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2026 Report
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The 2026 State of the Nation Report is the first to track progress against CEDA’s Progress 2050 vision. It measures how Australia is advancing across six goals spanning a strong economy and a strong social compact to deliver prosperity for all Australians.

The 2026 State of the Nation Report is the first to track progress against CEDA’s Progress 2050 vision. It measures how Australia is advancing across six goals spanning a strong economy and a strong social compact to deliver prosperity for all Australians.





State of the Nation 2026
- explore the report, data and event





Report highlights

Goal 1 - productivity, investment and innovation
Goal 1 - productivity, investment and innovation
Business dynamism continues to fall, with productivity growth, employing-business rates, innovation and competitiveness all below where they need to be.
Goal 2 - knowledge, skills and workforce
Goal 2 - knowledge, skills and workforce
Skills, training and R&D investment remain below potential, with weak workplace training, falling apprenticeships and widespread skills shortages.
Goal 3 - energy transition and climate adaptation
Goal 3 - energy transition and climate adaptation
Emissions and clean-energy uptake are moving in the right direction, but Australia must accelerate momentum to meet the 2035 target.
Goal 4 - wellbeing, security and participation
Goal 4 - wellbeing, security and participation
Education, housing and care are the foundations of participation, but attainment gaps, housing affordability and care pressures show Australia is falling short.
Goal 5 - disadvantage and opportunity
Goal 5 - disadvantage and opportunity
Poverty, rental stress and poor health are rising, while Closing the Gap progress remains too slow.
Goal 6 - inclusion and equity
Goal 6 - inclusion and equity
Workforce participation and workplace inclusion have improved, but disability participation, gender pay and social cohesion remain priorities.

Member insights 

Daniel Gillie
Head of Stakeholder and
Government Relations, Solstice Energy

“Australia doesn’t lack ideas, plans or strategies; what we often lack is execution. Long-term competitiveness will depend on whether we can consistently deliver, create confidence to invest and turn good ideas into productive outcomes.”

Jonathan Jacobs
Managing Director, TBH

“The challenge is no longer capital or intent, but the ability to deliver infrastructure at pace and scale. Australia needs to stop using project-level thinking to solve what is now a portfolio-level problem.””

Amy Lomas
Chief Economist | Partner, Capital
Projects and Infrastructure, PwC Australia

“Inclusion, diversity, and equity are not just indicators of how well we’re performing as a society. When actioned with meaning, they are drivers of long-term economic prosperity.”

Our members are embedded in our research work

CEDA members provide industry knowledge and best practice, contributing to targeted policy discussion throughout all stages of our research. Members participate in roundtable discussions and working groups, provide valuable case studies to support our reports and advise our research team as part of our Member Advisory Committees.

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