.9% ($86.6b), with the largest increases reported by the Wholesale trade industry at 42.5% ($38.5b). The division to report the largest decrease was Construction at 6.8% (-$6.1b).
• Wages increased by 13.8% ($16.0b). This increase was primarily due to the Construction (15.8%, $2.7b) and Other services industries (32.6%, $2.1b). The largest negative contributor to the movement was the Professional, scientific and technical services industry (2.1%, -$423m).
• Employment increased by 179,000 people (8.1%), driven primarily by Accommodation and food services (64,000 people, 21.7%) and Health care and social assistance (61,000 people, 26.9%). This was offset by decreases in Employment for Professional, scientific and technical services (-20,000 people, 7.2%), and Transport, postal and warehousing (-13,000 people, 18.9%).
• OPBT increased by 26.3% ($17.3b), driven mainly by the Mining (30.4%, $3.0b) and Healthcare and social assistance (81.5%, $2.8b) industries. The largest decrease was seen in the Construction industry at 16.8% (-$1.6b).

Medium businesses

• Medium businesses (those with 20-199 employees) contributed a 20-30% share to the overall total of most data items, with the exception of OPBT (15.4%) and EBITDA (15.9%). 

In 2022-23, compared to 2021-22, medium businesses reported increases in all key data items.

• Sales and service income increased 10.4% ($108.8b), with the largest increases reported by the Construction industry at 22.1% ($26.8b) and the Wholesale trade industry at 11.5% ($24.6b). The division to report the largest decrease was Manufacturing at 13.2% (-$19.7b).
• Wages and salaries increased by 14.1% ($29.1b). This increase was primarily due to the Professional, scientific and technical services (24.1%, $7.9b) and Health care and social assistance industries (39.6%, $5.9b). The largest negative contributor to the movement was the Financial and insurance services industry (10.9%, -$784m).
• Employment increased by 185,000 people (6.1%), driven mainly by Health care and social assistance (63,000 people, 20.1%), and Professional, scientific and technical services (52,000 people, 15.3%). This was offset by decreases in Employment for Transport, postal and warehousing (-7,000 people, 6.6% and Financial and insurance services (-5,000 people, 10.9%).
• OPBT increased by 10.2% ($10.0b), driven primarily by the Mining industry (91.7%, $12.9b). The largest decrease was seen in the Professional, scientific and technical services industry at 43.5% (-$4.0b).

Large businesses

• Large businesses (those with more than 199 employees) contributed a 30-45% share to the overall total of most data items.

In 2022-23, compared to 2021-22, large businesses reported increases in all key data items with the exception of Operating profit before tax, which had a decrease of 4.3% (-$13.3b).

• Sales and service income increased 15.6% ($283.3b), with the largest increases reported by the he Wholesale trade industry at 21.1% ($57.0b), the Manufacturing industry at 23.2% ($54.3b) and the Mining industry at 16.9% ($54.1b). The division to report the largest decrease was Health care and social assistance at 4.2% (-$3.5b).
• Wages increased by 7.9% ($26.1b). This increase was primarily due to the Professional, scientific and technical services (11.0%, $4.0b) and Mining industries (12.0%, $3.0b). The largest negative contributor to the movement was the Health care and social assistance industry (3.1%, -$1.4b).
• Employment increased by 168,000 people (3.9%), driven primarily by Accommodation and food services (58,000 people, 21.9%), Manufacturing (28,000 people, 9.2%). Health care and social assistance slightly offset the overall increase, reporting a decrease of (-16,000 people, 2.1%)
• OPBT decreased by 4.3% (-$13.3b), driven primarily by the Professional, scientific and technical services industry (54.2%, -$41.2b). The largest increase was seen in the Mining industry at 20.2% ($29.4b).

For more information and estimates classified by business size refer to Table 5 'Business size by industry division' in the 'Australian Industry' data cube.

State and territory performance

In 2022-23, east coast states New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland accounted for the largest share of each of the three key state economic indicators: Sales and service income, Employment and Wages and salaries. The key economic indicators for most states and territories were comparable to the population distribution in the Estimated Resident Population . New South Wales had the largest population share at 31.3%, corresponding to the largest share of total Sales and services income at 31.8%. Northern Territory had the smallest population share at 0.9%, which corresponded to the smallest share in total Sales and service income at 1.0%.

Note: States and territories by industry division estimates excludes Division K Financial and insurance services.

State and territory growth

In 2022-23, when compared to 2021-22:

• All states and territories experienced growth in all three key state economic indicators for Total selected industries.
• Queensland showed the strongest growth in Sales and service income (16.3%, $135.3b), driven by the Mining (30.1%, $30.4b) and Wholesale trade (23.2%, $26.0b) industries.
• The Accommodation and food services industry had the largest increase in Wages and salaries, with a total growth of 22.6% ($6.8b). Every state and territory showed growth, with New South Wales (28.5%, $2.9b) showing the strongest increase. 
• The Accommodation and food services industry also had the largest increase in Employment, with a total growth of 145,000 people (13.6%). This was driven by strong growth in New South Wales (62,000 people, 17.6%), while Northern Territory (-258 people, -1.9%) was the only state or territory to show negative growth.

