Beyond the Postcard: Unlocking the economic power of Sydney’s global brand

New analysis from independent think tank Committee for Sydney shows that a renewed approach to city branding could generate an additional $3.3 billion to Sydney’s economy.    

Delivered in partnership with Deloitte Access Economics, the Beyond the Postcard report quantifies the relationship between Sydney’s global reputation and its economic performance, using the Global Soft Power Index as a benchmark.   

Where Sydney shines: 

• Sydney has five universities in the top 200 globally – in 2024, Sydney hosted more than 175,000 international higher education students (36 per cent of Australia’s total)
• Sydney attracts approximately 65 per cent of Australia’s startup funding, with one of the largest infrastructure investment programs in the world 
• NSW was the country’s top destination for business R&D investment in FY24, attracting $9.6 billion – nearly half of Australia’s total R&D spend 
• Sydney is the third most multicultural city in the world – more than half of Greater Sydney’s residents are first or second-generation immigrants, and more than 40 per cent speak a language other than English at home 
• In FY24, 120,886 people migrated to Greater Sydney from overseas – 28 per cent of Australia’s total net migration.