Domestic business environment

Business competition and investment encourage the creation and adoption of new ideas and technologies.

Firm entry and exit rate, employing firms

Full description follows.

The rate of firm entry and exit, an indicator of competition, has trended downward for employing firms over time. Data updated in August 2025, see the Recent AIS data updates page for details. Source: ABS 2007, 2010a, 2014a, 2018a, 2019b, 2022a, 2023c, 2024c

This chart shows the rate of firm entry and exit for employing firms from 2005–06 to 2023–24. 

Over this period, the rate of firm entry and exit has trended downward. In 2005–06 the rate of firm entry was 13.1%, this has fallen to 11.0% in 2023–24. In 2005–06 the rate of firm exit was 10.3%, this has fallen to 8.10% in 2023–24. See the full chart value of the data.  

Barriers to innovation commercialisation, 2022–23

Full description follows.

The most common barriers to commercialisation are insufficient funds and lack of commercialisation skills within the business. Note: Firms were able to select multiple barriers. Source: ABS 2024d

This chart shows the barriers to commercialisation for the most significant innovation of innovating firms for the 2022–23 period. The most frequent barriers to commercialisation were insufficient funds for 25.6% of innovating firms and lack of commercialisation skills within the business for 11.1% of innovating firms. The least frequent barrier to innovation was inability to protect or acquire IP rights for 2.3% of innovating businesses. See the full chart value of the data.  

Barriers to firm innovation

Full description follows.

The most common barriers to innovation are lack of skills and access to additional funds. Source: ABS 2012a, 2018c, 2024d

This chart shows the barriers to innovation for all firms (innovation-active and non innovation-active firms) for 2010–11, 2016–17 and 2022–23. Over this period the proportion of firms impacted by five of the seven barriers listed fell. The proportion of firms who experienced lack of access to additional funds and lack of access to knowledge or technology as barriers increased over this period. In 2022–23 the most frequent barriers to innovation were lack of skills (23.2%) and lack of access to additional funds (19.1%).

The least frequent barriers to innovation for firms were adherence to standards (2.4%) and lack of access to knowledge or technology (4.3%). See the full chart value of the data.  

Venture capital, deals and aggregate deal value

Full description follows.

The total venture capital deals have increased from 2013 to 2024, along with the overall value of these transactions. Alternative data on venture capital show similar trends. Data updated in August 2025, see the Recent AIS data updates page for details. Source: AIC/Preqin 2025

This chart shows the number and value of venture capital deals in Australia from 2013 to 2024.

In this period the information technology group had the largest number of venture capital deals.

From 2013 to 2024, aggregate venture capital deals value has risen from $0.3 billion to $3.3 billion. The aggregate value of venture capital deals was highest in 2021 at $9.8 billion. See the full chart value of the data.  

Knowledge-intensive capital investments, by category

Full description follows.

Australia has seen either a decline or low growth in knowledge-intensive types of capital as a share of GDP since the mid-1990s. Machinery and equipment hold the largest share of capital spending. Investments in computer software and research and development have remained stable. Investment growth has picked up since 2021 in machinery and equipment, and software. Source: 2023a

The metric presents the percentage of capital spending in 3 categories including machinery and equipment, computer software and research and development as a portion of the GDP from 1986 to 2023. Machinery and equipment have the largest share. 

Investment in this category has been declining since 2006, falling from 7.3% to 4% by 2023. Meanwhile, investments in computer software and research and development have stabilized at approximately 1% and 0.75%, respectively. See the full chart value of the data.  

Firms seeking finance for innovation

Full description follows.

Mining, utilities and arts and recreation industries have the highest proportion of firms that seek for funds for innovation. The middle 11 industries in 2022–23 are not included in this chart. Source: ABS 2022c, 2024d

This chart shows 3 industries with the highest proportion of firms that sought funds for innovation, and the three industries with the lowest proportion of firms that sought funds for innovation from 2020–21 to 2022–23.

In 2022–23 the mining industry had the most firms who sought funds for innovation at 22.2%, and the construction industry had the least firms who sought funds for innovation at 6.7%. See the full chart value of the data.  

