Grapegrowing, winemaking and wine-related tourism contributes $51.3 billion to the Australian economy and supports more than 200,000 jobs, according to the Economic Contribution of the Australian Wine Sector 2025 report released today by Wine Australia.
The independent report produced by AgEcon Plus and Gillespie Economics highlights the sector’s multiplying effect, where the flow-on from production, experiences and employment contribute significantly higher to the Australian economy than the initial farm gate value.
For every additional $1 million in gross output from the wine sector, the wider Australian economy gains $2.16 million and for every job gained in the wine sector, the Australian economy gains 1.42 jobs.
Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said the report demonstrates the importance of the sector to the economy and particularly for Australia’s regional communities.
“The grape and wine sector is a unique contributor to the Australian economy given its significant multiplier effect and importance to the vitality of regional communities,” Dr Cole said.
“Winegrapes are grown and wine produced in regional communities around Australia.
“The sector is an ambassador for these regions, attracting people from all around the world back into our regions and businesses for first-hand experiences.
“The sector also indirectly contributes to regional communities through the flow-on effects to supplier industries, as well as the goods and services used locally by employees.”
The report shows that the $51.3 billion that the sector contributes to the Australian economy includes $25.4 billion in value-added, which is the difference between the gross value of the business turnover and the costs of raw materials and services to produce the output.
The overall economic contribution also includes $15 billion in wages and salaries for 203,392 direct and indirect employees.
A similar report was produced in 2019, but direct comparison is not possible due to changes in data, refinements in modelling methods and the impact of inflation.
However, says Wine Australia, when looking at the two ‘snapshots in time’, losses in economic contribution of grapegrowing and winemaking have been offset by growth in wine tourism.
There were 7.5 million visits to wineries from both domestic and international travellers in the year ended December 2024.
For those travellers that included a visit to a winery, they spent a combined $11.6 billion during their entire trip and are typically higher spenders with an average spend per trip of $1,487.
You can read the full report here.
Photo: Sami-Odi in the Barossa by Mike Smith.
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