Tree nut growing is projected to grow 29.7% in revenue in 2026, making it Australia’s single fastest-growing industry by annual growth rate. Across the broader economy, the pattern is clear: clean energy, premium agriculture, and AI-related services are pulling away from the pack. This article covers the latest fastest growing business in Australia statistics for 2026, drawn from IBISWorld, Deloitte, CSIRO, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Fastest Growing Business in Australia Statistics (Top Picks)
- Tree nut growing leads all Australian industries with 29.7% projected revenue growth in 2026, according to IBISWorld.
- Australia had 2,729,648 actively trading businesses as of June 2025, a 2.5% increase over the prior year.
- Healthcare sector revenue reached $217.3 billion in 2025, employing 2.2 million workers nationally.
- Heidi Health recorded 15,323% three-year revenue growth, topping Deloitte’s 2025 Tech Fast 50.
- 68% of Australian businesses had integrated AI into operations by 2025, per CSIRO data.
What Are the Fastest Growing Industries in Australia by Revenue Growth?
IBISWorld ranked Australian industries by projected single-year revenue growth for 2026. Five of the top ten are tied to the clean energy transition. Three relate to premium agriculture. The list is dominated by export-oriented sectors rather than domestic consumer spending.
| Rank | Industry | Projected Revenue Growth (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tree Nut Growing | 29.7% |
| 2 | Gold & Non-Ferrous Metal Processing | 27.9% |
| 3 | EV Wholesaling | 21.9% |
| 4 | Battery Material Mining | 20.7% |
| 5 | Organic Crop Farming | 19.8% |
| 6 | Organic Farming (Broader) | 16.9% |
| 7 | Superannuation Funds | 15.2% |
| 8 | Hydro Electricity Generation | 14.8% |
| 9 | Solar Panel Installation | 14.1% |
| 10 | Cloud Hosting & Data Processing | 13.6% |
Source: IBISWorld (2026 Fastest Growing Industries in Australia)
Seven of these top ten industries are primarily export-oriented. The pattern for Australian business in 2026 has less to do with domestic spending and more to do with selling what global markets need: critical minerals, clean energy materials, and premium agricultural products.
How Many Businesses Operate in Australia?
Australia had 2,729,648 actively trading businesses as of June 30, 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That works out to roughly one business for every ten people in the country. The number grew 2.5% over the financial year, adding 66,650 new businesses.
| Business Structure | Share of Total |
|---|---|
| Companies | 44% |
| Sole Proprietors | 30% |
| Trusts | 18% |
| Partnerships | 8% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (June 2025)
Around 97.3% of Australian businesses are small businesses with 0 to 19 employees. New South Wales has the most businesses of any state at 916,603 and the highest per-capita business density. Only 75% of Australian businesses survive past their first year of trading.
Which Australian Tech Companies Are Growing Fastest?
Deloitte’s Tech Fast 50 tracks Australian tech companies with the highest three-year revenue growth. The 2025 cohort averaged 739% growth across all 50 winners, with the entry threshold at 143% (up from 123% in 2024). Five companies exceeded 1,000% growth.
| Company | Three-Year Revenue Growth | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| Heidi Health | 15,323% | Healthtech / AI |
| Vinyl Group | 2,374% | Music Technology |
| Firmus Technologies | 2,249% | AI Infrastructure |
Source: Deloitte Tech Fast 50 Australia (November 2025)
Heidi Health, a Melbourne-based company pairing clinicians with AI-powered tools to automate admin work, secured A$98 million in Series B funding at a A$704 million valuation. Victoria now accounts for 30% of the Fast 50 list, up from 18% in 2024, while New South Wales dropped from 56% to 43%.
Fastest Growing Tech Sectors in Australia
Healthtech and fintech companies continued to climb the rankings. Software-led businesses made up the bulk of the list, while the Rising Star category (companies under three years old) required minimum growth of 527%, up from 308% in 2024.
How Fast Is Australia’s Healthcare Sector Growing?