Chart values

Share of entry and exit rates for employing firms (%)

 Year 

Entry rate 

Exit rate 

2005–06 

13.10 

10.30 

2006–07 

13.20 

9.20 

2007–08 

11.90 

9.20 

2008–09 

11.20 

9.40 

2009–10 

11.90 

8.40 

2010–11 

11.60 

8.10 

2011–12 

11.60 

8.10 

2012–13 

9.30 

8.80 

2013–14 

11.58 

8.31 

2014–15 

10.90 

7.90 

2015–16 

11.70 

8.00 

2016–17 

11.30 

7.80 

2017–18 

10.90 

8.20 

2018–19 

10.50 

8.00 

2019–20 

9.80 

7.80 

2020–21 

12.70 

5.80 

2021–22 

11.80 

7.70 

2022–23 

10.70 

8.60 

2023–24 

11.00 

8.10 

Share of most common barriers to innovation for firms (%) 
Barrier  

2010–11 

2016–17 

2022–23 

Uncertain demand 

 

12.8 

11.1 

9.5 

Adherence to standards 

4.1 

2.8 

2.4 

Government regulations 

13 

8.7 

8.3 

Access to knowledge  
or technology 

3.6 

3.8 

4.3 

Lack of skills 

 

20 

16.8 

23.2 

Costs 

 

15 

12 

13 

Access to additional funds 

21.1 

19.1 

19.1 

Barriers to innovation commercialisation

Barrier 

Share of firms (%) 

Commercialisation 
knowledge or advice 

10.2 

Commercialisation skills in the business 

11.1 

Access to market 
information 

7.1 

Inability to protect 
or acquire IP rights 

2.3 

Insufficient funds 

 

25.6 

Regulations 
or compliance 

6.9 

Other 

 

2.9 

Number and value of venture capital deals in Australia 

Year 

Number of deals 

Aggregate deal value ($bn) 

2013 

91 

0.295689 

2014 

121 

0.334498 

2015 

217 

0.963758 

2016 

246 

0.868138 

2017 

347 

1.559128 

2018 

342 

1.731255 

2019 

390 

3.129816 

2020 

380 

3.577514 

2021 

586 

9.799254 

2022 

498 

5.967904 

2023 

357 

4.451595 

2024 

268 

3.298929 

Share of firms seeking funds for innovation (%) 

Industry 

2020–21 

2022–23 

Mining 

 

22.3 

21.2 

Utilities 

 

13.5 

20.3 

Construction 

 

10.7 

6.7 

Transport, Postal, Warehousing 

9.9 

7.3 

Rental, Hiring, Real Estate 

11.6 

9.1 

Arts and Recreation  

9.4 

17.8 

Share of GDP by category of spending (%)
Year Machinery, equipment Software R&D
1986 7.49769 0.33887 0.347687
1987 7.955565 0.465509 0.430238
1988 7.973886 0.510827 0.428564
1989 7.952753 0.469215 0.466499
1990 6.878019 0.578707 0.469489
1991 5.824892 0.611334 0.482759
1992 5.348347 0.62017 0.533464
1993 6.021102 0.750077 0.614784
1994 6.412836 0.747518 0.636719
1995 6.974141 0.753863 0.676016
1996 7.011186 0.737661 0.776794
1997 7.093674 0.827248 0.708685
1998 7.37136 0.876213 0.660342
1999 6.783938 0.917326 0.603885
2000 6.824472 1.01513 0.561966
2001 6.687428 1.118317 0.635706
2002 6.39583 1.048323 0.743212
2003 6.835444 1.061377 0.782336
2004 6.691209 0.992375 0.823063
2005 7.002384 0.939551 0.859157
2006 7.323339 0.879665 0.942591
2007 6.652017 0.84911 1.048371
2008 6.799172 0.831024 1.161467
2009 6.226609 0.810739 1.101439
2010 5.561489 0.757064 1.101442
2011 4.812107 0.7978 1.048672
2012 5.071919 0.79748 1.118631
2013 4.842059 0.783378 1.108658
2014 4.201238 0.765271 1.079831
2015 4.312093 0.853371 0.99524
2016 4.052959 0.886833 0.909499
2017 3.751496 0.894805 0.874741
2018 3.778636 0.91579 0.853769
2019 3.810892 0.884494 0.831674
2020 3.649757 0.932128 0.832763
2021 3.655463 0.927521 0.830963
2022 3.812326 0.980576 0.773609
2023 4.010861 1.107142 0.753173
2024 4.147791 1.192594 0.789346