The graphs and tables on this page are now interactive. To get started hover or search within a graph or table. You can also select ‘download data’ to transfer the data directly to your device.
This data presents Australia’s small businesses according to their areas of operation, focusing on each state and territory.
Key findings for the year to 30 June 2023
- The number of small businesses increased in all states and territories except Victoria. Victoria’s decrease can be attributed to a decrease in the number of small businesses in Greater Melbourne. The number of small businesses also fell in Other Territories (Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island).
- The largest increases in percentage terms were in the Australian Capital Territory (3.3%) and Queensland (2.1%).
- The top five regions with the highest number of small businesses were all in Greater Capital City areas: Sydney Inner City (NSW), Melbourne City (Vic), Wyndham (Vic), Boroondara (Vic), and Perth City (WA).
- The regional areas with the highest number of small businesses were Geelong (Vic), Ormeau – Oxenford (Qld), Newcastle (NSW), Toowoomba (Qld) and Townsville (Qld).
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 Queenslanders).
There were 238,907 small businesses in Western Australia on 30 June 2023, representing 9% of all Australian small businesses and in proportion with 11% of Australians living in the west.
There were 849,075 small businesses in New South Wales (NSW) on 30 June 2023. These accounted for 34% of all Australian small businesses (compared to 31% of the population that live in NSW1).
There were 15,431 small businesses in the Northern Territory, representing 1% of Australian small businesses on 30 June 2023. This is consistent with the 1% of Australians living in the Northern Territory.
There were 155,221 small businesses in South Australia on 30 June 2023, representing 6% of all Australian small businesses (compared to 7% of the population living in South Australia).
There were 33,992 small businesses in the ACT on 30 June 2023, representing 1% of all Australian small businesses. This is consistent with the proportion of Australia’s population living in the ACT (2%).
There were 701,061 small businesses in Victoria on 30 June 2023, representing 28% of all Australian small businesses (compared to 25% of the population that lives in Victoria2).
There were 42,010 small businesses in Tasmania, representing 2% of Australian small businesses on 30 June 2023. This is in proportion to the 2% of Australians living in Tasmania.
N/A
Data notes:
Businesses can operate across multiple geographic locations. To prevent double counting, this data attributes them to one geographical location. For this reason, the business counts may not reflect the full extent of business activity in each location.
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) defines small businesses as those with less than 20 employees for this data. The data is classified using the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).
This data excludes businesses not registered for GST. Cells may not add up to totals due to the Australian Bureau of Statistics adjusting cells to avoid releasing confidential information. Exercise care when analysing small numbers for this reason. The ABS revised data for 2021-22 so these figures will not reconcile to previous publications. For further information see Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, Including Entries and Exits methodology.
