Published: December 2025
IBISWorld has released its projections for Australia's fastest-growing industries by revenue in 2026, and the results challenge some common assumptions about where the Australian economy is heading. The top performer isn't tech. It isn't healthcare. It's tree nuts, projected to grow 29.7 per cent in a single year.
Look down the list and a pattern emerges that says something important about Australia's economic future:
This isn't the future most people expected. It's the future Australia's natural advantages are actually creating.
Before diving into analysis, here's the full ranking from IBISWorld's database of over 750 Australian industries:
What's immediately striking is how few of these industries most Australians would encounter in their daily lives. You're unlikely to work in lithium mining or uranium extraction. You probably don't run an organic farm. Yet these sectors are where the growth is concentrated.
This reflects a fundamental truth about the Australian economy: our fastest growth comes from selling things to the rest of the world, not from serving each other.
Five of the top ten industries relate directly to the global shift away from fossil fuels. This isn't coincidence. It's Australia leveraging geological advantages that took millions of years to create.
Battery Material Mining (20.7% growth) and Lithium and Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining (16.7% growth) sit at the heart of this transformation. Every electric vehicle, every grid-scale battery, every laptop and phone requires lithium. Australia is the world's largest lithium producer, and despite price crashes from the 2022-23 peaks when oversupply flooded the market, demand fundamentals remain strong.
The lithium story in numbers:
Electric Vehicle Wholesaling (21.9% growth) captures the domestic side of this transition:
Wholesalers positioning themselves now are building market share that will compound as the transition matures.
Uranium Mining (15.2% growth) might surprise those who associate nuclear power with the past rather than the future. Yet the fundamentals tell a different story:
Gold and Other Non-Ferrous Metal Processing (27.9% growth) rounds out the resources picture, though its drivers differ from the energy transition story. Gold's surge reflects economic anxiety rather than industrial demand:
The common thread across these industries is volatility. Commodity prices swing dramatically based on global supply, demand, and sentiment. A lithium miner profitable at $25,000 per tonne struggles when prices drop to $12,000. A gold processor thrives during uncertainty but faces headwinds when economic confidence returns. Building a business in these sectors requires managing cycles that can make or break profitability within a single year.
Three of the top ten industries relate to premium agricultural products that command higher prices because consumers believe they're healthier. This represents a different kind of Australian advantage: land, climate, and distance from industrial pollution.
Tree Nut Growing (29.7% growth) claims the top spot on the entire list. Australia's counter-seasonal harvest means almonds, macadamias, and walnuts reach Northern Hemisphere markets when local supply is depleted.
Key drivers for tree nut growth:
The industry has faced headwinds. Global production from the United States, Spain, and other producers has saturated markets in recent years. Supply chain disruptions increased costs. Weather events affected yields. Yet underlying demand has sustained revenue even through difficult periods.
Organic Crop Farming (19.8% growth) and Organic Farming (16.9% growth) capture different segments of the same trend. Consumers increasingly prefer produce grown without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or genetic modification. Whether this preference reflects genuine health benefits or perceived ones matters less than the premium prices organic certification commands.
Australia's organic advantage by the numbers:
Australia's organic certification advantage exists not because our farmers are more environmentally conscious than others. It's because vast tracts of Australian land have never been intensively farmed with chemicals, making certification relatively straightforward to obtain.
The challenge for these agricultural sectors is that growth depends heavily on export markets. Domestic demand, while growing, isn't sufficient to absorb increased production. Trade relationships, shipping costs, and currency movements all affect profitability in ways individual farmers can't control.
Only two industries in the top ten fit the "knowledge economy" narrative that dominates discussions of Australia's economic future. Their presence matters, but their relatively modest growth rates compared to resources and agriculture tell their own story.
Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (14.2% growth) reflects Australia's ageing population and the accumulated wealth seeking retirement income. The SMSF sector has grown consistently as Australians seek greater control over their retirement savings.
Growth drivers for SMSFs include:
For service providers, SMSFs represent a substantial market. These funds require accounting, auditing, tax advice, and often financial planning. The compliance requirements are significant, creating ongoing demand for professional services. As the population ages and superannuation balances grow, this market expands almost automatically.
Cloud Hosting and Data Processing Services (13.6% growth) captures the infrastructure layer of digital transformation:
What's notable is that this industry, despite its strategic importance, ranks tenth on the growth list. The narrative that Australia's future lies in technology and services isn't wrong, but the data suggests our comparative advantage remains in resources and agriculture. We're good at pulling things from the ground and growing things in it. We're adequate at digital services.
Looking across the top ten, several patterns emerge that have implications for Australian businesses regardless of sector.
Export orientation dominates. Seven of the top ten industries are primarily export-focused. They succeed or fail based on demand in China, the United States, Europe, and Asia rather than domestic consumption.
This creates both opportunity and vulnerability:
Volatility is structural, not exceptional. These aren't stable, predictable industries. Commodity prices swing. Weather affects harvests. Global demand shifts based on factors Australian businesses can't influence.
The businesses that thrive in these sectors are those that:
Capital intensity creates barriers. You can't start a lithium mine or a commercial almond orchard with a small investment and a good idea. These industries require significant capital expenditure before generating any revenue.
This dynamic has important implications:
Sustainability is a driver, not just a constraint. The green energy transition isn't happening because governments mandate it. It's happening because the economics increasingly favour clean energy and the products that enable it.
Businesses positioned on the right side of this transition benefit from structural tailwinds:
Most Australian businesses won't directly participate in lithium mining or tree nut exports. But the industries driving growth create opportunities across the economy.
Supporting the growth industries. Every mining operation needs accounting, payroll, and financial management. Every agricultural enterprise faces complex compliance requirements. Every manufacturer requires bookkeeping and BAS preparation.