Healthcare and social assistance is Australia’s largest employment sector with 2.2 million workers. Revenue reached $217.3 billion in 2025, and projections put the figure at US$382.3 billion by 2033. The federal government committed $140 billion in healthcare spending for 2025-2026, part of a $537 billion four-year package through 2029.
| Healthcare Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Employment (2026 est.) | 2.2 million |
| Revenue (2025) | $217.3 billion |
| Revenue Projection (2033) | US$382.3 billion |
| Federal Spending (2025-26) | $140 billion |
| Aged/Disabled Care Job Growth (5-yr) | 28% |
| Registered Nurse Job Growth (5-yr) | 13.9% |
Source: Kaplan Business School / Australian Government Budget 2025-26
Employment across the broader sector is expected to grow 12.5% over five years to 2029. Aged care and disabled care positions are projected to grow 28% over the same period, the fastest employment growth rate within the sector.
Fastest Growing Business in Australia: Renewable Energy Statistics
Renewables crossed a threshold in late 2025, accounting for over 50% of electricity generation in the National Electricity Market during Q4. Hydro generators alone saw 38.6% revenue growth in 2025. IBISWorld’s top ten includes three clean energy industries: battery material mining (20.7%), hydro electricity (14.8%), and solar panel installation (14.1%).
| Renewable Energy Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Market (2025) | USD $193.3 billion |
| Projected Market Size (2034) | USD $722.2 billion |
| CAGR (2025-2034) | 15.77% |
| Hydro Generator Revenue Growth (2025) | 38.6% |
| Electricity from Renewables (Q4 2025) | 50%+ |
Source: IMARC Group / Australian Energy Market Operator
Australia is the world’s largest lithium producer and holds over 30% of global uranium reserves. The country’s mineral exports remain tied to global demand for batteries and energy storage, making this sector especially sensitive to international commodity cycles.
How Big Is Australia’s E-Commerce Market?
IBISWorld estimates Australia’s online retail market at $64.9 billion for 2026, with 116,000 businesses operating online. The number of households shopping online grew from 8.2 million in 2019 to 9.8 million in 2024. Mobile commerce now accounts for 65% of all online transactions.
| E-Commerce Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Market Size (2026) | $64.9 billion |
| Online Businesses | 116,000 |
| Households Shopping Online (2024) | 9.8 million |
| Mobile Commerce Share | 65% |
| Projected Users by 2030 | 26.2 million |
| CAGR (2025-2030) | 21.87% |
Source: IBISWorld / Statista / Kaplan Business School
More than 58% of Australians use social media for brand and product research. About 40% of consumers have purchased a product after seeing it on a social media platform. The projected user base will reach 26.2 million by 2030, covering more than 90% of Australia’s current population.
Fastest Growing Business in Australia: AI Adoption Statistics
Australia’s AI market was valued at AUD 7.25 billion in 2025, according to Expert Market Research. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 14% to 51% through the early 2030s, depending on which research firm and scope you reference. A CSIRO report found that 68% of Australian businesses had integrated some form of AI into their operations by 2025.
| AI Market Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| AI Market Value (2025) | AUD $7.25 billion |
| AI Business Adoption (All Sizes) | 68% |
| SME AI Adoption | 29-37% |
| SMEs Planning AI by 2026 | 60% |
| AI-Related Jobs Projected by 2030 | 200,000 |
| Gov AI Adopt Program Funding | $17 million |
Source: CSIRO / NAIC / MYOB / Tech Council of Australia
Adoption rates vary sharply by business size. Large enterprises have broadly adopted AI, while SME adoption sits between 29% (MYOB) and 37% (NAIC Adoption Tracker). The government invested $17 million into the AI Adopt Program to help small and medium firms integrate AI tools. According to the Tech Council of Australia, the country could see up to 200,000 AI-related jobs by 2030.
AI Patent Growth in Australia
AI-related patents in Australia nearly quadrupled from 170 in 2015 to 629 in 2024, per the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Melbourne’s CBD is the country’s largest AI cluster with 188 companies, followed by Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. About 85% of private AI businesses employ fewer than 50 people.
