Projects
Australia's Economic Wellbeing

An economic analysis of Australia's cities and regions

For over a decade, SGS has published Australia’s Economic Wellbeing (formerly Economic Performance of Australia’s Cities and Regions) to fill a gap in economic policy research. The publication provides small area estimates of Gross Regional Product (GRP) for major cities and regions across Australia — a regional view of the more familiar Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — and highlights the economic challenges they face.

This work recognises that economic development is more than growth alone. It considers income and employment alongside factors such as education, health, environment and community outcomes, reflecting how prosperity is generated and shared.

While this economic analysis remains a critical foundation, it now sits within a broader framework. Our work has evolved into the SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index (CRWI), which brings together economic, social and environmental indicators to better understand how communities are performing.

This shift reflects a more complete view of progress — recognising that income and employment are only part of the story. By combining these with wider measures of wellbeing, SGS provides a clearer picture of how places are performing and the factors shaping outcomes for communities.