Economic Society of Australia

What Economic Society of Australia does

The Economic Society of Australia (ESA) is a non-profit professional association of economists founded in 1925 and headquartered (Western Australia Branch) in Perth, Australia. It operates a federation of eight state/territory branches (ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) plus a Central Council, providing professional economists in academia, government and the private sector with networking, journal access, conference programming, awards and credentialing. The Society publishes two quarterly peer-reviewed journals — The Economic Record (Australia's A-ranked economics journal, published by Wiley-Blackwell) and Economic Papers — and runs the flagship Annual Conference of Economists (ACE) along with the Eminent Speaker Series, Shann Memorial Lectures, Economic Forum Series and the 'Economics Supplied on Demand' podcast. Two specialised networks, the Young Economists Network (YEN) and the Women in Economics Network (WEN, since 2017), extend engagement across career stages and demographics.

Membership is the primary relationship vehicle, with four tiers priced at Student AUD $25, Ordinary AUD $90, Professional AUD $135 and Life (conferred, Nil) per annum, tax-deductible in most cases. Revenue streams include membership fees (recurring subscriptions), event/conference registration, journal subscriptions (paper or, from January 2024, electronic-only access via branch websites), sponsorship and partnership contributions (general corporate memberships were discontinued from 1 July 2019), and occasional publication sales such as the 2025 centennial history 'An Evolving Record' (AUD $45). Distributed channels include direct online membership sign-up, university and teacher-association partnerships, and event hosting rotating across state branches. The Society is governed by elected volunteer Council members at branch and central levels, with limited paid administrative staff (e.g., Administrator, WA Branch) supporting operations.

Recent strategic activity centres on programme innovation rather than geographic or financial expansion: launches of WEN (2017) and the podcast (2020), the 2025 centennial and publication of 'An Evolving Record', 2025 leadership transitions in the WA Branch (John Roberts to Alison Preston) and at Central Council (Catherine de Fontenay to Robert Breunig), and the establishment of the Ken Clements PhD Scholarship for studies commencing 2027. No acquisitions, funding rounds, M&A, or geographic expansion are indicated.

Name

Economic Society of Australia

Legal name

Economic Society of Australia (Western Australia) Inc.

Website

https://esawa.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Economic Society of Australia is a non-profit professional association for economists founded in 1925, operating eight state/territory branches that publish two quarterly journals, host the Annual Conference of Economists, and serve members across academia, government and the private sector in Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic & Macroeconomic Research (BPAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), Small Business & Self-Employment Personal Finance (Income, Expenses, Cash Reserves) (EDAAAJAL), Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Professional economics association
• Economics journals
• Academic conferences
• Scholarship programs
• Membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from multiple categories including Student ($25), Ordinary ($90), Professional ($135), and Life (Nil). Membership provides access to journals, events, networking, and professional development resources.
2. Journal Subscriptions: Members receive online access to four copies of the Economic Record and four copies of Economic Papers annually. Non-members can subscribe separately.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from conference registrations including the Annual Conference of Economists (ACE), seminars, workshops, and special events like the Shann Memorial Lecture.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of publications including the centennial history book 'An Evolving Record' priced at $45 including postage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Economic Society of Australia is a non-profit professional association that represents economists across Australia. It delivers value to its members through peer-reviewed economics journals (Economic Record and Economic Papers), the Annual Conference of Economists (ACE), state-branch speaker and lecture programs, networking groups (Women in Economics Network, Young Economists Network), the Economics Supplied on Demand podcast, and awards and scholarships such as the Ken Clements PhD Scholarship.

Product overview

The Economic Society of Australia is a professional association for economists that operates as a unified organization with membership as its core service, supported by multiple product offerings. The primary products include two academic journals (The Economic Record and Economic Papers) published quarterly through Wiley-Blackwell, and the annual Australian Conference of Economists (ACE). Additional offerings include the Eminent Speaker Series, Shann Memorial Lectures, Economic Forum Series, and the Economics Supplied on Demand podcast. The society supports professional development through the Women in Economics Network (WEN) and Young Economists Network (YEN), both offering special events and discounted membership. The ESA Awards Program recognizes outstanding contributions through Distinguished Fellow, Honorary Fellow, Young Economist, and Distinguished Public Policy Fellow awards, while the WA Branch also provides the Ken Clements PhD Scholarship and Austin Holmes Award. Members receive access to journals, seminars, conferences, and networking events as part of their membership benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Economics Supplied on Demand: Podcast series established by the WA Branch to encourage open discussion on economic affairs
• Young Economists Network (YEN)
• Women in Economics Network (WEN)

