Background Image

Facts and figures

 

Australia’s First Nations businesses make a very important contribution to economic value across Australia and in Queensland.

According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the First Nations Business sector is growing at around 4% fuelled by an increase in demand.

The Queensland Government is developing a new, whole-of-government First Nations Economic Strategy to support economic participation outcomes and self-empowerment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and businesses.

The National Indigenous Australian’s Agency’s Indigenous Business Sector Strategy 2018-28 is helping more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people build sustainable businesses that will support themselves, their families and their communities.


Australian Government – Productivity Commission

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts – Study report – November 2022

Fast facts highlighted in the report:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts markets are strong, dynamic and growing
  • Total sales exceed $250 million annually – including at least $35 million in artwork sales and $80 million in sales of merchandise and consumer products
  • Average income for the 7300 artists who sold art through an art centre in 2019-2020 was just over $3200.
  • For artists not working through art centres, average income was about $6000.
  • Non-Indigenous authored products accounted for up to $54 million of spending, representing well over half of total spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander souvenirs in 2019-2020

Creative Australia

Living Culture presents arts and culture data from the Australian BBS’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) about Indigenous Australians’ engagement with First Nations arts, festivals, languages and broadcasting, and attendance at arts and cultural venues and events. The data can be explored through interactive dashboards, or downloaded in detailed tables with breakdowns by a range of characteristics including by state/territory and remoteness areas.

Living Culture contributes to the growing body of evidence about the critical role of culture as the foundation of First Nations wellbeing.

For more detail visit Creative Australia

Arts sector data

Arts Queensland publishes Arts Data to help understanding of funding and audiences in Queensland.