INTRODUCTION
This publication presents results, in respect of the 1997-98 financial year, from two Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) surveys of private sector practitioners and businesses involved in the provision of chiropractic and osteopathic services. These were the first ABS surveys of this industry.
The first survey was a sample of private practice chiropractors and osteopaths. Results of that survey are presented in section 1 of this publication. The second survey was of private practice chiropractic and osteopathic businesses (and their related administrative service businesses) which were identified from the first survey. Results from the second survey are presented in section 2 of this publication.
SECTION 2: CHIROPRACTIC AND OSTEOPATHIC SERVICES INDUSTRY
This section of the publication presents results in respect of 1997-98 from a sample survey of chiropractic and osteopathic businesses in private practice.
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS
The 2,132 practices in the chiropractic and osteopathic services industry at the end of June 1998, provided their services from 2,755 locations, 1,929 in capital cities and 826 in non-capital city areas.
During 1997-98, the industry received total income of $268 million. Fee for service income was the major component, accounting for 95% ($254 million) of total income. The industry incurred expenses of $212 million, of which labour costs of $102 million was the major component.
The operating profit before tax for the industry was $55 million, which represented an operating profit margin of 20.4%. The operating profit margin for chiropractic practices was 19.4% and that of osteopathic practices was 29.5%.
At the end of June 1998, there were 5,870 persons working in the chiropractic and osteopathic services industry. Practitioners accounted for 43% of employment, with support staff accounting for the balance, representing a ratio of 1.34 support staff per practitioner, although most (67%) support staff worked on a part time basis.
2.2 KEY FIGURES
 | Chiropractic | Osteopathic | |
| services | services | Total |
| Practices (no.) | 1758 | 374 | 2132 |
| | | |
| Locations at end June | | | |
| Capital city (no.) | 1570 | 359 | 1929 |
| Other (no.) | 710 | 116 | 826 |
| Total (no.) | 2280 | 475 | 2755 |
| | | |
| Employment at end June | | | |
| Practitioners (no.) | 2111 | 398 | 2509 |
| Other (no.) | 3033 | 328 | 3361 |
| Total (no.) | 5144 | 726 | 5870 |
| | | |
| Income | | | |
| Fee for service ($m) | 228.9 | 25.1 | 254.0 |
| Other income ($m) | 10.4 | 3.7 | 14.0 |
| Total income ($m) | 239.2 | 28.8 | 268.0 |
| | | |
| Expenses | | | |
| Labour costs ($m) | 93.7 | 8.4 | 102.2 |
| Other expenses ($m) | 98.3 | 11.7 | 110.0 |
| Total expenses ($m) | 192.0 | 20.2 | 212.2 |
| | | |
| Operating profit before tax ($m) | 46.2 | 8.4 | 54.6 |
| | | |
| Operating profit margin (%) | 19.4 | 29.5 | 20.4 |
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