The economy of Brisbane consists mainly of several industries, including health care, professional services and retail trade. It holds a population of over 2.4 million people in broader urban centres and localities, with a mean age of 35 years.Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved from https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/3GBRI?opendocument . Accessed 1 May 2019. Brisbane's Gross Domestic Product was $170.5 billion in 2017–18, contributing to around half of Queensland's overall economy and 9.4% of national gross domestic product.SGS Economics & Planning. (November 2018). 2018 GDP report: Gap in economic growth between cities and regions starting to close. Retrieved from https://www.sgsep.com.au/news/latest-news/2018-gdp-report-gap-growth-closing-between-cities-and-regions . Accessed 10 May 2019.

Major export categories for the economy include tourism ($7.1 billion, year to September 2018), education ($3.8 billion, 2014) and goods exports through the Brisbane Airport and Port of Brisbane ($16.1 billion, 2017–18).Brisbane City Council. (2019). Brisbane's key economic facts. Retrieved from https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-and-strategy/business-in-brisbane/growing-brisbanes-economy/brisbanes-key-economic-facts . Accessed 6 May 2019. The cyclical downturn of the 2000s mining boom has led to investments being directed towards other industry sectors, with a projected $15 billion infrastructure boom during the early 2020s. Projects include the Cross River Rail project, with the Palaszczuk government expected to fund approximately half of the operation.Ludlow, M. (30 August 2018). Australian Financial Review. Infrastructure boom hits Brisbane. Retrieved from https://www.afr.com/news/politics/infrastructure-boom-hits-brisbane-20180830-h14pqn . Accessed 14 May 2019.

The Greater Brisbane region expands over 15,826 square kilometres, covering 8 local government areas and is notable for its Brisbane River.Australian Government, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. (25 January 2019). Retrieved from http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/aboutmyregion/greater-brisbane#agricultural-sector . Accessed 13 May 2019. It is the third largest city in Australia.

Categorised as a global city, Brisbane is among Asia-Pacific cities with largest GDPs and is one of the major business hubs in Australia, with strengths in mining, banking, insurance, transportation, information technology, real estate and food.

Some of the largest companies headquartered in Brisbane, all among Australia's largest, include Suncorp Group, Virgin Australia, Aurizon, Bank of Queensland, Flight Centre, Great Southern Bank, Australian Retirement Trust, Domino's Pizza Enterprises, Star Entertainment Group, ALS, TechnologyOne, NEXTDC, Super Retail Group, New Hope Coal, Jumbo Interactive, National Storage, Collins Foods and Boeing Australia. Most major Australian companies, as well as numerous international companies, have contact offices in Brisbane.

Tourism is an important part of the Brisbane economy, both in its own right and as a gateway to other areas of Queensland, as international education, with over 95,000 international students enrolled in universities and other tertiary education institutions in the central Brisbane City Council local government area alone in 2018.

History The penal era in Brisbane ended in 1842 and free settlers began to colonise the city, driving the population up to 6000 by 1859.Visit Brisbane. (2018). Penal Colony and Early Settlement History. Retrieved from https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/brisbane-greeters/book-a-greeter/your-choice/interests/penal-colony?sc_lang=en-au . Accessed 31 May 2019. Between the years 1860 and 1865, more than 35,000 free settlers moved to Brisbane after it was declared as Queensland's capital city.

During World War II, Brisbane experienced another population boom, becoming the headquarters for the South West Pacific campaign.World Population Review. (12 May 2019). Brisbane Population 2019. Retrieved from http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/brisbane-population/ . Accessed 21 May 2019. The economy experienced significant growth as both US citizens and Australian citizens from other states migrated to the city to contribute to the war effort, almost doubling Brisbane's population and signifying Brisbane as a training area.Queensland Government. (no date). Queensland World War II Historic Places. Retrieved from https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au . Accessed 31 May 2019. Medical facilities, workshops and depots necessary for the war effort were erected, creating thousands of jobs and giving rise to significant economic growth.

The 2010–2011 Queensland floods severely affected Brisbane, with 78% of the state declared to be in a disaster zone.Queensland Government. (16 January 2015). 2010-11 Flood impacts. Retrieved from https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/management/disasters/flood-impacts . Accessed 5 June 2019. An estimated 18,000 properties were flooded in the Brisbane's metropolitan area, including the broader Brisbane River Valley and Ipswich.McAneney, J and van den Honert, R.C. (2011). The 2011 Brisbane Floods: Causes, Impacts and Implications. Water. (3), pp. 1149-1173. By 11 January 2011, twenty thousand homes had been affected, with The Brisbane River Walk (a bridge suspending over the river), collapsing into the surrounding water.Davies, R. (17 April 2013). Brisbane and Queensland Floods 2011. Retrieved from http://floodlist.com/australia/queensland-2011 . Accessed 5 June 2019. This, along with other damages, resulted in $2.55 billion of insurance payouts, with the loss of infrastructure and businesses within the city severely damaging the economy. As a consequence, population growth slowed as people feared future floods, whilst economic growth slowed as the city began to rebuild.

