Transport contributes $164b to GDP

Transport contributed $164.4 billion to the Australian economy in 2020-21, according to new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Luisa Ryan, ABS director of thematic satellite accounts, said: “the total $164 billion transport contribution to the Australian economy in 2020-21 came from the transport industry ($86.8 billion equating to 4.2 per cent of GDP) and from other industries where in-house transport was an integral part of the daily business ($77.7 billion equating to 3.7 per cent of GDP). 

The construction industry was the largest contributor to in-house transport activity, with $40.3 billion of transport use. The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry contributed $17.8 billion, and manufacturing $15.8 billion.

“Transport and warehousing activity also contributed to the economy through employment, with 1.2 million employed people in 2020-21. The wholesale trade and retail trade industries had the most in-house transport and warehousing related employment, with 111,000 and 103,000 employed persons respectively,” Ms Ryan said.

The Australian Transport Economic Account brings together the total contribution of transport activity across all industries in the Australian economy and includes transport related employment associated with the production of transport activity, helping policy makers to understand the full extent of national transport activity by businesses.