Independent economic review of the Future Female Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership Decadal Plan and qualitative assessment of its ten recommendations.
Independent economic research & policy analysis.
Civic advocacy for San Francisco’s future.
Advancing Australia’s Economic Potential Through Female Entrepreneurship
Our review concluded that the Decadal Plan holds considerable potential to make the Australian economy more inclusive, innovative, and prosperous.
This forward-looking proposal would build a stronger pipeline of successful female founders, unlocking a new kind of demographic dividend – one that taps into the talent and ingenuity of half the Australian population.
$71B–$135B
Potential boost to Australia’s economy from matching male levels of entrepreneurship
5.1–9.7%
Equivalent share of Australia’s GDP
78¢
Return per $1 invested in female-founded start-ups
31¢
Return per $1 invested in male-founded start-ups
27%
Share of founders of new Australian start-ups who are women
34.1M
“Missing entrepreneurs” across OECD countries, nearly three-quarters of them women
$71–$135 Billion in Potential Economic Benefits
In Australia, bringing female entrepreneurship to the same level as male entrepreneurship could add between $71 billion and $135 billion to the economy, representing 5.1–9.7% of GDP.
Figure 1: Return per dollar invested in start-ups, by founder gender (cents per $1)
With equal access to resources, female-founded businesses would return 78 cents per dollar invested, more than twice the 31 cents generated by male-founded start-ups.
Female-founded
78¢
Male-founded
31¢
Note: Bars are scaled to $1 invested. Source: COSBOA, Future Female Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership Decadal Plan 2024–2034; economic review by PPG.
Research indicates that if women were given equal access to resources, female-founded businesses would yield a return of 78 cents per dollar invested — more than twice the 31 cents generated by male-founded start-ups.