Country profile
Australia
A leading exporter of iron ore, coal, LNG, gold, lithium and farm products, with China as its largest market.
Updated 11 November 2026. Sources at the bottom of the page.
- Capital
- Canberra
- Population
- 28.1 million (2026)
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AUD)
- GDP, 2026
- US$2.11 trillion
- Exports, 2025
- US$335.8 billion
- Exchange rate
- 1 USD = 1.46 AUD (10 Nov 2026)
Economy
IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026. 2026 and 2027 are IMF projections.
1.9%Real GDP growth, 2026
1.6%Real GDP growth, 2027
3.9%Inflation, 2026
4.4%Unemployment, 2026
52.6% of GDPGovernment debt, 2026
-3.1% of GDPCurrent account, 2026
Compare Australia with other countries →
Trade
Top export markets
Share of the country’s exports, 2025
- China (30.3%)
- Japan (7.5%)
- United States (7.4%)
- South Korea (5.9%)
- United Kingdom (4.1%)
Main exports
Product groups, share of exports
- Ores, mainly iron ore and lithium (28.4%)
- Mineral fuels, mainly coal and LNG (26.9%)
- Gold and precious metals (11.9%)
- Meat (5.2%)
- Cereals (2.9%)
Main trade agreements
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
- Australia–US, China–Australia, Japan–Australia and Korea–Australia free trade agreements
- Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement
- Australia–New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (ANZCERTA)
Trade policy to watch
- Critical minerals: government funding and offtake support for lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals processed outside China.
- China: most of the trade restrictions China placed on Australian goods in 2020 have been lifted, but China still takes about 30% of exports.
- Foreign investment: investments in critical minerals and infrastructure are reviewed by the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Energy
Coal is still the largest source of Australia's electricity, but renewables (rooftop solar, wind and large solar) produce a growing share. Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of coal and LNG.
What it means for your supply chain
- Australia is a key source of iron ore, lithium, rare earths, nickel and metallurgical coal.
- Long shipping distances add transit time; plan buffer stock for critical materials.
- Australian rare earths and lithium are among the few large non-Chinese supplies.
Sources
- IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026: GDP, growth, inflation, unemployment, government debt, current account (2026 and 2027 are projections; updated automatically).
- IMF, World Economic Outlook database: population (2026 estimate).
- Trading Economics, based on UN Comtrade data: export markets and main exports; shares calculated from the listed values.
- Bank of Canada, daily exchange rates (cross rates calculated from CAD rates; updated daily).
- Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy 2026: energy profile.
Figures are the latest published at the time of the update and may since have been revised. This page is for general information, not investment or legal advice.