Infrastructure and the Economy
Chapter 1
This chapter provides data on the Australian economy including the value added by Australian infrastructure industries in addition to:
- employment in the transport and storage industry
- average weekly earnings for road, rail, water and air and space industries
- price indices
- 4.6 per cent of Australia's GDP was accounted for by Australia's transport, postal and warehousing industry in 2023-24.
- 297 thousand people were employed in the road transport industry compared to 46 thousand in the rail industry.
- $1 639 is the average weekly earnings for the road transport industry in 2023
- 83 per cent of people employed within the road transport industry identify as male.
The gross value added of transport, postal and warehousing as a percentage of GDP has remained relatively stable since 1974-75, generally ranging between 4-5% of GDP. In terms of employment, although employment in the transport, postal and warehousing industry has grown in overall terms, as a percentage of total Australian employment, it has stayed at around 5% for the last 30 years. Figure 1 shows employment statistics for various transport industries as at August of each year.
Figure 1 Australian employment numbers in selected major infrastructure industries
Figure 2 compares the number of leadership positions held by men and women within the transport industry for non-public sector organisations over 100 employees. In 2022-23, leadership positions in the transport industry were predominantly occupied by males, with 12,453 males in Chief Executive Officer, Key Management Personnel/Heads of Business and other managerial positions compared to 4,584 females.
Figure 2 Leadership positions held in transport industries, by gender
Download data
- Infrastructure and the Economy—Yearbook 2024 (140 KB)
- Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics—Yearbook 2024