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Community Services in Australia - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Arna Richardson Arna Richardson Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: January 2024 ANZSIC Q8700

Revenue

$86.4bn

2024-25

$90.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

888k

Businesses

30,835

Wages

$XX.Xbn

Community Services in Australia industry analysis

Organisations in the Community Services subdivision play an important role in supporting Australia's welfare system. Subdivision operators help to arrange 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 have supported the subdivision's performance in recent years.

Trends and Insights

  • The Community Services subdivision is involved in providing community and welfare services to Australia’s most vulnerable citizens. Stagnant wage growth, heightened housing stresses, floods, bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis have placed unparalleled strain on the subdivision.
  • Aged-care accommodation, including nursing homes and retirement homes, generates over one-third of revenue in the Community Services subdivision. At the other end of the age spectrum, child care services are estimated to account for one-fifth of subdivision revenue.
  • The subdivision's spread of enterprises generally reflects the spread of individuals and households across Australia. This explains the dominance of the three eastern seaboard states, which account for over 80% of all subdivision enterprises.
  • The Community Services subdivision demonstrates almost no competition between industries. For example, childcare providers only provide services to children and their parents. However, some overarching points of competition exist in each industry.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 4.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $86.4bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Socio-economic and demographic variables drive the subdivision's performance

  • The Community Services subdivision provides child care services and ancillary healthcare services. While community services are not strictly linked to health services, they often provide services to similar groups, such as the elderly. Australia's ageing population is bolstering demand for various aged-care services, including residential aged care and aged-care assistance services like in-home nursing care, meal deliveries and adult day care centre services.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Community Services in Australia
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Growth in key age groups will bolster demand for aged-care and child care services

  • Current trends in the subdivision will continue to drive its performance. For example, Australia's demographics and work preferences will continue to boost demand for care at both ends of the age spectrum. The population groups aged under 14 and 70 years and older are forecast to account for a combined 31.9% of the population by 2028-29.

Biggest companies in the Community Services in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Goodstart Early Learning
1,455.0
Bolton Clarke
1,200.0
Salvation Army Australia
1,020.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Community Services in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Personal welfare services, Child care services and Aged care residential services. Personal welfare services is the largest segment of the Community Services in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Personal welfare services have grown in relative importance

  • Personal welfare services cover social support services provided directly to the client. These include advocacy and counselling services, independent and community living support for the aged and the disabled, in-home support, soup kitchens, youth welfare and adoption services.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Community service providers offer childcare services and ancillary healthcare services, including homes for the mentally ill or victims of substance abuse. Most subdivision services are offered through a combination of government and private funding.

What's included in this industry?

Child care servicesPersonal welfare servicesCrisis and care accommodationAged care residential services

Companies

Goodstart Early LearningBolton ClarkeSalvation Army Australia

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

RESPITE CARENATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDCHILD CARE SUBSIDY (CCS)

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 87 - Community Services in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The Community Services subdivision is involved in providing community and welfare services to Australia’s most vulnerable citizens. Stagnant wage growth, heightened housing s...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Aged-care accommodation, including nursing homes and retirement homes, generates over one-third of revenue in the Community Services subdivision. At the other end of the age ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The subdivision's spread of enterprises generally reflects the spread of individuals and households across Australia. This explains the dominance of the three eastern seaboar...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The Community Services subdivision demonstrates almost no competition between industries. For example, childcare providers only provide services to children and their parents...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Comprising over 30,800 enterprises, the Community Services subdivision is dominated by a large number of small-scale organisations. A sizeable proportion of these are non-emp...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Goodstart Early Learning's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Bolton Clarke's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Salvation Army Australia's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Goodstart Early Learning, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Bolton Clarke, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Salvation Army Australia, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The subdivision is heavily dependent on government funding. Welfare providers and crisis accommodation services are overwhelmingly government funded, while aged-care and chil...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Wages and, to a lesser extent, purchase costs dominate cost structures across the Community Services subdivision. Aged-care accommodation, crisis accommodation and child care...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Community Services industry in Australia in 2024?

The market size of the Community Services industry in Australia is $86.4bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Community Services in Australia industry in 2024?

There are 30,835 businesses in the Community Services industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 11.1 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Community Services industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Community Services industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 4.7 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Community Services industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Community Services industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Community Services market in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Community Services market in Australia are Goodstart Early Learning, Bolton Clarke and Salvation Army Australia

What does the Community Services in Australia include?

Child care services and Personal welfare services are part of the Community Services industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Community Services in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in Australia is Goodstart Early Learning.

How competitive is the Community Services industry in Australia?

The level of competition is low and increasing in the Community Services industry in Australia.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • There are no industries to display.

Complementors

  • Child Care Services in Australia
  • Crisis and Care Accommodation in Australia
  • Personal Welfare Services in Australia
  • Health Services in Australia
  • Aged Care Residential Services in Australia

International industries

  • Nursing Care Facilities in the US
  • Community Housing & Homeless Shelters in the US
  • Day Care in the US
  • Home Care Providers in Canada
  • Mental Health & Substance Abuse Centres in Canada

View all industries in Australia

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.