Report highlights city's economic diversity

Published: 12 May 2021. (Note: information was correct at date of publication but may have since been changed or superseded.)

Health care and social assistance is worth more than $1 billion to the Cairns economy, according to a report tabled today at Council’s Governance and Economic Committee.

The report revealed Cairns has a markedly diverse economy, with the top five industries, by value added to the economy for the 2019-20 financial year, being:

Tourism is not represented in the standard industry classification system as it includes parts of many different industries.

However, in 2019-20 the total value of the tourism industry was approximately $910 million, which represents about 10% of the city’s total economy – $498 million in direct value add (accommodation, food services, transport and retail), and a further $412 million in indirect value add.

Significantly, the education and training industry provided $617 million in value added to the Cairns economy last financial year.