Time required to start a business in Australia
Australia: Time required to start a business was 2 days in 2019. ▼ Falling
Time required to start a business in Australia, 2003–2019
Source: Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in days.
Analysis
The most recent figure for time required to start a business in Australia is 2 days, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is down 20.0% on the previous year and down 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, time required to start a business in Australia peaked at 3 days in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2 days, in 2019.
Australia ranks 183rd of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Time required to start a business in Australia, year by year
| Year | days | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 days | — |
| 2004 | 3 days | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3 days | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3 days | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3 days | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.5 days | -16.7% |
| 2009 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2 days | -20.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 2 days is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.5 days, 24% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Australia's 2 days is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.8 days, 16% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.86 days | 2.5 days | 3 days | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.45 days | 2 days | 2.5 days | 10 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is time required to start a business in Australia?
- Time required to start a business in Australia was 2 days in 2019, according to Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest time required to start a business recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3 days in 2003.
- What is the lowest time required to start a business recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 days in 2019.
- How does Australia rank for time required to start a business?
- Australia ranks 183rd out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- Is time required to start a business rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Time required to start a business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.