Aged and disability care takes charge as Australia’s fastest-growing small business sector
Published on 31 January 2025
Aged care is at the forefront of Australia’s business expansion as new data from BizCover’s Small Business Growth Report for 2025 reveals Aged & Disability Care is the top-growing small-business sector.
There are more small business insurance requests from aged and disability care service providers than any other industry with notable year-on-year increases across most states in 2023-24.
The most growth is occurring in Western Australia and Tasmania, with the Australian Capital Territory being the only location it was not the fastest growing sector.
“Despite economic challenges, certain sectors have experienced impressive growth, which signals new opportunities for business owners and investors alike. By understanding these shifts, businesses can better position themselves for success in 2025 and beyond,” BizCover Head of Marketing Sharon Kenny said.
“Insurance requests are a reliable indicator of industry growth. Simply put, more new business insurance requests correlate to more new small businesses. This is not an entirely surprising outcome, given that the NDIS already supports over 640,000 participants and continues to grow rapidly.”
With the aged and disability care sectors sitting at the top of the table, other fast-growing sectors with strong links to the care economy are:
- Cleaning and gardening (2nd fastest growing small business sector in Australia)
- Allied health (4th)
- Personal care (7th)
- Exercise and nutrition (10th)
Others in the top 20 include IT, construction, plumbing and business consultancy.
Ms Kenny said Australia’s ageing population is influencing business growth and evolution, evidenced by the surge in gardening and cleaning services.
“With fewer older Australians looking to move into assisted living, there is increased demand for assistance with house-related tasks and further fuelling demand is the fact that government support programs like the NDIS and aged care services that subsidise these essential services,” she said.
Looking at the state and territory-level growth, the one-two punch of aged and disability care and cleaning and gardening is occurring right across Australia with the ACT being the exception. IT ranks first for small business growth, followed by aged and disability care.
Despite ranking second in the Nation’s capital, the 34% year-on-year growth for aged and disability care businesses in the ACT is actually the highest of all locations between 2023 and 2024.
Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria were the only others to record double-digit growth. Northern Territory experienced a slight decline of -2%, although it recorded the most growth in cleaning and gardening at 31%.
Meanwhile, allied health snuck into the top three for South Australia, indicating that Adelaide and surrounds are heavily investing in services critical to healthy ageing.
“By analysing the year-on-year growth at a state level, business owners and entrepreneurs can identify emerging trends, seize opportunities, and address potential challenges,” Ms Kenny said.
“Rather than being intimidated by the growth or decline in their sectors, small business owners should utilise times of change by leveraging these shifts to build on their strengths.
Focusing on what makes your business stand out, whether that’s offering a specialised service or reaching a niche audience, can help position you for long-term success.”