State and territory Sales and service income growth in 2022-23 ($b)

In 2022-23:

• New South Wales had the largest growth in Sales and service income with a $199.9b (15.2%) increase, followed by Queensland and Victoria growing $133.8b (16.3%) and $125.4b (12.3%) respectively.
•  The Northern Territory had the smallest Sales and service income growth, showing a $5.0b (11.1%) increase.

For more information and estimates classified by state and territory refer to Table 6 'States and territories by industry division' in the 'Australian industry' data cube. For information about the method used to derive state and territory estimates, please refer to the Methodology section on Estimation Methodology : State and Territory estimates.

Changes in this release

In 2022-23, the ABS made the following changes to data cubes available in Data downloads:

• All data cubes will contain only three years of data. The timeseries spreadsheets will continue to contain the full timeseries for included data items. Previous releases of Australian Industry will still be available for historic information.
• The total selected industries classification now includes subdivision 64 (unless otherwise noted). Please note that subdivisions 62 and 63 are still not included in Australian Industry estimates.
• The Australian industry data cube contains the information previously available in Australian industry by division, Australian industry by subdivision, and Estimates for auxiliary finance and insurance services.
• Some minor changes have been made to the structure or format of some tables to improve usability.

Time series spreadsheets

In 2022-23, the ABS made the following changes to time series spreadsheets available in Data downloads:

• Employer contributions to superannuation
• Total labour costs
• Purchases of goods and materials (incl. capitalised purchases).
• These additional items are also available in data explorer.

Data downloads

Have your say on changes to australian industry data.

The ABS is consulting with users of this data release around planned changes. Submit your views through a short survey on the ABS Consultation Hub . Outcomes from this consultation may include changes to the content or format of future releases of Australian Industry.

The ABS would like to thank businesses for their continued support in responding to our surveys.

Australian industry

Manufacturing industry, off-june year adjusted estimates by industry subdivision, mining industry, state and territory by business size.

The data contained in these spreadsheets is consistent with the existing data cubes.

- Key data items in these spreadsheets are available from 2006-07 to 2022-23.

- Off-June adjusted data are available from 2010-11 to 2022-23.

- State splits of selected data items are available from 2007-08 to 2022-23.

Unless otherwise stated the basis of all data is original, not off-June adjusted.

Total selected industries, by industry division

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, by industry subdivision, mining, by industry subdivision, by industry subdivision, manufacturing, by industry subdivision, electricity, gas, water and waste services, by industry subdivision, construction, by industry subdivision, wholesale trade, by industry subdivision, retail trade, by industry subdivision, accomodation and food services, by industry subdivision, transport, postal and warehousing, by industry subdivision, information media and telecommunications, by industry subdivision, auxiliary finance and insurance services, by industry subdivision, rental, hiring and real estate services, by industry subdivision, professional, scientific and technical services, by industry subdivision, administrative and support services, by industry subdivision, public administration and safety (private), by industry subdivision, education and training (private), by industry subdivision, health care and social assistance (private), by industry subdivision, arts and recreation services, by industry subdivision, other services, by industry subdivision, data explorer datasets.

Caution: Data in the Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the time period when using Data Explorer.

For information on Data Explorer and how it works, see the  Data Explorer user guide .

Australian Industry - Annual estimates of key economic and financial performance of industries in Australia, including income, expenses and profit measures.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 8155.0.

Methodology

The scope of this release includes all businesses operating in the Australian economy during 2022-23, except for those outlined in the scope section of the Australian Industry methodology.

The data available includes estimates for Australia with selected data items published at the state and territory level.

The Economic Activity Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and administrative data from the Australian Tax Office.

Collection method

Data is collected annually through the Economic Activity Survey, which is sent to approximately 18,250 businesses. This is supplemented by administrative data from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

Concepts, sources and methods

The businesses in this release were classified by:

• Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 edition .
• Standard Economic Sector Classifications of Australia (SESCA) .
• State and Territory.
• Business size.

History of changes

For a description of recent changes please refer to the data comparability section of the Australian Industry Methodology.

Media releases

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Tourism in Australia - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029)

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• Market estimates from
• Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
• Incorporates SWOT, Porter's Five Forces and risk management frameworks
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Industry statistics and trends.

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Tourism in Australia

Industry Revenue

Total value and annual change from . Includes 5-year outlook.

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Trends and Insights

Market size is projected to over the next five years.

Market share concentration for the Tourism industry in Australia is , which means the top four companies generate of industry revenue.

The average concentration in the sector in Australia is .

Products & Services Segmentation

Industry revenue broken down by key product and services lines.

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Table of Contents

About this industry, industry definition, what's included in this industry, industry code, related industries, domestic industries, competitors, complementors, international industries, performance, key takeaways, revenue highlights, employment highlights, business highlights, profit highlights, current performance.

What's driving current industry performance in the Tourism in Australia industry?

What's driving the Tourism in Australia industry outlook?

What influences volatility in the Tourism in Australia industry?

• Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth Matrix

What determines the industry life cycle stage in the Tourism in Australia industry?

