There were 482,836 small businesses in Queensland on 30 June 2023, representing 19% of all Australian small businesses (compared to 20% of Australia’s population who are Queenslanders1). 

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional Population, 2021-22, Accessed 15 January 2024.


Table 1: Small business in Queensland, 30 June 2023

Source: Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, customised data, 2023.

As shown above, 46% of Queensland’s small businesses were in the Greater Capital City region. This aligns with the population distribution, as around half of Queensland’s population resides outside of Greater Brisbane.


Table 2: Businesses in Queensland by size, 30 June 2023

* Includes businesses where information is only available at the state/territory level.

1 This includes a small number of businesses which have income tax withholding roles for purposes other than withholding amounts from wages and salaries (and as such have zero employment).

2 Calculated by ASBFEO based on the ABS definition of small business of 0-19 employees.

Source: Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, customised data, 2023.


Changes to small businesses numbers for Queensland
 
Chart 1: Annual change in the number of small businesses in Queensland
 
Greater Brisbane Rest of Queensland Queensland Total
2019 3 1 2
2020 2 1 2
2021 4 4 4
2022 5 6 5
2023 2 2 2

Total includes a small number of businesses where information is only available at the state/territory level.

Source: Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics, customised data, 2023.

The number of small businesses in Queensland increased 2% over the year to 30 June 2023. They increased by 4,345 (2%) in Greater Brisbane. The areas with the largest increase in the number of small businesses were:

  • Browns Plains (increased by 582 small businesses)
  • Brisbane Inner (increased by 520 small businesses)
  • Springfield - Redbank (increased by 429 small businesses).

The areas with the largest percentage increase from the previous year were:

  • Browns Plains (increased by 11%)
  • Springfield – Redbank (increased by 8%)
  • Jimboomba (increased by 7%)
  • Beenleigh (increased by 7%).

The number of small businesses in the rest of Queensland increased by 5,206 (2%) over the year to 30 June 2023. The areas with the largest increase in the number of small businesses were:

  • Ormeau  – Oxenford (increased by 867 small businesses)
  • Toowoomba (increased by 521 small businesses)
  • Mackay (increased by 370 small businesses).

The areas with the largest percentage increase from the previous year were:

  • Ormeau  – Oxenford  (increased by 6%)
  • Sunshine Coast Hinterland (increased by 5%)
  • Gold Coast Hinterland (increased by 5%)
  • Gold Coast – North (increased by 5%)
  • Cairns – North (increased by 5%).