Value added by industry is an indicator of business productivity in Cairns. It shows how productive each industry sector is at increasing the value of its inputs. It is a more refined measure of the productivity of an industry sector than output (total gross revenue), as some industries have high levels of output but require large amounts of input expenditure to achieve that.
By comparing the value added of each industry sector to a regional benchmark, you can clearly see the structure of Cairns’s economy. This can be done by directly comparing the percentage contribution of each industry to the total output, relative to the benchmark, or by using a location quotient, where a number greater than one indicates a high concentration of that industry and less than one indicates a lower concentration.
To see what contribution each industry makes to the state or region, see the Industry sector analysissection. To understand the value of a worker in each industry, view this dataset in conjunction with Worker productivity data, and to see the relationship of value added to the total size of the economy, go to the Gross Regional Product section.
Detailed notes about how the figures are derived can be found in the specific topic notes section.
Data source
National Economics (NIEIR) - Modelled series
Current benchmark:
Comparison year:
| Value added by industry sector | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | 2023/24 | 2018/19 | Change | ||||||
| Industry | $m | % | Queensland | $m | % | Queensland | 2018/19 - 2023/24 | ||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 179.2 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 102.8 | 1.2 | 2.6 | +76.4 | ||
| Mining | 94.1 | 0.9 | 20.2 | 132.5 | 1.5 | 24.0 | -38.4 | ||
| Manufacturing | 452.1 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 459.0 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -7.0 | ||
| Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services | 329.6 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 295.4 | 3.3 | 2.7 | +34.2 | ||
| Construction | 779.1 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 918.6 | 10.4 | 8.3 | -139.5 | ||
| Wholesale Trade | 369.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 333.2 | 3.8 | 3.5 | +36.5 | ||
| Retail Trade | 683.2 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 625.4 | 7.1 | 4.5 | +57.8 | ||
| Accommodation and Food Services | 602.1 | 5.9 | 2.8 | 547.8 | 6.2 | 2.7 | +54.3 | ||
| Transport, Postal and Warehousing | 1,107.9 | 10.8 | 5.8 | 865.3 | 9.8 | 5.9 | +242.6 | ||
| Information Media and Telecommunications | 66.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 66.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | +0.4 | ||
| Financial and Insurance Services | 358.3 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 387.5 | 4.4 | 5.4 | -29.2 | ||
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | 416.0 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 348.2 | 3.9 | 2.7 | +67.8 | ||
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 602.5 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 446.8 | 5.1 | 6.0 | +155.8 | ||
| Administrative and Support Services | 588.4 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 389.0 | 4.4 | 3.1 | +199.4 | ||
| Public Administration and Safety | 936.1 | 9.2 | 5.7 | 752.7 | 8.5 | 5.2 | +183.4 | ||
| Education and Training | 726.9 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 624.5 | 7.1 | 5.1 | +102.4 | ||
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,476.3 | 14.4 | 9.3 | 1,117.9 | 12.7 | 7.8 | +358.4 | ||
| Arts and Recreation Services | 126.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 114.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | +12.1 | ||
| Other Services | 323.2 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 295.8 | 3.4 | 2.0 | +27.4 | ||
| Total industries | 10,217.7 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 8,822.9 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +1,394.8 | ||
Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2025. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions). Note: All $ values are expressed in 2022/23 base year dollar terms. NIEIR-ID data are adjusted each year, using updated employment estimates. Each release may change previous years’ figures. Learn more Please refer to specific data notes for more information | |||||||||
Dominant groups
An analysis of the valued added by industry sectors in Cairns in 2023/24 shows the three largest industries were:
- Health Care and Social Assistance (1,476 million or 14.4%)
- Transport, Postal and Warehousing (1,108 million or 10.8%)
- Public Administration and Safety (936 million or 9.2%)
In combination these three industries accounted for 3,520 million in total or 34.5% of the total value added by industry in the Cairns.
In comparison, the same 3 industries in Queensland accounted for 9.3% in Health Care and Social Assistance; 5.8% in Transport, Postal and Warehousing and 5.7% in Public Administration and Safety.
The major differences between the value added by industries of Cairns and Queensland were:
- A smaller percentage of value added by Mining (0.9% compared to 20.2%)
- A larger percentage of value added by Health Care and Social Assistance (14.4% compared to 9.3%)
- A larger percentage of value added by Transport, Postal and Warehousing (10.8% compared to 5.8%)
- A larger percentage of value added by Public Administration and Safety (9.2% compared to 5.7%)
Emerging groups
The total value added by industry in Cairns $increased by 1,395 million between 2018/19 and 2023/24.
The largest changes in the value added by industries between 2018/19 and 2023/24 in Cairns were for:
- Health Care and Social Assistance (+$358 million)
- Transport, Postal and Warehousing (+$243 million)
- Administrative and Support Services (+$199 million)
- Public Administration and Safety (+$183 million)