Manufacturing drives Australian business revenue growth in ABS experimental indicator swansong

The Monthly Business Turnover Indicator (MBTI), an experimental economic indicator developed in 2021 and using monthly Business Activity Statement data, has released its final result, showing that manufacturing enjoyed its “highest growth on record” in the MBTI’s history.

According to a statement from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Monday, the September result showed business turnover within manufacturing increased by 14.2 per cent versus September 2024, and by 7.0 per cent versus August 2025.

Other sectors that led growth results compared to September last year were Professional, scientific and technical services (up 9.9 per cent), Information media and telecommunications (8.0 per cent) and Accommodation and food services (7.9 per cent). 

The 7.0 per cent jump in revenues from August to September was the “highest growth on record” for manufacturing, said Tom Lay, ABS head of business statistics.

“Primary metal product manufacturing was the main contributor to the rise in manufacturing turnover. It grew by 19.7 per cent and was boosted by a rise in non-monetary gold exports,” he added.

“International demand also drove rises in turnover for iron ore and lithium miners resulting in… a 4.0 per cent increase for the Mining division.”

Overall, business turnover was 6.9 per cent higher than in September 2024, with 12 of the sectors measured reporting rises over the last year.

The MBTI uses data based on monthly Business Activity Statement (BAS) reports with the Australian Taxation Office, which are filed by companies with revenues over $20 million (as well as some smaller businesses that do monthly filing voluntarily.) 

The indicator covered month-to-month movements for 13 of the 19 Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) divisions.

The first MBTI was developed in 2021 “to provide insights into economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic” and was first published in November that year.

The ABS announced last month that it would end publication of the MBTI

Further reading

Manufacturing company turnovers up 6.4 per cent in August: ABS indicator

Manufacturing company monthly turnovers went up slightly in latest ABS data 

Manufacturing revenues for July recorded third-best growth of industries tracked

Manufacturing companies led revenue growth in “mixed” ABS stats for February

Manufacturing revenues down 3.8 per cent in July, says ABS