Most Profitable Industries in Australia in 2026

• 1. Superannuation Funds in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $404.8B

  Severe global market volatility over the past five years has meant superannuation funds' investment incomes have fluctuated significantly. The pandemic, inflationary pressures and geopolitical tensions have caused funds’ incomes to swing dramatically. A surge in asset values in, in particular, drove down superannuation funds' income in 2020-21; that's why superannuation funds’ revenue is expected to have fallen at an annualised 6.3% over the five years through 2025-26, to $424.3 billion. Supe...

  Learn More

• 2. Mortgages in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $30.7B

  Mortgage lenders have dealt with fluctuations in monetary policy from the RBA as it has fought sluggish growth and high inflation. Between May 2022 and November 2023, the RBA raised the benchmark cash rate, which flows through to interest rates on home loans. This represented a complete reversal of the prevailing approach to monetary policy taken over the prior two years. Over the course of the pandemic, subdued interest rates, in conjunction with government incentives and relaxed interest ra...

  Learn More

• 3. Consumer Goods Retailing in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $16.8B

  Consumer goods retailing has experienced significant shifts in recent years, largely fuelled by the rapid rise of online shopping. As consumers have increasingly embraced online platforms’ convenience and price competitiveness, traditional retailers have felt pressure to adapt. Ecommerce sales have climbed steadily, rising from a 9.9% share of total retail trade in 2020-21 to 11.8% in 2024-25 (latest data available). This transformation has created both opportunities and challenges, with reta...

  Learn More

• 4. Site Preparation Services in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $9.7B

  The Site Preparation Services industry plays a crucial role in getting most construction and resource developments off the ground. The industry comprises many small-scale contractors that supply heavy construction equipment and skilled operating services within narrow regional or niche service markets. A handful of prominent multi-disciplined contractors, like CIMIC Group (HOCHTIEF Australia), NRW Holdings and Piacentini & Son, can undertake large-scale or complex projects.

  Widely ...

  Learn More

• 5. Office Property Operators in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $9.0B

  Lingering post-pandemic market adjustments and a turbulent cash rate environment have reshaped the Office Property Operators industry, contributing to a decline in demand for conventional office space. The shift towards hybrid work has left secondary-grade assets vulnerable to higher vacancies and declining rents. In contrast, premium and A-grade buildings in prime CBD areas have remained comparatively resilient, supported by corporate tenants seeking central, efficient and sustainable workpl...

  Learn More

• 6. Foreign Banks in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $7.0B

  The Foreign Banks industry includes domestic subsidiaries of foreign banks and branches of foreign banks, which have grown over the past few years as soaring interest rates contributed to a sharp revenue rise. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained a relatively low cash rate over the past decade – especially in response to the pandemic – to stimulate economic activity. The low cash rate environment hampered foreign banks' revenue in the three years through 2021-22. In May 2022, this a...

  Learn More

• 7. Personal Welfare Services in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $5.9B

  The Personal Welfare Services industry provides community and welfare services to disadvantaged individuals, including children, the elderly and Australians with long-term disabilities. The industry’s services include those designed to assist the frail and disabled in community settings, thereby circumventing the need for institutional care. As such, it plays a key role in the wider care and support economy, one of Australia's fastest-growing sectors.

  High and increasing government fun...

  Learn More

• 8. Community Services in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $5.9B

  Organisations in the Community Services subdivision play an integral role in Australia's wider care and support economy. Subdivision operators help to arrange paid and unpaid care and counsel for individuals in need, including the economically disadvantaged and other vulnerable members of society like children and the elderly. Favourable demographic trends and ongoing government funding - especially funding associated with the staged aged care reforms, the 2023 Cheaper Child Care policy and t...

  Learn More

• 9. Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $5.6B

  Supermarkets have maintained stable volume-driven business strategies amid a pricing environment that has been in the spotlight. Conflict in the Middle East, avian flu outbreaks and other inflationary pressures have driven prices up, with many stores passing on these costs to consumers. While consumers are paying more for groceries and upstream suppliers are seeing their margins shrink, supermarkets Coles and Woolworths have maintained relatively stable profit margins, among the highest in th...

  Learn More

• 10. Motor Vehicle Dealers in Australia

  Total Profit for 2026: $5.3B

  Motor vehicle dealers have faced drastic changes in trading conditions over recent years. Uncertain economic conditions and issues with supply led to some of the largest declines in industry revenue since the global financial crisis. However, while these factors delayed purchases, they haven’t fundamentally altered demand for cars, with delayed purchases and deliveries leading to record surges in car sales over recent years. Overall, revenue is expected to have grown at an annualised 4....

  Learn More