111,555 New Businesses in August. The data driving Australia's latest boom
Breaking down founder ages, business origins, and the industries driving Australia forward
January 2024 - August 2026 • Monthly ABN Registration Trends and Insights
111,555
ABN registrations this month
2.46%
Growth Rate (YoY)
96,199
Monthly Average
January 2024 - August 2026 • Monthly ACN Registration Trends and Insights
29,606
ACN registrations this month
-6.43%
Growth Rate (YoY)
29,760
Monthly Average
January 2024 - August 2026 • GST Registration Trends and Insights
25,173
GST registrations this month
-5.48%
Growth Rate (YoY)
29,686
Monthly Average
We launched the Lawpath New Business Index to answer a simple but important question: how is entrepreneurship in Australia really evolving? For too long, conversations about small business have relied on lagging reports or isolated anecdotes. We wanted to give founders, policymakers, and industry leaders a clear, timely view of what’s actually happening.
Each month, the Index brings together verified data from the Australian Business Register (ABR) and ASIC with anonymised insights from thousands of registrations on the Lawpath platform. The result is a unique picture of who is starting businesses, where they are based, and which industries are driving growth.
Our goal is to make this information useful. Not just as a snapshot, but as a way to spot trends, challenge assumptions, and inspire action. When we understand the shifts happening in entrepreneurship, we can help shape a stronger, more resilient business landscape for Australia.
Key growth signals from the ABN registry and Australia’s latest new business registrations.
August 2026’s numbers show new business formation ticking back up while company incorporations pulled back, and the geographic story reversing compared to July. 111,555 new businesses were registered, up 2.46% YoY, while 29,606 companies were registered, down 6.43%.
Growth at a state level turned positive across the board. Tasmania led all states and territories, up 15.95%, followed by the Northern Territory (+11.37%) and Queensland (+7.49%). NSW (+7.13%), Victoria (+6.97%) and the ACT (+6.37%) all posted solid gains as well, while Western Australia (+2.88%) and South Australia (+1.75%) grew more modestly. NSW and Victoria still carry the highest registration volumes, and this month both are contributing to growth too.
At a suburb level, the CBD slide reversed: Sydney CBD 2000 and Melbourne CBD 3000 both grew, up 16.28% and 9.10% YoY. Point Cook 3029 remains the largest postcode by volume and returned to growth, up 11.88%, while Clyde/Cranbourne 3977 and Liverpool 2170 also grew, up 18.09% and 3.52%.
The founder profile skewed older, with 45 to 54 year olds the largest cohort at 20% share and, alongside every group over 40, still growing, up 1.95%. Personal Services and Construction topped the industry mix at 21% and 20% share, while Communication Services was the fastest growing category overall, up 69.23%, with Construction the fastest grower among the largest categories, up 38.18%. Together, the data points to a formation wave that’s broadening again, with growth returning across postcodes and now, unlike last month, across every state and territory too.
A closer look at how Australia’s new businesses are taking shape, from the structures they choose to the regions driving growth.
| Category | Value | Share | YoY Growth |
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| State | Value | Share | YoY Growth |
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| Postcode | Value | YoY Growth |
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Explore our interactive map to see where new businesses are forming across Australia, suburb by suburb.
Key metrics and trends from companies registered through our platform
Data sourced from Lawpath platform. See methodology for full details on data collection and analysis.
| Age Group | Share | YoY Growth |
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| Country | Share | YoY Growth |
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| Industry | Share | YoY Growth |
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Each month, the Lawpath New Business Index captures how entrepreneurship in Australia is evolving.
Using verified data from the Australian Business Register (ABR) and ASIC, combined with anonymised insights from thousands of registrations processed through the Lawpath platform, we deliver a verified, month‑by‑month view of who is starting businesses, where they are based, and the industries they are choosing.
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Complete August 2026 analysis with detailed breakdowns
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