The businesses capturing growth often need professional services more urgently than stable ones because:
Geographic implications. The growth industries are concentrated in regional areas and resource states:
All create demand for services outside the major capitals. Businesses that can serve regional clients effectively have less competition than those fighting for market share in Sydney and Melbourne.
Compliance complexity. Export-oriented businesses face regulatory requirements that domestic-focused businesses don't encounter:
Agriculture faces its own complexity with biosecurity, water rights, and chemical certifications. Mining operates under environmental, safety, and royalty frameworks that require professional navigation.
Counter-cyclical planning. Understanding which industries are growing helps service businesses time their business development efforts:
These industry projections fit within a larger picture of Australia's economic positioning. Several factors shape why these particular industries are growing fastest.
The energy transition is accelerating. Whatever debates continue about climate policy, the practical reality is that global capital is flowing toward clean energy and the materials that enable it:
Economic uncertainty favours safe havens. Gold's strong performance reflects global concerns about inflation, debt levels, and geopolitical stability:
Health consciousness continues rising. Consumer preferences for organic, natural, and health-associated products show no sign of reversing:
Digital transformation continues but matures. Cloud hosting growth at 13.6 per cent is strong by normal standards but modest compared to resources and agriculture:
The IBISWorld projections represent one-year growth rates for 2026, not long-term trends. Several factors could shift the picture in subsequent years.
Commodity price volatility could dramatically affect the resources industries:
Climate events pose risks to agricultural industries:
Trade relationships matter enormously for export-oriented industries:
Technology shifts could disrupt the battery materials narrative:
For Australian businesses, the prudent approach is to recognise these growth industries as opportunities worth pursuing while maintaining diversification. The businesses riding the lithium boom today may need different strategies tomorrow. The organic farming sector growing now could face challenges from weather or trade disruptions.
The data tells us where growth is concentrated today and where it's projected for 2026. It doesn't guarantee that growth will continue indefinitely or that participating in these industries guarantees success. As with all projections, these represent informed estimates rather than certain outcomes.
Australia's fastest-growing industries in 2026 paint a picture of an economy leveraging natural advantages rather than competing head-to-head with global technology centres. We're not becoming Silicon Valley. We're becoming the supplier of critical materials that Silicon Valley and everywhere else needs for the energy transition.
This isn't a failure. It's a realistic assessment of where Australian advantages lie:
For service providers, the implications are clear:
The 29.7 per cent growth projected for tree nut growing won't benefit most Australian businesses directly. But understanding where growth is concentrated helps everyone make better decisions about where to focus their efforts.
The businesses that thrive will be those that recognise Australia's actual advantages and build strategies around them. Solo operators need to specialise deeply in sectors showing growth. Small employers need margins high enough to support proper systems while serving demanding clients. Growing businesses need capabilities that match the complexity their clients face.
Understanding the data is the first step. Acting on what it reveals is what separates opportunity from observation.
What is Australia's fastest-growing industry in 2026?
According to IBISWorld projections, Tree Nut Growing is Australia's fastest-growing industry by revenue in 2026, with expected growth of 29.7 per cent. This is driven by counter-seasonal exports to Northern Hemisphere markets and rising global demand for healthy snacks. Gold and Other Non-Ferrous Metal Processing ranks second at 27.9 per cent growth.
Which industries are driving Australia's economic growth?
Five of Australia's top ten fastest-growing industries relate to the green energy transition: Electric Vehicle Wholesaling (21.9%), Battery Material Mining (20.7%), Lithium Mining (16.7%), Uranium Mining (15.2%), and Gold Processing (27.9%). Three relate to health-conscious agriculture: Tree Nut Growing (29.7%), Organic Crop Farming (19.8%), and Organic Farming (16.9%).
Is lithium mining still growing in Australia?
Yes, Lithium and Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining is projected to grow 16.7 per cent in 2026. While prices crashed from 2022-23 peaks due to oversupply, global lithium consumption is expected to rise approximately 26 per cent as electric vehicle adoption accelerates. Australia remains the world's largest lithium producer.
Why is gold processing growing so fast in Australia?
Gold and Other Non-Ferrous Metal Processing is projected to grow 27.9 per cent in 2026, driven by safe-haven demand amid economic uncertainty. High inflation, elevated interest rates, and geopolitical tensions have pushed investors toward gold. Prices rose 14 per cent in 2025 after climbing 27 per cent in 2024.
How fast is the organic farming industry growing in Australia?
Organic Crop Farming is projected to grow 19.8 per cent and broader Organic Farming 16.9 per cent in 2026. Industry revenue reached $2.8 billion in 2023-24 after growing at an annualised 8.4 per cent over five years. Australia has the largest area of certified organic farmland globally at approximately 53 million hectares.
Is cloud computing still a growth industry in Australia?
Cloud Hosting and Data Processing Services is projected to grow 13.6 per cent in 2026, ranking tenth among Australia's fastest-growing industries. While still strong growth, this is modest compared to resources and agriculture, suggesting the explosive growth phase of digital infrastructure may be maturing.
What does Australia export the most?
Australia's fastest-growing export industries include battery materials (lithium), gold, uranium, and agricultural products like tree nuts and organic produce. Seven of the top ten fastest-growing industries are primarily export-focused, reflecting Australia's comparative advantage in resources and agriculture over services and technology.
Which Australian industries benefit from the energy transition?
Industries benefiting from the global shift to clean energy include Battery Material Mining (20.7% projected growth), Electric Vehicle Wholesaling (21.9%), Lithium Mining (16.7%), and Uranium Mining (15.2%). These industries leverage Australia's mineral reserves to supply global demand for energy transition materials.
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