About the Care Sector Demand Map

The Care Sector Demand Map is a geospatial tool that provides information to help organisations plan and grow in the sector. The map is searchable by local government area, postcode and statistical areas across Australia and by each care sector.

Use the map to understand what services and supports were provided in care for the previous financial year. These services and supports are referred to as ‘current’ and include:

  • How many people received services;
  • Which types of services were provided;
  • How many organisations are operating; and
  • How much was spent on these services.
  • Use the map to help organisations plan for the future through forecast information, including:
  • What volume of each service and support will be needed to meet demand; and
  • How many workers would be required to meet demand, by occupation.

About ‘current’ and ‘forecast’ data

Data in the Demand Map is presented under the heading ‘Insights’.

‘Current’ data provides care during the 12 months identified.

  • The 12-month period always refers to a financial year.
  • For both Aged Care and NDIS, people are included if they received care at any time during the year.
  • Providers that delivered a service (considered ‘active’) at any time during the 12 months are included.
  • To protect the identity of people receiving services, current counts are provided in a 10-person range (e.g. 21-30), or are shown as <20 if less than 20 participants reside in the postcode. Current spend values are shown as a single value rounded to the nearest 100 (e.g. $64,300 rather than $64,312.52). To protect the identity of people receiving services, current spend is only provided when $250,000 or more is spent in the selected area.
  • Current providers are shown as a single value or as < 5 if less than five providers are operating.

‘Forecast’ data (e.g. FY25-26) provides estimates of demand in the future and the estimated workforce required to meet those demands. Forecasts are only provided at the statistical area 3 geography.

Data is provided by Postcode, Local Government Area (LGA) and Statistical Area (SA)

To provide the maximum use of the Care Sector Demand Map, there are three options available to search by. Current data is available by all options listed below; however forecast data is only available at the SA3 level.

  • Postcode – the 4-digit number used in postal addresses (e.g. 2870 for Parkes, NSW).
    • When searching by postcode, searches can include surrounding areas.
  • Local Government Area – the shire or city area for which the local governing body has responsibility. These are determined by the state or territory and there are over 550 in Australia.
  • Statistical Areas (SAs) - areas across Australia defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics form part of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). To find out the name of SAs you are interested in, please use the ABS Maps tool and select one of the  SA boundaries from the ‘choose boundary type’ dropdown at the top right-hand corner of the map. In the care sector demand map:

Once you have decided which type of geography to search by, you can type the name of the area you are looking for or just click on the area via the map.

Data update schedule

The data will be updated every year with the most recent, completed financial year data. Data compilation begins in October, and publication of updates can be expected in November or December. 

Combining data from multiple areas

  • The Care Sector Demand Map is designed to provide local level information by program (NDIS or Aged Care).
  • You can export your search results in individual files but not for larger areas such as a state or nationally.
  • Data ranges rather than specific values are provided for participant counts to protect participant privacy. The  actual number of participants will fall somewhere in between the specified range.
  • Please be aware that an individual can receive services under more than one service type within a program (NDIS or Aged Care) within the 12 months reported. As a result, please exercise caution when considering recipient counts and attempting to calculate recipient totals.
  • If you independently sum the categories or sum totals across geographical areas, it is best to do so as ranges to ensure you are aware of the breadth of results in which the actual total could be found. 

Forecast confidence

  • Forecasts, by their nature, have an element of uncertainty. Estimated forecasts are dependent on access and individual needs (i.e. what participants will choose to spend on what types of support and services). 
    • This uncertainty is particularly prevalent in less populated areas where services have not been operating for long and areas with current market gaps.
  • Forecasts should only be considered as an estimate of future demand to guide providers in their planning.
  • Forecasts account for unforeseen changes (i.e., changes in demand due to implementation of new operational processes by the governing agencies or legislative reform).
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