Commission-Based Wholesaling: ABS business counts
ANZSIC class 3800, in the Wholesale Trade division.
- Actively trading businesses in Commission-Based Wholesaling (ANZSIC class 3800) across Australia, June 2025
- 15,361 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- Actively trading non-employing businesses in Commission-Based Wholesaling (ANZSIC class 3800) across Australia, June 2025
- 10,095 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
- ABS business entries in Commission-Based Wholesaling (ANZSIC class 3800) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
- 3,168 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
- ABS business exits in Commission-Based Wholesaling (ANZSIC class 3800) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
- 2,801 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 the purchase and/or sale of goods or through the provision of sales services to businesses on behalf of one or more principals on a fee or commission basis. These activities include businesses who arrange the sale of goods on behalf of a principal, but do not take title to the goods.
Examples the ABS lists:
- Auction service (except real estate)
- Auctioning livestock
- Electronic auction
- Export agent, wholesaler
- Goods wholesale broking n.e.c.
- Import agent, wholesaler
- Livestock agent
- Manufacturer’s sales agent
- Stock and station agent
- Stockyard operation
The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:
- the arrangement of the purchase of travel and related services are included in Class 7220 Travel Agency and Tour Arrangement Services
- the activities of real estate agents are included in Class 6720 Real Estate Services
- the broking of financial or insurance services are included in the appropriate classes of Subdivision 64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services
The ABS page for class 3800 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.
By employment size
| Businesses | Count |
|---|---|
| All businesses | 15,361 businesses |
| Non-employing | 10,095 businesses |
| 1 to 4 employees | 4,195 businesses |
| 5 to 19 employees | 866 businesses |
| 20 to 199 employees | 194 businesses |
| 200 or more employees | 11 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 | 4,552 businesses |
| $50k to less than $200k | 4,009 businesses |
| $200k to less than $2m | 5,200 businesses |
| $2m to less than $5m | 855 businesses |
| $5m to less than $10m | 347 businesses |
| $10m or more | 398 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 | 14,994 businesses |
| ABS business entries | 3,168 businesses |
| ABS business exits | 2,801 businesses |
| At the end of the year | 15,361 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 | 5,312 businesses |
| Victoria | 4,786 businesses |
| Queensland | 2,385 businesses |
| Western Australia | 1,087 businesses |
| South Australia | 1,509 businesses |
| Tasmania | 135 businesses |
| Australian Capital Territory | 86 businesses |
| Northern Territory | 39 businesses |
| Other Territories or Currently Unknown | 22 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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