Libraries and Archives in Australia - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
Melbourne, Australia
Last Updated: August 2024
ANZSIC J6010Revenue
$1.9bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
$XXX.Xm
Employees
11,511
Businesses
106
Wages
$XXX.Xm
Libraries and Archives in Australia industry analysis
Libraries and archives focus on collecting, preserving and providing public access to various forms of digital and physical media, including books, journals and newspapers. Since it serves the public, the Libraries and Archives industry primarily relies on government funding, offering most services free of charge. Financial contributions from federal, state and local governments heavily influence industry performance. The remainder of industry revenue comes from fees, late charges, private funding and donations.
Trends and Insights
- Government funding and private revenue growth have not kept pace with inflation, causing revenue to diminish in real terms. Libraries and archives lean heavily on government funding and have few alternative ways to generate revenue.
- Ambitious digitisation projects uplift larger public libraries and archives. Local libraries are wilting within a challenging funding environment.
- Libraries and archives follow the population and educative institutions. Industry organisations service researchers and communities, so they gravitate towards each other.
- Libraries and archives experience limited internal competition. They compete on the basis of their collections and locations, but often service certain areas or needs, which keeps institutions from stepping on each other’s toes.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $1.9bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Reduced government funding and limited donations have weighed on revenue
- Amid escalating health concerns and the imperative to tackle the pandemic, local, state and federal governments prioritised funding for health initiatives over the arts and heritage sector in the early 2020s.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Increasing digitisation will require more funding and labour
- The continued digitisation of Australian records will be one of the main tasks facing libraries and archives in the coming years.
Biggest companies in the Libraries and Archives in Australia
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
State Library of NSW | 137.8 | |
National Archives | 118.5 | |
National Library of Australia | 86.3 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including National and state public libraries, Local government libraries and National and state archives. National and state public libraries is the largest segment of the Libraries and Archives in Australia.
Trends and Insights
Local government libraries struggle because of challenging funding conditions
- Local government libraries have diminished as a share of industry revenue over recent years.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Art Galleries and Museums in Australia
Complementors
- Cloud Storage Services in Australia
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution in Australia
- Internet Publishing and Broadcasting in Australia
International industries
- Libraries & Archives in the US
- Libraries, Museums & Cultural Activities in the UK
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Libraries and archives collect and maintain various types of media, such as books, journals, newspapers and music. Industry establishments display many of these materials for public access and preserve collections for the historical record. All or part of industry collections may be accessible online.
What's included in this industry?
Archival operationFilm archive operationLending library operationLibrary operation (except motion picture stock footage and distribution)Mobile library operationMotion picture film archive operationMusic archive operationReference library operationCompanies
State Library of NSWNational ArchivesNational Library of AustraliaPurchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
MUNICIPAL LIBRARIESPERIODICALSARCHIVESIndustry Code
ANZSIC 6010 - Libraries and Archives in Australia
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Government funding and private revenue growth have not kept pace with inflation, causing revenue to diminish in real terms. Libraries and archives lean heavily on government ...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Ambitious digitisation projects uplift larger public libraries and archives. Local libraries are wilting within a challenging funding environment.
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Libraries and archives follow the population and educative institutions. Industry organisations service researchers and communities, so they gravitate towards each other.
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Libraries and archives experience limited internal competition. They compete on the basis of their collections and locations, but often service certain areas or needs, which ...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Funding for the State Library of Victoria has taken a nosedive. The state government has ceased providing it with capital asset charge grants, reducing recurrent annual fundi...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of State Library of NSW's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of National Archives's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of National Library of Australia's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for State Library of NSW, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for National Archives, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for National Library of Australia, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The population and government funding for heritage and arts have grown slowly. At the same time, use of the internet has strengthened, threatening the need to go to libraries...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Wage costs have diminished as interfacing with libraries and archives has become more efficient. Self-service and digitisation have reduced the onus on labour across the indu...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Australia include:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia in 2024?
The market size of the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia is $1.9bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Libraries and Archives in Australia industry in 2024?
There are 106 businesses in the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Libraries and Archives market in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Libraries and Archives market in Australia are State Library of NSW, National Archives and National Library of Australia
What does the Libraries and Archives in Australia include?
Archival operation and Film archive operation are part of the Libraries and Archives industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Libraries and Archives in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in Australia is State Library of NSW.
How competitive is the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia?
The level of competition is low and steady in the Libraries and Archives industry in Australia.
