Business conditions and economic diversity
The strength of our business sector supports the wellbeing of our community and economy. This indicator measures the vibrancy and diversity of the ACT economy.
The Wellbeing Data Dashboard is intended to measure wellbeing progress over time, with updates made every two years.
ACT Treasury publishes the latest key economic indicators at Economic Indicators for the ACT.
Change in number of businesses
This measure shows the annual change in the number of actively trading businesses in the ACT.
Small businesses are a critical part of the ACT’s diverse economy. They drive our economy, provide employment, support schools and charities, and contribute to social connection. Increases in the number of businesses operating in the ACT contribute to the positive wellbeing of our community.
The number of ACT businesses grew by 1.9% in 2024-25. This is consistent with a downward trend in business growth across all jurisdictions over 2024-25 compared to previous years.
The data indicates that, while business numbers in all jurisdictions continue to grow, the rate of growth has slowed over the past three years.
Industry gross value added growth
This measure shows the annual change in the value of goods and services produced by each industry in the ACT, after accounting for inflation, and helps us understand the value different industries bring to the ACT economy.
In 2024-25, growth was highest in:
- public administration and safety
- transport, postal and warehousing
- electricity, gas, water and waste services.
Growth was lowest in:
- construction
- manufacturing
- wholesale trade.
Data source
The data is published on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
A link to download the latest data is below:
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/national-accounts/australian-national-accounts-state-accounts/latest-release#data-downloads
ABS Release: Australian National Accounts: State Accounts
Table 9. Expenditure, Income and Industry Components of Gross State Product, Australian Capital Territory, Chain volume measures and current prices.
Chart description
Bar chart of annual change in the value of goods and services produced by 19 industries in the ACT, by financial year from 2014-15 to 2024-25. In 2024-25, public administration and safety grew by 7.2%; transport, postal and warehousing by 7.0%; and electricity, gas, water and waste services by 6.5%.
Technical notes
The chart excludes growth in Agriculture, forestry and fishing, and Mining industries as their growth rates can be volatile since their overall contribution to the ACT’s Gross State Product is very small (less than 0.1%).