The Port of Brisbane

Brisbane throughout its history has been one of Australia's most important seaport cities. The Port of Brisbane located at the Brisbane River's mouth on Moreton Bay and on the adjacent Fisherman's Island, created by means of land reclamation. It is the 3rd busiest port in Australia for value of goods. Container freight, sugar, grain, coal and bulk liquids are the major exports. Most of the port facilities are less than three decades old and some are built on reclaimed mangroves and wetlands. The Port is a part of the Australia TradeCoast, which includes the Brisbane Airport along with large industrial estates located along both banks at the mouth of the Brisbane River.

The Port of Brisbane holds historical significance in regards to prosperous economic growth in both Brisbane and broader Queensland. The Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd outlines that, "The history of European settlement in Brisbane is directly tied to the development and evolution of its port,"Port of Brisbane. (2018). 2018-2048 Master Plan. Retrieved from https://www.portbris.com.au/getmedia/b1f103f4-cef9-44d6-9b30-ab43c5bfe959/POBR00230_A4_masterplan_v08_D15.pdf . Accessed 16 May 2019. and that it has strengthened international ties, which is crucial if Brisbane is to become a global city.

In 2016–17, it facilitated the export and import of 33.2 million tonnes of commodities.Department of Transport and Main Roads. (2018). Trade Statistics for Queensland Ports: Throughput statistics for the five years ending 30 June 2017. Retrieved from https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Transport-sectors/Ports/Port-governance/Trade-statistics-for-Queensland-ports . Accessed 16 May 2019.

Industries The top five industries in Brisbane by employment as of November 2018Brisbane City Council. (21 May 2019). Brisbane's key economic facts. Retrieved from https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-and-strategy/business-in-brisbane/growing-brisbanes-economy/brisbanes-key-economic-facts . Accessed 10 June 2019. are:

Health care and social assistance (176,594 employed persons) Professional, scientific and technical services (114,680 employed persons) Retail trade (119,409 employed persons) Education and training (100,450 employed persons) Construction (113,310 employed persons)

Large population growth over South-East Queensland has led to the expansion of labour-intensive employment including construction, education, government, health and retail, which accounts for over half of Brisbane's total employment.Choose Brisbane. (2017). Industry Sectors. Retrieved from http://www.choosebrisbane.com.au/corporate/about-brisbane/industry-sectors?sc_lang=en-au . Accessed 15 May 2019. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of employed persons in Greater Brisbane increased by 63,169, with the largest increase occurring in education and training (+16,983 persons) and health care and social assistance (+15,946 persons)..idcommunity. (no date). Greater Brisbane: Industry sector of employment. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/australia/industries?WebID=270 . Accessed 10 June 2019.

Resource sector Employment in the mining industry throughout Australia tripled from a low of 75,400 in February 2001 to a peak of 275,200 in May 2012.Australian Bureau of Statistics. (18 May 2018). POPULATION CHANGE IN AUSTRALIA'S MINING REGIONS, 2005-2015. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Previousproducts/3218.0Feature%20Article12014-15?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2014-15&num=&view= . Accessed 26 May 2019. At this peak, a total of 2.4% of the Australian workforce were employed in the mining industry, with the largest areas of related social, economic and demographic impact occurring in Western Australia and Queensland. Brisbane acts as a headquarter for many mining and resources businesses in broader Queensland, which is rich in natural resources. Queensland is the world's largest exporter of seaborne metallurgical coal and in 2013, 41% of the world's unconventional gas projects were under construction within the state.Queensland Government. (no date). Mining and resources. Retrieved from https://www.tiq.qld.gov.au/export/export-industries/mining-resources/ . Accessed 7 June 2019. Many of the profits earned from these businesses trickle into the Brisbane economy.

Though the resource boom is slowly declining and starting to negatively affect Brisbane's economic growth, it continues to contribute to the economy's Gross Regional Product. In 2017, Brisbane's Gross Regional Product was valued at $162 billion, with a 16.6% contribution from the resource sector.Brisbane City Council. (2018). Benchmarking Brisbane: A Snapshot of our Global Performance. Retrieved from https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180607-benchmarking-brisbane-report.pdf Accessed 14 May 2019. In June 2017, Brisbane was estimated to home 198,863 businesses, of which 7277 are directly supported by the resources sector. The sector contributed $25.8 billion to the Greater Brisbane economy in 2016–2017.Brisbane City Council. (2019). Brisbane's Key Economic Facts. Retrieved from https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-and-strategy/business-in-brisbane/growing-brisbanes-economy/brisbanes-key-economic-facts#industries . Accessed 10 May 2019.

Education