NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS STATISTICS
RELEASE DATE: 21 FEBRUARY 2017
Number of Small Business
now 2,116,708 2.4 per cent
over 2015-16 In 2016, 97 per cent of all
businesses are small businesses—62 per cent (or 1,318,579) of small businesses
are
non-employing businesses.
Small businesses are those actively trading businesses with
fewer than 20 employees.
Source: ABS 8165
Employing Small
Businesses now 798,129 2.1 per cent
over 2015-16
Employing small businesses are those actively trading businesses
with 1 to 19 employees.
Source: ABS 8165
75 per cent (or 599,408) of employing small businesses
employ 1 to 4 employees
Entries now 309,152 10.3 per cent
over 2015-16
Entries include new business registrations, reactivations and
businesses that have recommenced remitting GST.
Source: ABS 8165
The 10-year average of small business entries is 296,819.
1,900 2,000 2,100 2,200
1,900 2,000 2,100 2,200
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
'000 '000
700 750 800 850
700 750 800 850
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
'000 '000
100 150 200 250 300 350
100 150 200 250 300 350
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
'000 '000
Exits now 257,992
-0.1 per cent
over 2015-16
Exits include cancelled registrations and businesses that
have ceased remitting GST.
Source: ABS 8165
The 10-year average of small business exits is 281,105.
Small Business Proportion of
Output^
now 35.6 per cent
2.6
percentage points
over 2014-15 In 2015, small business accounted for around $379 billion worth of industry value
added. This is an increase of
$37.6 billion on 2014 levels.
Source: ABS 8155
Small Business Proportion of Employment^
now 44.8 per cent
1.4 percentage points
over 2014-15
In 2015, small business provided employment for around 4.8 million people. This is an increase
of 170,000 people employed by small businesses on 2014 levels.
. Source: ABS 8155
^ Output and employment data excludes financial, insurance and public sectors.
100 150 200 250 300 350
100 150 200 250 300 350
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
'000 '000
30 32 34 36 38
30 32 34 36 38
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Per cent Per cent
40 42 44 46 48
40 42 44 46 48
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Per cent Per cent
Latest data Value
Change from previous qtr (%)
Change from previous yr (%)
10-yr average
annual growth (%) Next release Source Number of small businesses
Total ('000) 2015-16 2,116.7 NA 2.4 1.2 Early 2018 ABS cat. 8165
Employing ('000) 2015-16 798.1 NA 2.1 1.0 Early 2018 ABS cat. 8165
Non-employing ('000) 2015-16 1,318.6 NA 2.6 1.3 Early 2018 ABS cat. 8165
Entries and exits
Entries ('000) 2015-16 309.2 NA 10.3 296.8^ Early 2018 ABS cat. 8165
Exits ('000) 2015-16 258.0 NA -0.1 281.1^ Early 2018 ABS cat. 8165
Output (IVA)
Output ($b) 2014-15 379.2 NA 11.0 5.0 26 May 2017 ABS cat. 8155
Share of total (%) 2014-15 35.6 NA 2.6^^ 36.0^ 26 May 2017 ABS cat. 8155
Employment
Employment ('000) 2014-15 4,761.0 NA 3.7 -0.8* 26 May 2017 ABS cat. 8155
Share of total (%) 2014-15 44.8 NA 1.4^^ 46.5* ^ 26 May 2017 ABS cat. 8155
* 7-yr average not 10-yr average ^ 10-yr average value ^^ Percentage point difference
(A) (B) (A/B) (A/4.8m) (C) (D) (C/D) (C/$379.2m)
Industry
Small business employment
('000)
Total employment
('000)
Small business share of total
employment (%)
Industry share of total small
business employment
(%)
Small business IVA ($m)
Total IVA ($m)
Small business share of total
IVA (%)
Industry share of total
small business IVA (%)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 390 477 82 8 24,505 30,656 80 6
Mining 17 173 10 0 13,014 118,281 11 3
Manufacturing 286 856 33 6 21,223 98,058 22 6
Electricity, gas, water and waste services 14 112 13 0 3,916 44,113 9 1
Construction 729 1,038 70 15 65,978 116,155 57 17
Wholesale trade 206 543 38 4 17,774 61,103 29 5
Retail trade 472 1,316 36 10 22,426 71,126 32 6
Accommodation and food services 436 963 45 9 14,575 38,579 38 4
Transport, postal and warehousing 233 574 41 5 17,626 69,713 25 5
Information Media and Telecommunications 38 170 22 1 2,943 36,669 8 1
Rental, hiring and real estate services 312 403 77 7 56,921 71,575 80 15
Professional, scientific and technical services 498 964 52 10 45,479 108,394 42 12
Administrative and support services 285 812 35 6 14,477 53,269 27 4
Public administration and safety (private) 23 85 27 0 1,573 5,536 28 0
Education and training (private) 91 399 23 2 4,475 25,678 17 1
Health care and social assistance (private) 351 1,079 33 7 32,119 76,698 42 8
Arts and recreation services 65 201 32 1 2,502 12,171 21 1
Other services 318 472 67 7 17,632 28,710 61 5
Total selected industries 4,761 10,636 45 100 379,160 1,066,484 36 100
Source: 2014-15 ABS cat. 8155 Table 5.
Note: 'Total employment' and 'Total IVA' represents all businesses (i.e. small, medium and large). 'Industry share of total small business employment/IVA' represents small business employment/IVA in the selected industry divided by total small business employment/IVA (i.e. the summation of small business' contribution across all industries)
Private Non-Financial Employment Private Non-Financial Industry Value Added (IVA)
