Human Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product Manufacturing: ABS business counts
ANZSIC class 1841, in the Manufacturing division.
- Actively trading businesses in Human Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product Manufacturing (ANZSIC class 1841) across Australia, June 2025
- 596 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- Actively trading non-employing businesses in Human Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product Manufacturing (ANZSIC class 1841) across Australia, June 2025
- 293 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- ABS business entries in Human Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product Manufacturing (ANZSIC class 1841) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
- 91 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
- ABS business exits in Human Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product Manufacturing (ANZSIC class 1841) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
- 75 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
About these figures
- These ABS figures count actively trading businesses, not workers, sites or venues, each in its main state or territory.
- Entries and exits compare two 30 June counts. They are not counts of openings and closures.
- The ABS adjusts its counts slightly to protect confidentiality, so a small number or a zero is approximate, not proof that no such business exists.
Summary of the ABS class definition
In this class, the ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in manufacturing pharmaceutical and medicinal products for human use from both natural (plants) and synthetic sources (chemicals). This class also consists of businesses mainly engaged in manufacturing diagnostic substances for antibodies, antigens and chemical/diagnostic testing agents.
Examples the ABS lists:
- Ampoule manufacturing
- Analgesic manufacturing
- Anthelmintic manufacturing
- Antibacterial manufacturing
- Antibiotic manufacturing
- Antibody manufacturing
- Antigen manufacturing
- Antitoxin manufacturing
- Biotechnological manufacture of pharmaceutical and medicinal products
- Blood serum manufacturing
The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:
- manufacturing sanitary paper-based products from paper or cellulose wadding, such as disposable paper nappies, sanitary napkins, tampons and other sanitary paper-based products n.e.c. are included in Class 1524 Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing
- manufacturing ether are included in Class 1812 Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing
- manufacturing medicinal gas are included in Class 1811 Industrial Gas Manufacturing
- manufacturing animal dips and sprays, blowfly specifics or other pesticides are included in Class 1832 Pesticide Manufacturing
- packaging and labelling of pharmaceutical and medical products on fee or contract are included in Class 7320 Packaging Services
- manufacturing scientific or diagnostic equipment are included in Class 2412 Medical and Surgical Equipment Manufacturing
The ABS page for class 1841 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.
By employment size
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| All businesses | 596 businesses |
| Non-employing | 293 businesses |
| 1 to 4 employees | 134 businesses |
| 5 to 19 employees | 75 businesses |
| 20 to 199 employees | 72 businesses |
| 200 or more employees | 22 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
By turnover
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| Zero to less than $50k | 201 businesses |
| $50k to less than $200k | 93 businesses |
| $200k to less than $2m | 133 businesses |
| $2m to less than $5m | 43 businesses |
| $5m to less than $10m | 31 businesses |
| $10m or more | 95 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3, June 2025. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
Entries and exits, 2024-25
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| At the start of the year | 580 businesses |
| ABS business entries | 91 businesses |
| ABS business exits | 75 businesses |
| At the end of the year | 596 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
By main state or territory
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 209 businesses |
| Victoria | 187 businesses |
| Queensland | 106 businesses |
| Western Australia | 48 businesses |
| South Australia | 31 businesses |
| Tasmania | 9 businesses |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0 businesses |
| Northern Territory | 0 businesses |
| Other Territories or Currently Unknown | 6 businesses |
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Sources
Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2: Businesses by main state by industry class by employment size ranges (8165DC02.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 15 October 2026.
Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3: Businesses by main state by industry class by turnover size ranges (8165DC03.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 16 October 2026.
Correspondence, GCCSA 2021 to GCCSA 2026 (CG_GCCSA_2021_GCCSA_2026.csv). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.
Greater Capital City Statistical Areas digital boundary file, 2026 (GCCSA_2026_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip). Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.
Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0): the detailed classification. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 26 June 2013, checked 16 October 2026.
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