Mining has powered a rise in gross operating profits for businesses across Australia, with both higher activity volumes and stronger growth contributing to the lift, according to the latest quarterly Business Indicators release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The ABS figures – which track private sector sales, wages, profits and inventories – showed overall company gross operating profits rose 5.8 per cent in the December quarter, while wages and salaries increased 0.9 per cent.

Gross operating profits for mining businesses climbed 8.1 per cent over the quarter. Professional, scientific and technical services rose 8.8 per cent, transport, postal and warehousing increased 8.9 per cent, and other services recorded a 10.4 per cent rise.

Mining sales of goods and services increased 1.2 per cent for the quarter, contributing to a 2.3 per cent rise across the 2025 calendar year.

Wages in the mining sector rose 1.6 per cent over the quarter, the fifth-highest increase across industries, equal with wholesale trade. Other services recorded the largest wage rise (2.6 per cent), followed by education and training (2.3 per cent).

Inventories fell 0.1 per cent overall, with declines in manufacturing (down 0.4 per cent) and retail trade (down 0.4 per cent). Mining inventories rose 0.7 per cent over the period.

Profit before income tax for mining reached $38.149 billion in the December quarter, up 15 per cent from $33.185 billion in the previous quarter – the largest quarterly increase since June 2022.

Mining remains a cornerstone of the Australian economy. The sector contributed a record $455 billion in export revenue in the 2022–23 financial year, representing around 66 per cent of the nation’s total exports. It accounts for approximately 13.7–15 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product, contributed $59.4 billion in taxes and royalties in 2023–24, and supports more than 480,000 direct jobs nationwide.

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