Economic outlook
Our growth is strong
Gold Coast’s economy has been growing at a rate of 3.8% per year over the last 20 years, higher than many other state and national economies. We have growth capacity to leverage strengths and minimise the impact of a tight national economy.
We are experiencing rapid population growth, driven by internal migration from other parts of Australia and international immigration. From 2021 to 2022, the Gold Coast’s population grew by 2.1%.
Read our Gold Coast Economic Outlook 2023 for more on the Gold Coast's economic performance based on the most recent data release for 2021-22.
A new phase of opportunity
We continue to strive towards a more diverse and robust economy that ensures job creation is linked to our economic future. The City’s Economic Strategy provides clear direction for how we will work with local business, industry groups and other levels of government to realise these opportunities.
To achieve a diverse, thriving economy the City will deliver programs to strengthen our existing economic core while supporting the specialised growth of high value industries of the future such as advanced manufacturing, marine, AI and envirotech.
Key outcomes of the strategy include:
- Sustained economic growth in the industries and sectors that offer opportunity
- Developing, attracting and retaining the best talent in our city
- Connecting the business community and the city's economy to the world
- Driving productivity and innovation by focusing on start-ups and scale-ups across targeted sectors.