Trends & Research

Lawpath New Business Index • March 2026

124,516 New Businesses in March. The data driving Australia's latest boom

Breaking down founder ages, business origins, and the industries driving Australia forward

January 2024 - March 2026 • Monthly ABN Registration Trends and Insights

66,425
72,908
71,820
68,442
72,409
70,931
95,007
71,944
70,602
77,065
72,741
59,601
104,412
106,021
112,850
103,158
105,920
107,608
129,610
109,357
110,708
118,492
111,827
95,247
111,690
117,444
124,516
Jan'24
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'25
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'26
Feb
Mar

124,516

ABN registrations this month

+10.34%

Growth Rate (YoY)

94,028

Monthly Average

January 2024 - March 2026 • Monthly ACN Registration Trends and Insights

19,920
26,420
26,194
25,494
29,766
33,175
29,549
27,071
26,399
27,617
25,852
20,694
20,475
26,971
29,465
27,431
31,990
38,555
35,844
31,642
33,429
32,805
30,603
25,538
24,563
31,325
34,481
Jan'24
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'25
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'26
Feb
Mar

34,481

ACN registrations this month

+17.02%

Growth Rate (YoY)

28,640

Monthly Average

January 2024 - March 2026 • GST Registration Trends and Insights

30,293
22,933
21,251
32,683
23,823
19,777
63,104
23,362
21,813
33,222
23,111
17,226
33,998
25,657
24,729
35,528
26,803
23,709
64,176
27,153
25,757
37,190
25,975
20,252
32,575
26,609
24,859
Jan'24
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'25
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan'26
Feb
Mar

24,859

GST registrations this month

+0.53%

Growth Rate (YoY)

29,169

Monthly Average

What is the
New Business Index?

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.

Statistics for March 2026

Key growth signals from the ABN registry and Australia’s latest new business registrations.

+9.32% YoY

NEW BUSINESS REGISTERED

124,516

Total ABN registrations this month

(vs 112,850 in March 2025)

Source: Australian Business Register – ABN Bulk Extract (data.gov.au), accessed 13 April 2026

+16.14% YoY

NEW COMPANIES REGISTERED

34,481

Total ACN registrations this month

(vs 29,465 in March 2025)

Source: ASIC – Company registration statistics (monthly new company registrations), accessed 13 April 2026

-0.19% YoY

GST Status

24,859

Business Registered for GST

(vs 24,729 in March 2025)

Source: Australian Business Register – ABN Bulk Extract (data.gov.au), accessed 13 April 2026

Summary

March suggests Australia’s business formation momentum is continuing to build. 124,516 new businesses were registered, a 10.34% increase year-on-year, signalling that founder activity remains strong well into the first quarter.

What stands out is how those businesses are being structured. 34,481 new companies were registered, up 17.02% YoY, pointing to a growing preference for formal company structures rather than purely exploratory ventures.

The GST data adds some nuance. Registrations came in at 24,859, up just 0.53% YoY, suggesting many new founders are still in early testing mode and holding off on additional compliance steps until the revenue picture becomes clearer.

The geographic spread is where the story gets interesting. While New South Wales and Victoria continue to lead on volume, Queensland recorded the fastest growth of any mainland state at 18.07% YoY, reinforcing a broader shift away from the traditional Sydney-Melbourne startup corridor and toward a more distributed picture of where new businesses in Australia are being born.

Australia’s business formation at a glance

A closer look at how Australia’s new businesses are taking shape, from the structures they choose to the regions driving growth.

Business Structures
91,561
Sole Traders
Category Value YoY Growth
States & Territories
38,478
NSW
State Value YoY Growth
Suburbs
1,235
3029
Postcode Value YoY Growth

Source: Australian Business Register – ABN Bulk Extract (monthly new company registrations), accessed 13 April 2026

Most Popular Structure

Sole Trader

+11.79% YoY, leading driver of growth
Growth Leader

Queensland

+18.07% YoY, fastest growth
Metro Dominance

68.87%

in major metropolitan areas

Business formation breakdown by suburbs in Australia

Explore our interactive map to see where new businesses are forming across Australia, suburb by suburb.

All States
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
ACT
TAS
NT
Australia Business Statistics
Total Active ABNs 9,029,413
New Businesses (YTD) 755,875
Growth Rate (YTD) +7.21%
New Businesses (YTD)
1,000+
500 – 999
300 – 499
200 – 299
0 – 199

Source: Australian Business Register – ABN Bulk Extract, accessed 13 April 2026

Lawpath Platform Insights

Key metrics and trends from companies registered through our platform

Age Distribution of Founders
19%
35–39 years
Age Group YoY Growth
Countries of Birth
29%
Australia
Country YoY Growth
Industry Distribution
24%
Personal Services
Industry YoY Growth
Sharpest Age Rise

55+ yrs

+66.67% YoY Growth
International Diversity

71%

born outside Australia
Personal Services

24%

+1.34% YoY Growth

Methodology

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.

March's numbers show that the surge in new businesses we saw at the start of the year isn’t slowing down. What’s particularly interesting is that more founders are choosing to incorporate earlier, which suggests people are starting businesses with a longer-term view rather than simply testing side projects.

Tom Willis

Chief Marketing Officer, Lawpath

March 2026

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Sole trader

As the simplest business structure, sole traders are responsible for the legal and financial aspects of their business.

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