Fastest Growing Business in Australia: Agriculture and Organic Farming
Australia has the largest area of certified organic farmland on the planet at approximately 53 million hectares. Much of this land has never been treated with synthetic chemicals. The organic sector generated $2.8 billion in revenue in 2023-24, growing 9.0% that year and 8.4% annually over five years.
IBISWorld projects organic crop farming will grow 19.8% in 2026, with broader organic farming at 16.9%. Tree nut growing leads all industries at 29.7%, driven by counter-seasonal harvests that position Australian almonds, macadamias, and walnuts in Northern Hemisphere markets during off-season. The industry projects 143,000 tonnes of nut exports in 2025-26.
What Is Australia’s IT and Cybersecurity Growth Rate?
IT spending in Australia is expected to hit $147 billion in 2025, an 8.7% increase from 2024, according to Gartner. The country had over one million technology workers in 2024, a 60% increase since 2014. ACS projects 1.3 million tech employees will be needed by 2030.
| IT/Cyber Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Spending (2025) | $147 billion |
| IT Spending Growth (YoY) | 8.7% |
| Tech Workers (2024) | 1+ million |
| Tech Workers Needed by 2030 | 1.3 million |
| Cybersecurity Market (2025) | US$8.85 billion |
| Cybersecurity Market (2030) | US$16.68 billion |
| Cybersecurity CAGR | 13.5% |
Source: Gartner / ACS Digital Pulse / Kaplan Business School
Australia’s cybersecurity market is expected to grow from US$8.85 billion in 2025 to US$16.68 billion by 2030, a CAGR of 13.5%. Cloud hosting and data processing ranked tenth among the fastest growing industries at 13.6% projected growth for 2026.
Fastest Growing Business in Australia by State
The geographic distribution of growth is shifting. Victoria’s share of the Deloitte Tech Fast 50 grew from 18% to 30% between 2024 and 2025, while New South Wales dropped from 56% to 43%. Queensland, Western Australia, and the ACT account for smaller but growing portions of the tech economy.
| State | Share of Tech Fast 50 (2025) | Number of Businesses (June 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 43% | 916,603 |
| Victoria | 30% | N/A |
| Queensland | N/A | N/A |
| Western Australia | N/A | N/A |
Source: Deloitte Tech Fast 50 (2025) / Australian Bureau of Statistics
Construction is Australia’s biggest industry by number of businesses, with 462,939 firms trading. Healthcare and social assistance leads in total employment. Businesses in non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying have the highest average profit margin at 49.4%, according to Money.com.au analysis.
How Has Australian Business Growth Changed Over Time?
The 2.5% growth in business numbers for 2024-25 sits below the 5.6% recorded in 2021-22 but above the 2.0% of 2022-23. The economy grew 1.3% through the year to December 2024. Australian GDP growth has been modest compared to the pandemic recovery period, but specific industries are outperforming the broader economy by wide margins.
The Deloitte Tech Fast 50 average growth rate moved from 658% in 2024 to 739% in 2025. The entry threshold rose from 123% to 143%. Female leadership representation on the list increased from 14% to 18%, still well below parity. Australia’s software sector within IT had the highest projected growth rate at 13.4% in 2025.
FAQ
What is the fastest growing business sector in Australia in 2026?
Tree nut growing leads all industries with 29.7% projected revenue growth in 2026, according to IBISWorld. Gold processing (27.9%) and EV wholesaling (21.9%) rank second and third.
How many businesses are in Australia in 2025?
Australia had 2,729,648 actively trading businesses as of June 30, 2025. That figure grew 2.5% over the financial year, adding 66,650 new businesses.
What percentage of Australian businesses use AI?
Between 29% and 68% depending on the survey and business size. CSIRO reports 68% across all businesses, while MYOB puts SME-specific adoption at 29%.
How big is Australia’s healthcare industry?
Healthcare revenue reached $217.3 billion in 2025 with 2.2 million workers. The government committed $140 billion in spending for 2025-26.
Which Australian tech company grew the fastest in 2025?
Heidi Health recorded 15,323% three-year revenue growth, winning the 2025 Deloitte Tech Fast 50. The Melbourne-based healthtech company was valued at A$704 million.
