115,949 New Businesses in February. The data driving Australia's latest boom
Breaking down founder ages, business origins, and the industries driving Australia forward
January 2024 - February 2026 • Monthly ABN Registration Trends and Insights
115,949
ABN registrations this month
+9.32%
Growth Rate (YoY)
93,699
Monthly Average
January 2024 - February 2026 • Monthly ACN Registration Trends and Insights
31,325
ACN registrations this month
+16.14%
Growth Rate (YoY)
28,415
Monthly Average
January 2024 - February 2026 • GST Registration Trends and Insights
25,689
GST registrations this month
-0.19%
Growth Rate (YoY)
29,238
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.
February suggests Australia’s startup momentum is turning into something more sustained. 115,949 new businesses were registered, a 9.32% increase year-on-year, signalling that the early-year wave of entrepreneurship has continued well beyond the typical January reset.
What’s notable is how founders are choosing to structure those businesses. 31,325 new companies were registered, up 16.14 % YoY, pointing to a growing preference for formal company structures rather than purely experimental side projects.
Yet the data also shows a cautious streak. GST registrations fell slightly to 25,689, down 0.19% YoY, suggesting many new founders are still testing ideas and delaying additional compliance until revenue becomes clearer.
The geographic spread tells a similar story. While the largest states continue to dominate overall registrations, Tasmania recorded the fastest growth nationally, reinforcing a broader shift: new businesses are increasingly emerging from places and founders that historically sat outside Australia’s traditional startup centres.
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 February 2026 analysis with detailed breakdowns
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