Industry classification
The R&DTI is available to eligible R&D entities in any industry. Industry types are based on Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) divisionsExternal Link. Entities self-classify when they lodge their company tax return. The ANZSIC divisions reflect the industry of the main business activity undertaken by the entity and may not be the industry in which the R&D activity is undertaken.
Top 5 industries overall
The top 5 industries that claimed R&D expenditure in the 2021–22 income year (in order) are:
- Professional, scientific and technical services – covering a broad range of businesses within those fields. The report includes scientific research, computer system design and accounting services within this industry.
- Manufacturing – including businesses mainly engaged in the physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products (except agriculture and construction). The report contains entities in furniture, metal, wood and chemical manufacturing.
- Wholesale trade – including businesses mainly engaged in purchase and on-selling, commission-based buying, and commission-based selling of goods, without significant transformation, to other businesses. The report contains grocery, machinery and vehicle wholesale traders.
- Information media and telecommunications – covering a variety of businesses engaged in the creation, enhancing and storing of information products in the media, transmitting information products and providing transmission services. The report includes internet service providers, publishers and telecommunication service providers.
- Financial and insurance services – including businesses mainly engaged in financial transactions. The report includes finance, insurance and superannuation companies.
The graph below provides a breakdown of the top 5 industries that claimed R&D expenditure by number and percentage total of overall claims.
Top 5 industries by number of claimants
The graph below provides an overview of the main industries that claimed R&D expenditure in the 2021–22 income year and their total claim amount.
Total R&DTI expenditure by industry
Top 5 industries – public and multinational businesses
The Top 5 industries for public and multinational businesses (in order by number of entities) are:
- professional, scientific and technical services, with a total of $1,862 million in R&D expenditure across 688 entities
- manufacturing, with a total of $1,176 million in R&D expenditure across 294 entities
- mining, with a total of $470 million in R&D expenditure across 191 entities
- financial and insurance services, with a total of $241 million in R&D expenditure across 99 entities
- information, media and telecommunications, with a total of $356 million in R&D expenditure across 74 entities.
The graph below shows the breakdown of the top 5 industries for public and multinational businesses by number and percentage.
Top 5 industries – public and multinational businesses
Top 5 industries – privately owned and wealthy groups
The Top 5 industries for privately owned and wealthy groups (in order by number of entities) are:
- professional, scientific and technical services, with a total of $1,708 million in R&D expenditure across 1,691 entities
- manufacturing, with a total of $907 million in R&D expenditure across 1,065 entities
- wholesale trade, with a total of $223 million in R&D expenditure across 307 entities
- financial and insurance services, with a total of $211 million in R&D expenditure across 197 entities
- information, media and telecommunications, with a total of $176 million in R&D expenditure across 178 entities.
The graph below shows the breakdown of the top 5 industries for privately owned and wealthy groups by number and percentage.
Top 5 industries – privately owned and wealthy groups
Top 5 industries – small businesses
The Top 5 industries for small businesses (in order by number of entities) are:
- professional, scientific and technical services, with a total of $1,128 million in R&D expenditure across 2,622 entities
- manufacturing, with a total of $386 million in R&D expenditure across 1,092 entities
- information, media and telecommunications, with a total of $128 million in R&D expenditure across 320 entities
- retail trade, with a total of $56 million in R&D expenditure across 244 entities
- wholesale trade, with a total of $69 million in R&D expenditure across 236 entities.
The graph below shows the breakdown of the top 5 industries for small businesses by number and percentage.
Top 5 industries – small businesses