• Industry Life Cycle Matrix

Products and Markets

Products and services.

• Products and Services Segmentation

How are the Tourism in Australia industry's products and services performing?

What are innovations in the Tourism in Australia industry's products and services?

Major Markets

• Major Market Segmentation

What influences demand in the Tourism in Australia industry?

International Trade

• Industry Concentration of Imports by Country
• Industry Concentration of Exports by Country
• Industry Trade Balance by Country

What are the import trends in the Tourism in Australia industry?

What are the export trends in the Tourism in Australia industry?

Geographic Breakdown

Business locations.

• Share of Total Industry Establishments by Region ( )

Data Tables

• Number of Establishments by Region ( )
• Share of Establishments vs. Population of Each Region

What regions are businesses in the Tourism in Australia industry located?

Competitive Forces

Concentration.

• Combined Market Share of the Four Largest Companies in This Industry ( )
• Share of Total Enterprises by Employment Size

What impacts market share in the Tourism in Australia industry?

Barriers to Entry

What challenges do potential entrants in the Tourism in Australia industry?

Substitutes

What are substitutes in the Tourism in Australia industry?

Buyer and Supplier Power

• Upstream Buyers and Downstream Suppliers in the Tourism in Australia industry

What power do buyers and suppliers have over the Tourism industry in Australia?

Market Share

Top companies by market share:

• Market share
• Profit Margin

Company Snapshots

Company details, summary, charts and analysis available for

Company Details

• Total revenue
• Total operating income
• Total employees
• Industry market share

Company Summary

• Description
• Brands and trading names
• Other industries

What's influencing the company's performance?

External Environment

External drivers.

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Tourism in Australia industry?

Regulation and Policy

What regulations impact the Tourism in Australia industry?

What assistance is available to the Tourism in Australia industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Cost structure.

• Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
• Depreciation

What trends impact cost in the Tourism in Australia industry?

Financial Ratios

• 3-4 Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
• 15-20 Income Statement Line Items (2018-2023)
• 20-30 Balance Sheet Line Items (2018-2023)
• 7-10 Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
• 1-5 Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
• 3-4 Leverage Ratios (2018-2023)
• 3-5 Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
• 5 Cash Flow and Debt Service Ratios (2018-2023)
• 1 Tax Structure Ratio (2018-2023)

Data tables

• IVA/Revenue ( )
• Imports/Demand ( )
• Exports/Revenue ( )
• Revenue per Employee ( )
• Wages/Revenue ( )
• Employees per Establishment ( )
• Average Wage ( )

Key Statistics

Industry data.

Including values and annual change:

• Revenue ( )
• Establishments ( )
• Enterprises ( )
• Employment ( )
• Exports ( )
• Imports ( )

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the tourism industry in australia.

The market size of the Tourism industry in Australia is measured at in .

How fast is the Tourism in Australia market projected to grow in the future?

Over the next five years, the Tourism in Australia market is expected to . See purchase options to view the full report and get access to IBISWorld's forecast for the Tourism in Australia from up to .

What factors are influencing the Tourism industry in Australia market trends?

Key drivers of the Tourism in Australia market include .

What are the main product lines for the Tourism in Australia market?

The Tourism in Australia market offers products and services including .

Which companies are the largest players in the Tourism industry in Australia?

Top companies in the Tourism industry in Australia, based on the revenue generated within the industry, includes .

How many people are employed in the Tourism industry in Australia?

The Tourism industry in Australia has employees in Australia in .

How concentrated is the Tourism market in Australia?

Market share concentration is for the Tourism industry in Australia, with the top four companies generating of market revenue in Australia in . The level of competition is overall, but is highest among smaller industry players.

Methodology

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These are the top 10 countries for travel and tourism

The US retains its prime position in the World Economic Forum's latest Travel & Tourism Development Index. Image:  Unsplash/EveLazco

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• Pent-up demand after the pandemic is expected to drive passenger numbers back up to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
• The recovery of the travel and tourism sector since the pandemic has been uneven, however, and some nations are better placed than others to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the future.
• The top three best-placed countries for travel and tourism are the US, Spain and Japan, according to the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index.

If you were desperate to get away after the restrictions and enforced staying at home of the pandemic years, you were far from alone.

Global international tourist arrivals are expected to meet pre-pandemic levels in 2024 driven by this pent-up demand. But, the recovery of the travel and tourism sector since the pandemic has not been without challenges. Add to that macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental factors, which have added pressures on the industry.

These pressures will amplify and evolve over the coming years and, along with the growth of digital technologies and AI, may well force the travel industry to adapt.

Some economies are better placed than others to make these changes, respond to future risks and ensure that travel and tourism is a driver of economic growth and prosperity.

With this in mind, the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) aims to serve as a benchmark for stakeholders to gauge progress, inform decisions and policies, and encourage sustainable and resilient growth.

A mixed recovery in challenging conditions

Europe dominates the top 10 economies for T&T, as ranked by the 2023 index, although the top spot is clinched by the US.

But the index also shows that while 71 of the 119 economies it ranks improved their scores between 2019 and 2023, the average improvement is just 0.7% above pre-pandemic levels.

