Reflecting a stable business environment, Australia and Victoria has one of the highest credit ratings
in the world. S&P rates Australia as AAA, whilst Victoria is rated AA. A rating we have maintained for
the past ten years. This rating reflects Victoria's consistently strong economic performance, good
financial management and Australia's supportive institutional framework.
Australia's sound legal and governance frameworks, combined with our political stability, provides a
secure investment and business environment. Australia ranks in the top 10 countries for rule of law
and in the top five countries for the quality of our regulatory environment according to the World
Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators. We also rank highly for fair administration of justice and
protection of property rights.
Melbourne is projected to have low economic exposure risk compared to other major and regional
financial cities according to Lloyd's City Index which measures 18 economic exposure threats,
including market crash, cyber-attack, flood, human pandemic, solar storm, power outage,
windstorm, plant epidemic, freeze, sovereign default, heat wave, terrorism, earthquake, drought, oil
price shock, volcano, tsunami and nuclear accident.1
Source: Lloyd's City Risk Index 2015-2025
90 percent of Australia's population lives in urban areas, the second highest level globally, second
only to Argentina.
Melbourne ranks among the safest cities in the Asia-Pacific region. The Economist Intelligence Unit
ranks Melbourne highly for infrastructure safety, minimising road and rail accidents.
Source: 1. IMD World Competitiveness Index, 2017
Over 2.3 million businesses in Australia. Almost 27% located in Victoria. Of those located in Victoria,
64 percent are non-employing businesses, 34 per cent are small businesses employing up to 19
people, and two per cent are medium enterprises employing up to 199 people. There are over 1,000
businesses employing more than 200 people. 1
1. ABS, cat. no. 8165.0, 2019
