New economic analysis has revealed a strong long-term link between rising global oil prices and increasing corporate insolvencies in Australia, raising concerns for small businesses already facing mounting financial pressure.
Research released by Halo Advisory shows that major increases in oil prices over the past 25 years have consistently been followed by waves of business failures, with analysts warning the current global fuel outlook could place additional strain on struggling operators.
According to the report, insolvencies reached a record 14,722 cases in 2024–25, although this spike was largely attributed to delayed failures following pandemic-era support measures such as JobKeeper and tax relief programs rather than fuel…