On the one hand, the rebound in travel and tourism has coincided with rising global air route capacity and connectivity, improved international openness, and increased investment in natural and cultural resources driving tourism. On the other hand, non-leisure demand is still lagging, there are ongoing labour shortages, and air route capacity and connectivity, capital investment and productivity have struggled to keep pace with demand.

This has created a supply and demand imbalance which, along with inflationary pressures, has led to reduced price competitiveness and service disruptions.

Europe and Asia-Pacific have the most favourable conditions

Of the top 30 TTDI scorers in 2023, 26 are high-income countries. Nineteen of them are based in Europe, and seven in Asia Pacific.

These countries benefit from favourable business environments and labour markets, open travel policies, advanced technology adoption, excellent transport and tourism infrastructure, and rich natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions.

As a result, this group of 30 accounted for more than three-quarters of T&T industry GDP in 2022, and 70% of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022.

But although this group is leading the way, many of the above-average improvements in scores come from low- to upper-middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan and North Africa, Eurasia, South America, South Asia, and the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

While many have shown improvements, these less affluent countries still make up the vast majority of below-average scorers in the index. More investment is needed to help increase their share of the market and improve their readiness for future risks and opportunities.

Progress needed on resilience and equality

The ability of the travel and tourism sector to grow is limited by challenges like tight labour markets, growing fiscal constraints and concerns around health and security conditions. Labour market resilience will be an increasingly important factor for the sector, but issues like equality of job opportunities, workers’ rights and social protection are holding many economies – particularly low- and middle-income ones – back in this area.

As other sectors proceed to decarbonize, the aviation sector could account for a much higher share of global greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century than its 2%-3% share today.

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can reduce the life-cycle carbon footprint of aviation fuel by up to 80%, but they currently make up less than 0.1% of total aviation fuel consumption. Enabling a shift from fossil fuels to SAFs will require a significant increase in production, which is a costly investment.

The Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST) Coalition is a global initiative driving the transition to sustainable aviation fuels as part of the aviation industry’s ambitious efforts to achieve carbon-neutral flying.

The coalition brings together government leaders, climate experts and CEOs from aviation, energy, finance and other sectors who agree on the urgent need to help the aviation industry reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The coalition aims to advance the commercial scale of viable production of sustainable low-carbon aviation fuels (bio and synthetic) for broad adoption in the industry by 2030. Initiatives include a mechanism for aggregating demand for carbon-neutral flying, a co-investment vehicle and geographically specific value-chain industry blueprints.

Learn more about the Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition's impact and contact us to find out how you can get involved.

Another major hurdle for the sector is balancing growth with sustainability. Although there has been broad progress in areas like energy sustainability, some progress – like the fall in emissions seen during the pandemic – is likely to only be temporary.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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A growth agenda for India-Australia economic ties

Recent steps forward on the trade front have also cleared the way for greater ambition in the partnership.

• India's Economy

Energy, technology, education, and agriculture – India and Australia have taken significant steps in each sector over recent years to enhance cooperation and build on existing trade. The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) set down in September 2021 marks a significant milestone in this effort, which both governments see as poised to increase trade volumes by streamlining digital processes and eliminating tariffs on a substantial portion of goods. This agreement is hoped to pave the way for the more ambitious Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (AIFTA) , with Australia aiming to place India among its top three export markets by 2035 . 

In February this year, India recorded a trade deficit of US$637 million with Australia. Significant imports from Australia into India include coal and gas, education, gold, and significant exports in return include tourism, medicines, pearls and gems along with refined petroleum. From 2023 to 2024 , India’s exports to Australia grew by 1.6 per cent, while imports significantly declined by 21.2 per cent. The ECTA, effective from December 2022, facilitated reductions in trade barriers, boosting India's export capabilities. Conversely, the significant decline in imports from Australia was mainly due to reduced demand for key commodities such as coal and briquettes, driven by India's shift towards renewable energy and an economic slowdown affecting energy policy.

The geopolitical landscape also influences these partnerships, with the global focus on the Indo-Pacific region creating an alignment for India and Australia as a counterweight to China.

However, with the ECTA arrangements set to eliminate tariffs on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods shipped to India and 96 per cent of Indian goods sent to Australia, the expectation is for a significant trade increase in the coming decade to 2035. Australian service providers will also gain greater access to the Indian market in more than 85 categories , including professional services, healthcare, and education, encouraging investment in India. Manufacturing is increasingly the focus of national industrial policy worldwide, with opportunities as in India’s skilled workforce and Australia’s technological expertise.

Australia can meet India’s demand for coal and minerals while India develops and seeks buyers for its clean energy resources and critical minerals for renewable technologies. This aligns with India’s clean energy ambitions, as evidenced by collaboration in clean coal technologies and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage . 

Opportunities are also seen in India’s food security by reducing tariffs on Australian pulses and lentils, providing Australian farmers better access to the Indian market. India can, in turn, increase exports of fruits such as mangoes to Australia, creating a more efficient value chain that reduces food waste and spoilage. Indeed, collaborative efforts in modern manufacturing and food processing can lead to more efficient and competitive global value chains.

