What is regional Australia?
Regional Australia is a special place, as diverse as it is expansive. It means something different to everyone.
For the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), ‘regional Australia’ refers to everything beyond the major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra – from remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to inland and coastal towns and bustling regional hubs.
Key facts
Regional Australia is home to more than nine million people and accounts for roughly one-third of the national workforce.
It generates about 40 percent of the nation’s economic output but has contributed more since the global financial crisis, highlighting the ability of our regions to lead national recovery after hard times.
Regional Australia is also at the forefront of productivity in more than one third of our industries, including healthcare and logistics.