110,075 New Businesses in September. The data driving Australia's latest boom
Breaking down founder ages, business origins, and the industries driving Australia forward
January 2024 - September 2026 • Monthly ABN Registration Trends and Insights
110,075
ABN registrations this month
+4.06%
Growth Rate (YoY)
103,483
Monthly Average
January 2024 - September 2026 • Monthly ACN Registration Trends and Insights
26,634
ACN registrations this month
-20.33%
Growth Rate (YoY)
29,665
Monthly Average
January 2024 - September 2026 • GST Registration Trends and Insights
23,228
GST registrations this month
-8.69%
Growth Rate (YoY)
29,802
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.
September 2026’s numbers show new business formation picking up pace while company incorporations fell sharply, with growth holding across every state but the two CBDs going in opposite directions. 110,075 new businesses were registered, up 4.06% YoY, while 26,634 companies were registered, down 20.33%.
Every state and territory grew for the second month in a row. Tasmania again led all states and territories, up 16.70%, followed by Queensland (+11.29%) and South Australia (+8.40%). The Northern Territory (+7.48%), Victoria (+7.45%) and Western Australia (+6.64%) all posted solid gains, while NSW (+4.78%) grew more modestly and the ACT was essentially flat (+0.76%). NSW and Victoria still carry the highest registration volumes, and Victoria was the stronger contributor this month.
At a suburb level, the CBDs split: Sydney CBD 2000 grew 3.86% YoY, while Melbourne CBD 3000 slipped 5.44%. Point Cook 3029 remains the largest postcode by volume and kept growing, up 1.96%, while Clyde/Cranbourne 3977 edged up 1.72%. The bigger gains came from the outer suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, with Liverpool 2170 up 17.49% and Craigieburn 3064 up 13.81%.
The founder profile continued to skew older. 45 to 54 year olds were the largest cohort at 21.6% share, up 2.0 percentage points, and the 55+ group gained the most ground (+2.4 points). Founders aged 30 to 44 lost share, while the under-30 groups gained. Property & Business Services and Personal & Other Services topped the industry mix at 21.1% and 18.0% share. Property & Business Services also posted the largest share gain (+5.7 points). Communication Services doubled its share to 6.7% (+3.4 points), and Construction rose to 14.2% (+2.7 points). Together, the data points to a formation wave that’s gathering pace, with every state growing for a second straight month, even as company incorporations take a sharp step back.
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 September 2026 analysis with detailed breakdowns
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