While the ECTA has opened numerous opportunities, several obstacles hinder the full realisation of these potential benefits. One major obstacle is the regulatory and infrastructural differences between the two countries. Harmonising standards and certifications, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and pharmaceuticals, poses significant challenges. This regulatory divergence often leads to delays and increased costs for businesses attempting to navigate both markets.

Technological advancements in digital economics, especially blockchain and digital payments, offer promising solutions to streamline trade between India and Australia. Digital payment systems such as Australia’s PayID and India’s Unified Payments Interface can reduce trade costs  by as much as 16 per cent, according to a 2022 World Bank report. Digital payments can enhance trade efficiency by enabling seamless transactions and reducing reliance on traditional methods such as letters of credit. E-commerce platforms can connect businesses and consumers globally, opening new markets for both Australian and Indian goods.

Initiatives to facilitate digital commerce, such as the Asia-Pacific Commerce Agreement (APTA), promote electronic certificates of origin and digital trade papers, streamlining trade processes and reducing mistakes related to paper-based management. Blockchain technology, considered tamper-proof and secure, may facilitate the use of smart contracts to automate trade procedures, speed transactions, and cut costs. This will require overcoming the digital skills gap and investing in digital infrastructure between Australia and India. Again, harmonising regulations is essential for smooth integration and preventing interruptions to commerce.

The geopolitical landscape also influences these partnerships, with the global focus on the Indo-Pacific region creating an alignment for India and Australia as a counterweight to China. India's cautious stance towards regional trade agreements, exemplified by its exit from negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019 due to concerns over China’s dominant role, reflects its apprehensions about entering agreements that might undermine its domestic industries. These geopolitical considerations, coupled with domestic economic policies, have also slowed down the pace of deeper economic integration with countries such as Australia​.

Finally, instead of being overly concerned with trade deficits, India should focus on the nature of traded commodities and prioritise trade in intermediaries, especially manufacturing. As negotiations progress towards a more comprehensive trade and economic deal, attention should be given to underdeveloped sectors such as agriculture, education, tourism, and services, emphasising liberalising services and enhancing digital infrastructure. The ambition of both countries should be rich.

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• Minister for Trade and Tourism
• Special Minister of State

Senator the Hon Don Farrell

• Media Releases
• Transcripts

China lifts suspensions on five meat establishments

• Joint media release with:
• Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

The Australian Government has confirmed that China's suspension of five meat processing establishments has been lifted with immediate effect.

Eight beef processing facilities have now had suspensions lifted, while two facilities remain suspended.

We continue to press China to remove the remaining trade impediments, including for Australia's rock lobster industry.

The progress so far affirms the calm and consistent approach taken by the Albanese Labor Government.

Trade impediments imposed by China prior to the May 2022 election resulted in a $20.6 billion reduction in exports.

China's progressive removal of impediments since then, including today's announcement, means less than $1 billion worth of exports remain impeded.

The lifting of impediments has already had a real-world impact – to the tune of more than $11.5 billion – for Australian barley, cotton, oaten hay, wine, coal, copper ores and timber logs.

The Australian Government's approach is to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must and engage in our national interest.

Trade diversification is a key element of the Government's trade policy strategy. The Government will continue to support Australian businesses to sell their world-class products on the global stage.

Media enquiries

• Minister's office: 02 6277 7420
• DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

Tourism Businesses in Australia: June 2016 to 2021

This report estimates the number of businesses in Australia’s tourism industry.

Main content

This report provides statistics on Australia’s tourism businesses. It reports on changes from June 2016 to June 2021 in:

• business size
• contributions.

By presenting information over this timeframe, this report shows the:

• strong growth in tourism demand prior to the pandemic
• severe disruption to Australia’s visitor economy in 2020 and 2021.

Tourism businesses snapshot

There were 334,532 tourism businesses in Australia as at June 2021. This means one in 7 Australian businesses (14%) were tourism-related.

Increasing tourism businesses

The number of tourism businesses increased by 2.9% (or 9,400 businesses) in 2020-21, compared to 2019-20. This increase in business numbers occurred despite the negative impacts of COVID-19 on visitor demand.

Reasons for this result included:

• governments delivered different support packages. This allowed businesses to operate on reduced turnovers
• a large increase in the number of small and micro businesses
• retail trade businesses (especially online operators)
• cafes, restaurants and take-away businesses.

However, some tourism businesses lost workers and others stopped operation.

About this report

In this report, we show changes:

• in tourism business numbers
• in tourism’s economic contribution
• by business size
• by state and territory
• by business turnover.

You can also see changes in these sectors:

• taxi transport
• accommodation
• restaurants
• travel agency and tour operator services
• retail trade.

Business categories

This report categorises tourism businesses by employment size. This is to make it easier to understand growth patterns. The categories are:

• non-employing – sole trader with no other employees
• micro – 1 to 4 employees
• small – 5 to 19 employees
• medium-sized – 20 to 199 employees
• large – 200 and over employees.

