Manufacturing employment: 13th ICLS (%) in Australia

Australia: Manufacturing employment: 13th ICLS (%) was 5.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
5.9%
Change on year
down 11.0%
World rank
134th
of 164 countries
All-time high
12.1%
in 2000
All-time low
5.9%
in 2025
Years of data
26
2000–2025

Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia, 2000–2025

02.557.51012.52000201220252000: 12.12001: 11.62002: 11.52003: 112004: 10.92005: 10.42006: 102007: 9.92008: 10.52009: 102010: 9.72011: 9.22012: 9.22013: 8.72014: 8.72015: 8.22016: 8.22017: 7.82018: 7.92019: 7.52020: 7.42021: 7.52022: 6.92023: 72024: 6.72025: 5.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia is 5.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 11.0% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia peaked at 12.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2025.

Australia ranks 134th of 164 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Manufacturing employment: 13th ICLS (%) in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th ICLS (%) in Australia, 2000 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2000 12.1% —
2001 11.6% -4.2%
2002 11.5% -0.5%
2003 11.0% -4.3%
2004 10.9% -0.9%
2005 10.4% -5.0%
2006 10.0% -3.5%
2007 9.9% -1.4%
2008 10.5% +6.5%
2009 10.0% -5.2%
2010 9.7% -3.0%
2011 9.2% -5.0%
2012 9.2% -0.3%
2013 8.7% -5.1%
2014 8.7% +0.1%
2015 8.2% -5.3%
2016 8.2% -0.6%
2017 7.8% -4.3%
2018 7.9% +0.8%
2019 7.5% -5.3%
2020 7.4% -1.1%
2021 7.5% +1.6%
2022 6.9% -8.5%
2023 7.0% +1.9%
2024 6.7% -5.0%
2025 5.9% -11.0%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 5.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 9.6%, 62% of the median. (61 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 5.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.0%, 66% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10.8% 9.9% 12.1% 10
2010s 8.5% 7.5% 9.7% 10
2020s 6.9% 5.9% 7.5% 6

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 131 Cyprus 6.1% compare
  2. 132 Fiji 6.0% compare
  3. 133 Samoa 6.0% compare
  4. 135 Barbados 5.8% compare
  5. 136 Kuwait 5.7% compare
  6. 137 Azerbaijan 5.6% compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More work & labour data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia?
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia was 5.9% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 2000.
What is the lowest manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2025.
How does Australia rank for manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th?
Australia ranks 134th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
Is manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 24 October 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/manufacturing-employment-as-a-proportion-of-total-employment-13th-icls-percent/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th ICLS (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
202 places, 3,876 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed