Australia continues to be an ideal destination for trade and investment, a new Austrade report reveals.
The 2024 Why Australia Benchmark Report outlines Australia’s competitive advantages, drawing on key economic, financial, social and demographic data.
Fundamentals of Australia’s trade and investment landscape:
- Economic strength: The 13th largest economy and current forecasts predict 11.1% growth from 2019 to 2024, which is much stronger than the average 7.8% for advanced economies. In 2023, Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached $2.6 trillion, accounting for 1.7% of the global economy despite housing 0.3% of the world’s population.
- Low taxes: With one of the lowest overall tax rates of high-income countries, Australia’s tax revenue is equal to 29% of GDP, which is five percentage points lower than the 34% average for OECD countries.
- Global ties and open markets: 18 free trade agreements (FTAs) in place including with the United States, China, Japan, India and most countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Foreign investment in Australia has grown by 7.7% per year since 2003, reaching $4.7t in 2023.
- Strong governance: Recognised globally for its fair and transparent legal system, low social unrest risk and strong regulatory and bureaucratic systems.
- Renewable energy investment: The fifth most attractive destination for investment in renewable energy, second largest exporter of energy and resources and the sixth largest producer of solar energy.
- Mineral resources: One of the world’s largest and most reliable suppliers of minerals, including the biggest producer of iron ore and lithium. About 80% of Australia’s land is still largely unexplored, offering vast potential for discovering new mineral deposits.
- Skills and innovation: Ranked number one for skills using, adopting and adapting frontier technologies.
“The report highlights Australia’s reputation as a transparent, open, stable, globally connected economy, and it is the reason we’re a leading destination for innovative start-ups, research organisations and large multinationals,” says Austrade CEO Xavier Simonet.
“Australia has preferential market access to the dynamic Asia-Pacific, and geographically, has the fast-growing Southeast Asia region on our doorstep.
“The report also emphasises Australia’s strengths as a global leader in renewable energy, with significant opportunities for investors in renewable hydrogen, critical minerals, green metals and manufacturing.”
The Austrade report is a key resource for decision-makers involved in global foreign investment.