Difficult operating conditions

The COVID-19 pandemic began to impact Australia from March 2020. This saw:

• governments closing international and state borders
• airlines grounding passenger fleets
• businesses shutting down and hotels going into hibernation.

Visitation and spend slumped as:

• global travellers cancelled plans
• travel restrictions stifled domestic tourism.

Impacts on the sector during 2020-21

No sector of the economy escaped the impacts of the pandemic. However, tourism was one of the industries most affected:

• Tourism Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 37% in 2020-21. This is compared with 4.3% growth for the economy during the same period.
• Tourism employment fell 20% (or 129,000 workers) in 2020-21. Australia’s workforce grew 1.1% over the same period.

Number of tourism businesses

The number of tourism businesses in Australia’s visitor economy continued to grow in 2020-21. This was despite a very difficult operating environment.

Australia had 334,532 tourism businesses at June 2021. This was:

• 9% higher than at June 2020
• 19% higher than at June 2016.

However, the rate of growth in tourism businesses slowed in 2020-21 compared with previous years.

Reasons for this growth in 2020-21 were:

• continuing JobKeeper and other forms of state and federal government support. This allowed many tourism businesses to operate on reduced turnovers
• in particular, the share of tourism businesses reporting revenue less than $50k increased.

Change in business numbers by industry

The make-up of the Australian tourism industry has changed greatly since 2016 (Table 1). For example, at June 2021, there were:

• 78% more taxi transport and other road transport businesses. This was due to increases in ride-share and car-share services
• 17% more cafes, restaurants and take-away businesses. This was due to population growth and increased use of online food delivery services
• operated as very small businesses
• could give more personalised travel advice.

Note: Totals may vary from actual estimates. This is due to a technique used at the Australian Bureau of Statistics to ensure data confidentiality.

Drivers of tourism business growth

Drivers of growth in tourism businesses in the previous financial year (between July 2020 and June 2021), were:

• 8,623 more retail trade businesses. 45% of new entrants were non-store retailing and retail commission base (online businesses)
• 4,970 more cafes, restaurants and take-away businesses. This was an increase of 5.7%. All growth came from micro and small businesses
• 1,749 more businesses providing creative services. This was up 5.5%. This category includes artists, musicians and performers
• 154 more motor vehicle hiring businesses
• 87 more accommodation related businesses
• 68 businesses related to air and water transport.

Tourism businesses in decline

Over the same most-recent financial year period there was a decline in:

• taxi transport and other road transport businesses. This was down 15% (or 6,156 fewer businesses)
• travel agency and tour operator services. This was down 1.6% (or 148 fewer businesses).

Business size

Tourism businesses are mostly small operations. At June 2021:

• almost half (45.1%) of tourism businesses had no employees other than the owner
• 33% had between one and 4 employees.

Compared with June 2019:

• the share of non-employing businesses decreased (down 3.4%)
• micro businesses increased by a similar extent (up 3.6%).

The concentration of smaller businesses with zero to 4 employees is greatest in:

• taxi transport (99%)
• cultural services (96%)
• motor vehicle hire (92%).

Shift in business number and size since 2019

There was strong growth in the number of tourism businesses in the years leading up to the pandemic (Table 2). This growth in activity was most evident among non-employing businesses. This was mostly due to emerging ride-share and car-share businesses.

Over this period there was also strong growth in large tourism businesses.

Since 2019 there have been more shifts in business sizes:

• Tourism businesses in 2021 were smaller on average than tourism businesses in 2019
• The growth in small and micro businesses only partly offsets the decline in larger businesses. This means there is an overall decline in the tourism workforce.

This employment decline is consistent with results of the  National Tourism Satellite Account 2020–21 . This reported a 25% fall in tourism workers between 2018-19 and 2020-21.

Turnover of tourism businesses

Turnover for most tourism businesses was low. At June 2021:

• over half (53%) had annual revenues of less than $200,000
• 10% had revenues greater than $2 million per annum
• 47% of businesses in regional Australia had revenues of less than $200,000 per annum. This was compared to 56% of those in capital cities and the Gold Coast.

Figure 2 shows that business turnover in 2021 on average was lower than in 2016. This is due to a greater share of businesses with turnover of less than $50k in the visitor economy.

Tourism business growth across Australia

Growth by state and territory.

At June 2021, most tourism businesses (81%) were located in:

• New South Wales (NSW)
• Victoria (Vic)
• Queensland (Qld).

This is consistent with the  State Tourism Satellite Account  (STSA) data. The STSA shows these 3 states collectively accounted for 77% of:

• tourism GDP in 2019–20
• national visitor consumption in 2019–20.

Faster growth

Business numbers grew most quickly between June 2016 and June 2019 in the following states and territories:

• Vic average annual growth of 5.9%
• NSW average annual growth of 4.3%
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT) average annual growth of 4.0%.

Slower growth

The slower growing states between June 2016 and June 2019 were:

• South Australia (SA) (average annual growth of 1.6%)
• Northern Territory (NT) (average annual growth of 0.9%).

