How many Australian businesses stop trading each year

Name: Business exits by industry in Australia
Creator: onestepright

Across all industries, 13.8% of businesses stopped trading in 2025-26, against 13.0% in 2018-19.

This page shows the share of businesses in each industry that stopped trading each year. The figures come from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which counts every business with an active ABN.

An exit is a business that stopped actively trading in the year. It may have closed, been sold, merged or wound down. Few exits are insolvencies, and this page does not count insolvencies.

More than half the businesses counted have no employees.

Exit rate is the businesses that stopped trading in the year, as a share of those trading at its start.

Exit rate by industry, 2025-26Each bar is the share of an industry's businesses that stopped trading in the year. The marker shows whether that is above its own average since 2018-19.

Transport, postal and warehousing21.7%, Above its average
Administrative and support services17.7%, Above its average
Public administration and safety17.6%, Near its average
Accommodation and food services15.7%, Near its average
Retail trade15.7%, Above its average
Technology, software, media and telecommunications14.7%, Near its average
Construction14.6%, Near its average
Arts and recreation14.3%, Above its average
Other services14.0%, Above its average
Education and training13.8%, Near its average
Professional, scientific and technical services13.5%, Near its average
Electricity, gas, water and waste13.3%, Above its average
Wholesale trade13.1%, Near its average
Financial and insurance services12.4%, Near its average
Manufacturing12.3%, Above its average
Mining10.9%, Near its average
Health care and social assistance10.7%, Above its average
Rental, hiring and real estate9.4%, Near its average
Agriculture, forestry and fishing7.9%, Near its average
All industries13.8%, Above its average

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

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onestepright, "How many Australian businesses stop trading each year", updated October 2026, https://onestepright.com/business-exits#exits-ranked. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

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<a href="https://onestepright.com/business-exits#exits-ranked"><img src="https://onestepright.com/embed/business-exits/exits-ranked.png" alt="Exit rate by industry, 2025-26. From onestepright.com. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts." width="704" height="1098" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>

Exit rate, entry rate and net change by industry
Industry	Exit rate (%)	Entry rate (%)	Net change (%)
Transport, postal and warehousing	21.7	26.5	4.9
Administrative and support services	17.7	20.3	2.6
Public administration and safety	17.6	19.4	1.8
Accommodation and food services	15.7	17.1	1.3
Retail trade	15.7	15.7	0.1
Technology, software, media and telecommunications	14.7	18.6	4.0
Construction	14.6	17.9	3.4
Arts and recreation	14.3	18.1	3.8
Other services	14.0	17.1	3.1
Education and training	13.8	16.5	2.8
Professional, scientific and technical services	13.5	17.2	3.6
Electricity, gas, water and waste	13.3	16.5	3.2
Wholesale trade	13.1	13.6	0.5
Financial and insurance services	12.4	16.7	4.3
Manufacturing	12.3	12.5	0.2
Mining	10.9	12.0	1.1
Health care and social assistance	10.7	17.4	6.7
Rental, hiring and real estate	9.4	13.1	3.7
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	7.9	7.4	-0.5
All industries	13.8	16.9	3.1

Each figure is a share of the businesses trading at the start of the year.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

How many businesses are still trading four years on

Of the businesses trading in June 2022, 62% were still trading four years later. For those trading in June 2017, it was 65%.

New businesses are measured separately. Of those that started trading in 2022-23, 49.2% were still trading three years later.

A business counts as trading while its ABN is active and it lodges GST. A business sold to an owner who trades under a new ABN usually shows as a closure and a new business. So these figures can understate how many businesses carry on.

Share of businesses still trading four years later, by year

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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onestepright, "How many Australian businesses stop trading each year", updated October 2026, https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-cohorts. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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<a href="https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-cohorts"><img src="https://onestepright.com/embed/business-exits/survival-cohorts.png" alt="Share of businesses still trading four years later, by year. From onestepright.com. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them." width="704" height="418" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>

Businesses trading in June of each year and still trading four years later, by year and by size
Trading in June	Still trading four years later (%)
June 2017	64.9
June 2018	65.0
June 2019	64.5
June 2020	64.1
June 2021	63.1
June 2022	61.9

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

Share still trading four years later, by number of employees

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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onestepright, "How many Australian businesses stop trading each year", updated October 2026, https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-size. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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<a href="https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-size"><img src="https://onestepright.com/embed/business-exits/survival-size.png" alt="Share still trading four years later, by number of employees. From onestepright.com. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them." width="704" height="363" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>

Share still trading four years later, by number of employees
Employees	Still trading four years later (%)
No employees	55.3
1 to 4 employees	68.6
5 to 19 employees	77.9
20 to 199 employees	85.1
200 or more employees	89.3

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

Share of businesses still trading four years later, by industry, from June 2022

Agriculture, forestry and fishing74.5%
Rental, hiring and real estate72.5%
Mining70.4%
Health care and social assistance70.2%
Financial and insurance services65.9%
Manufacturing65.1%
Electricity, gas, water and waste64.4%
Wholesale trade63.2%
Professional, scientific and technical services61.8%
Education and training60.3%
Construction59.6%
Other services58.7%
Technology, software, media and telecommunications58.0%
Arts and recreation57.8%
Retail trade56.5%
Public administration and safety55.0%
Accommodation and food services53.7%
Administrative and support services52.7%
Transport, postal and warehousing47.3%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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onestepright, "How many Australian businesses stop trading each year", updated October 2026, https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-industry. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

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<a href="https://onestepright.com/business-exits#survival-industry"><img src="https://onestepright.com/embed/business-exits/survival-industry.png" alt="Share of businesses still trading four years later, by industry, from June 2022. From onestepright.com. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them." width="704" height="1009" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>

Share of businesses still trading four years later, by industry, from June 2022
Industry	Still trading four years later (%)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	74.5
Rental, hiring and real estate	72.5
Mining	70.4
Health care and social assistance	70.2
Financial and insurance services	65.9
Manufacturing	65.1
Electricity, gas, water and waste	64.4
Wholesale trade	63.2
Professional, scientific and technical services	61.8
Education and training	60.3
Construction	59.6
Other services	58.7
Technology, software, media and telecommunications	58.0
Arts and recreation	57.8
Retail trade	56.5
Public administration and safety	55.0
Accommodation and food services	53.7
Administrative and support services	52.7
Transport, postal and warehousing	47.3

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Shares as the ABS publishes them.

Exit rate over time, All industries

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

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onestepright, "How many Australian businesses stop trading each year", updated October 2026, https://onestepright.com/business-exits#exits-over-time. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

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<a href="https://onestepright.com/business-exits#exits-over-time"><img src="https://onestepright.com/embed/business-exits/exits-over-time.png" alt="Exit rate over time, All industries. From onestepright.com. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts." width="704" height="418" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>

Exit rate over time, All industries
Year	All industries (%)
2018-19	13.0
2019-20	12.8
2020-21	12.0
2021-22	12.7
2022-23	14.0
2023-24	14.0
2024-25	13.9
2025-26	13.8

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Rates are onestepright's arithmetic on the ABS counts.

Figures to 2025-26. They change when the ABS publishes a new year.

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