Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia
Australia: Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment was 5.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Industrial Development Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia is 5.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 11.0% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia peaked at 12.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2025.
Australia ranks 122nd of 152 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | 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 9.5%, 62% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Australia's 5.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.6%, 69% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia?
- Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment in Australia was 5.9% in 2025, according to United Nations Industrial Development Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2025.
- How does Australia rank for manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment?
- Australia ranks 122nd out of 152 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment 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 Industrial Development Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th ICLS (%).