Growth between June 2019 and June 2021

Patterns of growth have changed between June 2019 and June 2021. States and territories showing stronger growth in business numbers in this more recent period were:

• Tas (up 3.0%)
• Vic (up 3.0%)
• Qld (up 2.2%)
• NT (up 2.1%)
• SA (up 2.0%)
• ACT and NSW (each up 1.8%)
• WA (up 0.8%)

Growth in Australia’s regions

The number of tourism businesses in regional Australia increased between June 2016 and June 2019. This was by an average of 1.8% annually. This was well below the 5.6% business growth rate for capital cities and the Gold Coast. The share of tourism business in regional Australia declined from 33.0% to 30.6% as a result.

More recent data shows regional Australia saw a 3.8% growth in tourism businesses overall between June 2019 and June 2021. This was compared to 4.5% in the capital cities and Gold Coast. The share of tourism business in regional Australia decreased further. This was from 30.6% to 30.5%, as a result.

Breakdown of growth in regional Australia

The growth in tourism businesses from June 2019 in regional Australia was not evenly spread (Table 3). This included:

• a large decline in medium-sized businesses (down 6.9%)
• large businesses (down 0.6%)
• non-employing businesses (down 1.3%)
• a slight increase in small businesses (up 3.8%)
• a large increase in micro businesses (up 12.5%).

Data tables

Find out more about tourism businesses in our data tables.

Summary table

Geographic breakdown

Employment size data

Organisation/employment data

Contact TRA

mail   tourism.research@tra.gov.au

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The Hon Madeleine King MP Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia Media Releases Speeches Transcripts Enter search terms Home King Media Releases More opportunities to work with the EU on critical minerals More opportunities to work with the EU on critical minerals

Joint media release with Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell.

Australia and the European Union (EU) have agreed to work more closely together to strengthen the supply of critical minerals which is key to achieving the transition to net zero.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today by Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, EU Executive Vice President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, and EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.

This close partnership provides a platform for deeper links between Australia and European Union critical and strategic materials supply chains, greater science, technology and innovation collaboration, and the development of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

The partnership follows the recent implementation of the EU’s new Critical Raw Materials Act , which creates new opportunities for the Australian mining and manufacturing sectors, as well as the essential workers in these industries.

Details of the Australia-EU strategic partnership on sustainable critical and strategic minerals is available on the Department of Industry, Science and Resources website.

Quotes attributable to the Trade & Tourism Minister, Don Farrell:

“Australia has some of the largest deposits of critical minerals on earth – minerals that are necessary parts of everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. 

“Our partnership will encourage investment from the EU into Australian renewable energy projects, including the local manufacturing industry boosted by the Albanese Labor Government’s $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia package.

“Investment from our international partners is vital to achieving Australia’s full potential as a Renewable Energy Superpower – and helps create more secure well-paid jobs for Australians.” 

Quotes attributable to the Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King:

“Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy and the Future Made in Australia ambition aims to establish Australia as a clean energy superpower by 2030.

“Australia has the critical minerals, well established global supply chains and high environmental and social governance standards that support the development of our critical minerals sector.

“Those advantages will be crucial to help develop and grow the low-emissions technologies that will help the world to lower emissions and to help Australia and our export partners achieve our climate commitments.

“The clean energy transition will ride on the back of Australia’s critical minerals.”

• Other Industries

‘Won’t stand for this’: Up to 1,700 trucks converge on Perth CBD in protest of live export legislation

Over a thousand trucks and farm vehicles have gathered in an Australian CBD to demand the government retract an industry-crushing decision.

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Over a thousand trucks and farm vehicles have set up shop in Perth’s CBD, blaring their horns in unison as part of a large-scale protest against the planned cessation of the live sheep export trade.

Traffic has ground to a near standstill on several of Perth’s main roads as the “Keep the Sheep” convoy enters the city from four different suburban starting points.

The demonstration comes in response to the Federal Government’s recent legislation , which sets a definitive end date for the live sheep export industry from Australia, effective May 2028.

“We’re all getting sick and tired of being told what to do and how to do it,” Peter Warburton, one of the organisers, said.

“We’re here to stand up and show the government that we do listen and we’ve been doing the best way and you guys need to stand up and listen now.”

Mr Warburton said while the disruption cause from the protest could turn the public against farmers, it was important they “stand up to the Government”.

“It could turn a percentage (against farmers),” he said.

“But I hope they all go back on their social medias and their Google searches and type in ‘Keep the Sheep’ and see what we’re actually doing as an industry.”

Fellow organiser Paul Brown echoed Warburton’s sentiments, describing the government’s move as the final straw for rural communities across Western Australia.

“We’re just saying enough is enough. We won’t stand for this; we want the legislation revoked,” Brown asserted.

Organisers told the ABC they estimate up to 1,700 trucks participated in the protest.

It came after a farmer has savaged the federal government over its decision to scrap the controversial live sheep export trade, claiming it will leave people in his industry “broke”.

“It’s destroyed the industry on a whim,” David Slade, a livestock farmer from Mount Barker in Western Australia, told news.com.au earlier this month.

“Everybody’s really livid.”

On Saturday, the Albanese government announced it was funding a $107 million package over four years to help farmers transition out of the sheep export industry after it pledged to end the practice amid animal welfare concerns.

