Adelaide Council Supports Local Economy Through Job Maintenance and Retail Stability

The City of Adelaide recorded a Gross Regional Product of $23.95 billion in 2022/23, representing 18 per cent of South Australia's total economy.

Why the Figures Matter Now

These results sit alongside a resident population of 27,901 people as of 2023 and an average annual population growth rate of 3.3 per cent recorded between 1991 and 2021. The municipality therefore contributes a measurable share of state output while local services continue to manage day-to-day economic activity.

Employment and Business Base

The local economy supports 169,940 jobs across the City of Adelaide municipality as of 2023. Sixteen thousand nine hundred and ninety-four businesses operate inside the same boundaries. Knowledge-based sectors, services, ICT and retail remain the main drivers, with council planning and permitting processes directly influencing where these activities locate.

Retail Conditions in the CBD

Rundle Mall posted a vacancy rate of 4.1 per cent in early 2022. That figure reflects ongoing management of street-level tenancies and public-space maintenance by the City of Adelaide.

Recent Labour Market Indicators

Adelaide's unemployment rate remained around 4.0 per cent in 2024 while employment growth slowed to 1.2 per cent. These outcomes occur against a backdrop of council decisions on zoning, infrastructure access and business licensing that shape where new positions are created.

Health care, education and visitor-related activity also contribute to the employment total. Local government services such as development approvals and public-space management therefore continue to underpin the sectors already present in the city centre.

Future updates to these indicators will depend on how the City of Adelaide applies its existing planning controls and business-support programs to the same job base and retail strip.