This Survey of Business Conditions and Sentiments is a monthly survey and provides insights into changes in Australian business behaviour and sentiments in response to global shocks and different economic conditions.
The survey previously ran throughout 2020 and 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 2026, the survey focuses on understanding the impact of current fuel prices or availability on Australian businesses.
Data was collected from businesses in Australia via an online form between 4 and 15 May 2026.
The Survey of Business Conditions and Sentiments includes information on the following industries classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC):
The scope excludes public sector business units (i.e. all departments, authorities and other organisations owned and controlled by Commonwealth, State and Local Government).
The survey includes Employing and Non-Employing Units on the ABS Business Register. However, micro non-employing businesses are excluded. These are very small units on the ABS Business Register, by standard measures of size.
The Economics Unit Model is used by the ABS to determine the structure of Australian businesses and other organisations. The model consists of:
Businesses contributing to the estimates in this publication are sourced from the ABS Business Register (ABSBR) and are selected at either the Australian Business Number (ABN) unit or the Type of Activity Unit (TAU) level, as described below.
In the SBCS, the statistical unit used to represent most businesses, and for which statistics are reported, is the ABN unit. The ABN unit is the business unit which has registered for an ABN and thus appears on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) administered Australian Business Register (ABR). These units are suitable for ABS statistical needs when the business is simple in structure and are generally referred to as the non-profiled population. In these instances, one ABN equates to one statistical unit.
For more significant and diverse businesses where the ABN unit is not suitable for ABS statistical needs, the ABS maintains its own unit's structure through direct contact with the business, and the statistical unit used is the TAU. A TAU comprises one or more business entities, sub-entities, or branches of a business entity within an Enterprise Group that can report production and employment activities. When a minimum set of data items is available, a TAU is created which covers all the operations within an industry subdivision (and the TAU is classified to the relevant subdivision of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)). These units are generally referred to as the profiled population.
The survey is based on a random sample of approximately 2,900 units stratified by industry and employment size. The final response rate was 62%.
The survey sample is re-weighted to adjust for non-response and provide full population estimates.
The Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) has been developed for use in both countries for the production and analysis of industry statistics. For more information, users are referred to Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006.
When interpreting the results of a survey, it is important to consider factors that may affect the reliability of the estimates. Estimates in this publication are subject to both non-sampling and sampling errors.
Non-sampling errors may arise because of errors in the reporting, recording, or processing of the data and can occur even if there is a complete enumeration of the population. These errors can be introduced through inadequacies in the questionnaire, treatment of non-response, inaccurate reporting by respondents, errors in the application of survey procedures, incorrect recording of answers, and errors in data capture and processing.
The extent to which non-sampling error affects the results of the survey is difficult to measure. Every effort is made to reduce non-sampling error by careful design and testing of the questionnaire, efficient operating procedures and systems, and the use of appropriate methodology.
Sampling error is the difference between estimates obtained from a sample of businesses, and the estimates that would have been produced if the information had been obtained from all businesses, is called sampling error. The expected magnitude of the sampling error associated with any estimate can be estimated from the sample results.
The ABS acknowledges the ongoing contribution made by the organisations selected for the Survey of Business Conditions and Sentiments.
ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments, and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated. Without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available.