Australia just cracked the global top 10 for startup ecosystems, with Melbourne recording nearly 38% growth.
According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026, published by startup research platform StartupBlink, Australia is ranked 9th out of 100 countries. That is up three places from last year, with 22.9% growth in the country’s total ecosystem score. It is also a reversal of a slide that had been building over the previous few years.
The index measures startup ecosystems across three main dimensions: the quantity of activity, the quality and impact of that activity, and the broader business environment. It draws on hundreds of thousands of data points across more than 1,556 cities globally.
Australia sits alongside some significant company in the top 10. The United States leads by a wide margin, followed by the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, Canada, Sweden, and Germany. Switzerland sits at 8th, with Australia at 9th and the Netherlands rounding out the top 10.
Melbourne on the move
At the city level, the story is particularly strong for Melbourne. The city rose eight places to 34th globally, recording 37.8% growth in its ecosystem score. That puts it among the faster-moving cities in its tier worldwide, and ahead of a number of well-known European tech hubs.
Sydney also performed solidly, rising one place to 30th globally with 11.7% growth. The two Australian cities now sit close together in the global rankings, with both recording positive momentum in a year when several major cities, including Paris, Berlin, Beijing, and Shanghai, went backwards.
To put Melbourne’s result in context, the report notes that the 11 to 50 city tier in which both Australian cities sit averaged around 19.2% growth for US cities. Melbourne’s 37.8% sits well above that benchmark.
The 2026 index shows a global startup landscape that is shifting. The Middle East and Africa led all regions with 20.2% growth, according to the report, while Asia Pacific lagged at 5.6%, weighed down by sharp declines in Beijing and Shanghai. North America grew 12.9%, and Europe came in at 7.3%.
Australia and Oceania as a sub-region recorded 22% growth, one of the stronger regional performances in the index. That broader momentum sits behind Australia’s national result and suggests the improvement is not isolated.
StartupBlink CEO Eli David Rokah noted in the report that governments globally have reached a clear conclusion about what matters. “A strong startup ecosystem is not optional. It is essential,” he said. “The quality of a location’s startup ecosystem will define the future of its economy, resilience, and its general perception in the world.”
What it means locally
For Australian small business owners, the practical implication of a rising ecosystem ranking is access. A stronger startup environment typically means more venture activity, more accelerator and support programs, more skilled talent choosing to stay or relocate, and a business culture that is increasingly comfortable with risk and innovation.
It also means Australian businesses are competing in cities that are gaining global visibility. Investors, founders, and corporate partners looking at where to place their attention use indexes like this one as a reference point. A rising rank puts Australian cities on more shortlists.
New Zealand, for what it is worth, also moved up two places to 29th in the country rankings, with 26.2% growth, making the broader region one of the more active in the Asia Pacific picture.
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