Sydney is the largest corporate and financial centre in Australia and is also an important financial centre in the Asia Pacific. Sydney is the leading industrial and commercial city. It's unemployment levels are low, but the cost of living is high, with property prices rated as being amongst the highest in Australia. The Australian Stock Exchange and the Reserve Bank of Australia are located in Sydney. Tourism plays an important role in Sydney's economy. Sydney is the sixteenth most expensive city in the world. The country has a successful economy.

Sydney serves as the country's centre for retail and wholesale trade, as well as public administration and finance. It has a strong industrial tradition, with shipyards, oil refineries, textile mills, brass foundries, and automobile, electronics, and chemical plants.
Sydney's main exports are metals, minerals, coal, wool and beef, mutton, wool, cereals, and manufactured products. The chief imports are petroleum, coal, timber, sugar, raw materials, capital equipment, and consumer goods. The country is self-sufficient in food, and the raising of sheep and cattle and the production of grain have long been staple occupations. Tropical and subtropical produce-citrus fruits, sugarcane, and tropical fruits-are also important, and there are numerous vineyards and dairy and tobacco farms.