Products and services

• Economic Record (journal) Peer-reviewed scholarly journal publishing original research in economics; aimed at the academic and professional economics community in Australia and internationally.
• Economic Papers (journal) Peer-reviewed journal providing a forum for economics research and policy discussion; distributed to members and institutional subscribers.
• Annual Conference of Economists (ACE) Premier annual economics conference hosted by the society, featuring keynote addresses, paper presentations, and networking for economists across Australia.
• Membership Society membership with multiple tiers (Student, Ordinary, Professional, Life) granting members access to journals, conferences, branches, networks, and member-only events.
• Eminent Speaker Series Invited speaker series delivering high-profile economics talks to members and the broader public through the society's branches.
• Shann Memorial Lectures Named lecture program honouring Edward Shann, delivered through the society's Western Australian branch and other branches to highlight leading economics research and policy thinking.
• Economic Forum Series Forum-style event series providing a platform for economists and policy makers to discuss contemporary economic issues.
• Economics Supplied on Demand (podcast) Podcast series delivering economics content, interviews, and discussion for members and the general public.
• Ken Clements PhD Scholarship PhD scholarship funded and administered by the society to support economics doctoral research in Australia.
• ESA Awards Program (incl. President of the Economic Society of Australia honour) Awards and honours program recognising contributions to Australian economics, including the President of the Economic Society of Australia (PMESA) designation.
• Women in Economics Network (WEN) Special-interest network within the society supporting women economists through mentoring, networking and events.
• Young Economists Network (YEN) Special-interest network within the society providing early-career economists with networking, mentoring, and professional-development support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Branches in all Australian states and territories
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Economics Teachers' Association of WA (ETAWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership arrangement where ETAWA members can join the Economic Society of Australia WA Branch as members. Renews historic arrangement to increase ties between members and achieve common objectives including promoting teaching and learning of economics, facilitating discussion on economic concepts and issues, and increasing collaboration and networking opportunities.
• Women in Economics Network (WEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEN was formed to promote and support careers of female economists in Australia, officially launched 20 March 2017 with ESA support. WEN has established branches in each State and Territory with national initiatives and events. ESA membership includes opt-in to WEN membership at no additional cost.
• Wiley-BlackwellcoreTechnology or IntegrationPublisher of the Economic Record and Economic Papers journals. Economic Record is published 4 times annually and issued to all Society members. A special issue containing selected papers from ACE is published annually.
• Australian Gender Economics Workshop (AGEW)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier conference dedicated to advancing gender economics in Australia, held in collaboration with Women in Economics Network (WEN). Now in its ninth year, brings together scholars and policymakers from Australia and abroad.
• University of Western Australia (UWA) Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the annual Shann Memorial Lecture with ESA WA Branch. Past lecturers include RBA Governor Michele Bullock (60th lecture, 2025), Chris Richardson (2024), and others. Partnership strengthens academic-professional economics community connection.
• University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Griffith UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Ted Evans Public Policy Lecture series delivered through ESA Queensland, featuring economists discussing policy-making and its impact on ordinary people.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Economic Society: The UK's premier professional association for economists, publishing the Economic Journal. Closely comparable to ESA as a national economics association with a flagship journal, annual conference, and member tiers serving academia, government, and industry.
• Canadian Economics Association: Canada's national economics association, publishing the Canadian Journal of Economics. Closely comparable as a national peer association with journals, conferences, and member categories serving academic and policy economists.
• New Zealand Association of Economists: A national economics association in a closely related geography (New Zealand, with historic ties to ESA via shared founding branches). Directly comparable membership, journal, and conference model at a smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• American Economic Association: The largest and most influential economics association in the world, publishing the American Economic Review. Broader and better-resourced than ESA, but operates the same fundamental model — membership, journals, conferences — and competes for the same category of professional economist.
• Econometric Society: An international society promoting economic theory in relation to statistics and mathematics, publishing Econometrica. Comparable in mission to publish a top-ranked journal and run conferences for academic economists.
• European Economic Association: A regional economics association with a similar journal-and-conference model (Journal of the European Economic Association). Operates at a broader geographic and resource scale but serves the same professional economist segment.
• International Economic Association: An umbrella organization connecting national economics associations globally and convening the World Congress of Economists. Comparable as a convener in the economics profession, though broader and policy-focused rather than membership-driven.

Regional players

• Economic Society of South Africa: A national economics association in South Africa with a directly comparable membership, journal, and conference model. Operates in a different geography but is structurally the closest analogue outside the Anglosphere.
• Australian Institute of Economics: An Australian economics-focused organization promoting economic literacy and policy discussion. Regional, comparable mission of fostering economic debate in Australia, though more advocacy-oriented than ESA's non-partisan model.

Others

• Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australia's national statistical agency, a key institutional user and producer of economic research that intersects with ESA's economist membership. Not a competitor, but adjacent as part of the Australian economics research ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AusEconSoc
• YouTubesoundcloud.com/economicssuppliedondemand
• Facebookfacebook.com/WA-Young-Economists-993147254065795
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-society-of-australia-wa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Economic Society of Australia