The plan is for the entire industry to be completely phased out by May 1, 2028.

The live sheep export industry was hit by controversy in 2018 when sickening footage revealed thousands of sheep had died aboard livestock vessels due to overcrowding and excessive heat.

However, according to industry figures, including Mr Slade, in the wake of years-old scandals, Australia has tightened its welfare standards and is now world-leading.

“Our welfare standards are absolutely top notch,” Mr Slade lamented. “It wasn’t good before, there’s no doubt about that. We own that. We’ve made sure that that doesn’t happen again.”

He added: “If it was justified, then I’d say okay. But it (the shutdown of the industry) is not justified.”

As part of the federal government’s phase-out plan, farmers, truck drivers, shearers and other workers along the live sheep supply chain are entitled to compensation.

They would share a $64.6 million package to diversify into new areas, with the government encouraging an expansion of the chilled meat sector.

“Quite frankly it’s an insult,” Mr Slade said.

“The money won’t even scratch the surface. It’s a billion dollar industry which they’re playing with.”

He revealed that those in the industry have been nervous for some time about the extreme measure, and his sheep farm has taken a massive hit as a result.

“We run 20,000 sheep. Because of this uncertainty we’ve had to go out of sheep into grain.”

Mr Slade’s farm is now two-thirds grain, as he was struggling to sell his sheep at the usual price because no one wanted them.

If he hadn’t switched to growing grain, “I’d go broke”. He said he made a loss for two years before making the switch.

The news comes at the worst time for those in the industry, rendering it a “perfect storm”.

“It’s the driest summer on record. We got some rain a week ago, that was the first rain in five or six months,” he explained.

Other industry heavyweights have reiterated Mr Slade’s concerns.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced the end of the live sheep export trade by sea after releasing a report with 28 recommendations on winding down the system.

“We are giving certainty to sheep producers and the supply chain by legislating the date, and putting $107 million on the table to enable an orderly and well-planned transition away from the trade,” Senator Watt said in Perth.

But others were not impressed.

The National Farmers Federation (NFF) has also criticised the decision, describing the four-year timeline to phase out live sheep exports as “radical” and saying it had left farmers “shocked.”

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It claimed it ignored industry advice that such a rapid timeline would spell “catastrophe” for farming communities, animal welfare and Australia’s global trading partnerships, the NFF added.

NFF CEO Tony Mahar said it was “devastating slap in the face” and described the announcement as a “bombshell.”

“Murray Watt has decided to book us on the express train to disaster, but this isn’t the final chapter in this story. We’ll keep fighting,” NFF CEO Tony Mahar said.

Economists and investors are very excited about the strength of iron ore. But this is why they need to be very careful.

Aussie shares shrugged off a grim night on Wall St to end a three-day losing streak and finish the week with a broadbased rebound.

Aussie fast food chain Guzman y Gomez has made a huge announcement on the future of the company which could spark a $200m expansion across the country.

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Australian beef exports to China can resume after trade war suspension, minister says

Five major Australian beef exporters suspended from exporting meat to China can now resume, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has confirmed.

Senator Watt told ABC News Breakfast the suspensions were lifted by Beijing on Wednesday night with immediate effect.

"We had already seen a couple of other processing operations have their trade bans lifted, but now [it's] another five," Senator Watt said.

"That is fantastic news for the cattle producers, for the meat processing industry and for the workers in those industries."

Meat industry analyst Simon Quilty told the ABC the reinstated meatworks are the Kilcoy Pastoral Company, Meramist at Caboolture, the JBS-owned Beef City (near Toowoomba) and Dinmore (near Brisbane), and the Northern Cooperative Meat Company at Casino.

The meatworks had been trading about $1 billion worth of beef when they were locked out due to technical reasons during a trade war that began in 2020.

China previously lifted COVID-related suspensions on three Australian abattoirs in December , while two further exporters, John Dee and Australian Country Choice, remain on the suspended list.

The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) welcomed Beijing's latest move, calling it a "great outcome not only for these companies but the clients some of them process for, and the thousands of farmers and feedlots they support through cattle purchase".

"After four years of advocacy and hard work on the behalf of red meat exporters we have finally achieved a fantastic result," said AMIC CEO Patrick Hutchinson.

"As a matter of priority, we will continue working with the federal government and China on … having the remaining two exporters' suspensions lifted.

"We are thankful to the Australian government, Prime Minister Albanese, Minister Watt and Minister Farrell [for] their work in assisting these businesses to regain their access to this incredibly important market."

Former trade minister and Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan said the lifting of the suspensions showed Beijing understood its sanctions did not work.

"China has realised this is hurting them and not us," he told the ABC's RN Breakfast.

"I give the previous Coalition government credit and current Albanese Labor government credit."

China maintains the suspensions it imposed on a number of Australian abattoirs from 2020 were related to COVID regulations or were for technical reasons such as labelling errors.

However, analysts say the protracted bans were part of a campaign of economic punishment conducted by China against Australia due to political tensions.

China has since lifted trade barriers it placed on other Australian goods, such as crippling tariffs on barley and wine.

Trade barriers remain on lobster exporters.

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