As the largest Victoria coastal city outside of Port Phillip Bay, Warrnambool is the major service centre in the Great South Coast region.
Home to 35,907 people, Warrnambool supports 18,518 jobs and has an annual economic output of $5.903 billion.
Employment strengths are in the service sectors of health and community, education, food processing, government, retail trade and tourism. Industrial and business activities also occur in the City that supports the broader agricultural and other industry value adding activities.
The Great South Coast Region encompasses 6 LGAs; Colac-Otway, Corangamite, Moyne, Warrnambool, Southern Grampians and Glenelg. Collectively making up a population of approximately 126,000.
A comprehensive economic profile of Warrnambool can be sourced directly here.
Economic Profile (as of June 2024)
- Gross Regional Product (GRP): $3.08 Billion, representing 27% of Great South Coast’s GRP ($11.40B)
- Population: estimated 35,907 with a median age of 42 years.
There has been a 3.1% population increase in the last 6 years, with 1,084 more people calling Warrnambool home in 2023 compared in 2018.
Business Counts/ Employment
Largest Industries by Employment
Total Employment in the area is estimated at 18,518 jobs.
Healthcare/social assistance, retail trade and education/training account for approx. 47% of total employment.
Top 5 industries by employment:
- Healthcare & Social Assistance (23.3%)
- Retail Trade (13.5%)
- Education & Training (9.9%)
- Construction (8.7%)
- Accommodation & Food Services (8.5%)
Largest Industries by Output
Total Output in the area is estimated at $5,903.084 million.
Construction, manufacturing and health care/social assistance account for approx. 40% of total output.
Top 5 industries by output:
- Construction (15.4%)
- Manufacturing (12.9%)
- Health Care & Social Assistance (12.4%)
- Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services (9.5%)
- Retail Trade (6.1%)
Warrnambool Business Counts (Staff Size)
| Staff Size | Jun 22 | Jun 23 | Jun 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non Employing | 1595 | 1634 | 1747 |
| 1-4 | 787 | 763 | 777 |
| 5-19 | 407 | 419 | 387 |
| 20-199 | 99 | 99 | 109 |
| 200+ | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 2888 | 2919 | 3023 |
Business Counts are based on snapshots of actively trading businesses from the past three years from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Business Register (ABSBR).
Warrnambool Spending Trend Analysis (Spendmapp by Georgrafia)
Spendmapp takes bank transaction (EFTPOS and credit/debit) data from around Australia and then weights this for non-card transactions;
The total represents a highly accurate account of the economic activity occurring in each Local Government Area (LGA); and it counts cardholders and transactions in specified locations, times and types (resident and visitors).
If you need local spending information for your business, please get in touch with Economic Development Team via [email protected].
Who spends money in Warrnambool?
| Expenditure Type | Value $ |
|---|---|
| Total Local Spend | $1.02B |
| Resident Local Spend | $589.98M |
| Visitor Local Spend | $429.82M |
| Resident Escape Spend | $181.75M |
| Resident Online Spend | $398.74M |
Quick Facts (Feb 2024 – Jan 2025)
A full list of categories by expenditure type can be provided upon request by contacting [email protected].
Expenditure Time Series (Jul 2018 – April 2025)
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