Newspaper and Book Retailing: ABS business counts
ANZSIC class 4244, in the Retail Trade division.
- Actively trading businesses in Newspaper and Book Retailing (ANZSIC class 4244) across Australia, June 2025
- 2,914 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- Actively trading non-employing businesses in Newspaper and Book Retailing (ANZSIC class 4244) across Australia, June 2025
- 1,019 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- ABS business entries in Newspaper and Book Retailing (ANZSIC class 4244) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
- 210 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
- ABS business exits in Newspaper and Book Retailing (ANZSIC class 4244) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
- 374 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 retailing books, periodicals and newspapers.
Examples the ABS lists:
- Book retailing
- Magazine retailing
- Newspaper retailing
- Periodical retailing
- Religious book retailing
The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:
- retailing stationery and writing goods are included in Class 4272 Stationery Goods Retailing
- retailing second-hand books are included in Class 4273 Antique and Used Goods Retailing
The ABS page for class 4244 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.
By employment size
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| All businesses | 2,914 businesses |
| Non-employing | 1,019 businesses |
| 1 to 4 employees | 1,184 businesses |
| 5 to 19 employees | 650 businesses |
| 20 to 199 employees | 55 businesses |
| 200 or more employees | 6 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 | 445 businesses |
| $50k to less than $200k | 559 businesses |
| $200k to less than $2m | 1,612 businesses |
| $2m to less than $5m | 221 businesses |
| $5m to less than $10m | 58 businesses |
| $10m or more | 19 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 | 3,078 businesses |
| ABS business entries | 210 businesses |
| ABS business exits | 374 businesses |
| At the end of the year | 2,914 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 | 1,011 businesses |
| Victoria | 696 businesses |
| Queensland | 552 businesses |
| Western Australia | 349 businesses |
| South Australia | 193 businesses |
| Tasmania | 70 businesses |
| Australian Capital Territory | 30 businesses |
| Northern Territory | 12 businesses |
| Other Territories or Currently Unknown | 3 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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