Accounts Receivable Statistics Dashboard - Xero Small Business Insights
Latest Accounts Receivable Statistics
Data Dashboard
Insights into payment trends from Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI) showcasing AR statistics from the last 7 years
Accounts Receivable Trends — Explore payment statistics across five countries:
Track average time to be paid for invoices with seasonal adjustments
Measure late payment delays beyond due dates with industry-weighted averages
Observe COVID-19 impact with notable payment behavior changes during 2020-2021
Compare multi-country trends with data showing steady improvement in recent years
Analyze 7+ years of data from January 2017 to September 2024
Data sourced from Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI)
Gain insights into cash flow health and payment behaviors across Australia, UK, Canada, US, and New Zealand.
Time to be Paid
Late Payments
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
Latest Time to be Paid
26.4days
September 2024
Latest Late Payments
7.0days
September 2024
Country Insights
Australia
Australian small businesses have seen a steady decline in time to be paid, dropping from 26.6 days in January 2017 to 22.2 days by September 2024. Late payments have also improved, falling from 10.1 days to 6.2 days over the same period, with a notable dip to 5.3 days in June 2024, reflecting improved payment discipline post-COVID.
Summary: Australia shows the fastest payment times in the study, recovering quickly from the 2020 pandemic impacts and demonstrating strong resilience compared to other markets.
United Kingdom
The UK shows a higher average time to be paid, starting at 32.2 days in January 2017 and stabilizing around 28.6 days by September 2024. Late payments peaked at 15 days in May 2020 due to pandemic disruptions but have since moderated to 6.7 days, indicating a resilient recovery in payment practices.
Summary: Despite Brexit and pandemic challenges, UK businesses have consistently improved payment discipline over the study period, showing strong recovery from severe initial pandemic disruptions.
Canada
Canada's time to be paid fluctuates, ranging from 34.7 days in January 2017 to 27.9 days in June 2024. Late payments show variability, peaking at 19.2 days in January 2017 and dropping to 6.4 days by June 2024, suggesting inconsistent payment behaviors influenced by economic conditions.
Summary: Canada maintains a middle-ground position with steady improvements since 2020, though its recovery has been more gradual than Australia or New Zealand, highlighting regional economic differences.
United States
The US exhibits a volatile time to be paid, starting at 25.6 days in January 2017, peaking at 33.7 days in June 2020, and settling at 29.8 days by June 2024. Late payments vary widely, with a high of 22.1 days in June 2020 and a recent 10 days in June 2024, reflecting economic sensitivity.
Summary: The US shows the most room for improvement with the longest payment delays and highest late payment averages among all studied markets, still showing persistent effects from the pandemic.
New Zealand
New Zealand's time to be paid has remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 27.3 days in January 2017 to 23.3 days by September 2024. Late payments dropped from 8.6 days to 5.9 days, with a spike to 12 days in April 2020, indicating a steady improvement in payment timeliness.
Summary: New Zealand demonstrates the most consistent payment behavior with the lowest late payment average among all studied countries, showing remarkable stability and rapid recovery from pandemic disruptions.
Compare Latest Data Across Countries
Country
Time to be Paid (Days)
Late Payments (Days)
Reporting Period
🇦🇺 Australia
22.2
6.2
September 2024
🇳🇿 New Zealand
23.3
5.9
September 2024
🇨🇦 Canada
27.9
6.4
June 2024
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
28.6
6.7
September 2024
🇺🇸 United States
29.8
10.0
June 2024
Key Findings:
COVID Impact: All countries experienced significant payment delays during the pandemic, with the US seeing the most dramatic increase (112%).
Recovery Patterns: New Zealand and Australia recovered fastest, while the US continues to show persistent effects.
Current Leaders: New Zealand has the best late payment metric at 5.9 days, while Australia has the shortest time to be paid at 22.2 days.
Improvement Trend: All five countries show overall improvement in payment times since 2017, suggesting better payment practices globally.
Methodology
These statistics are derived from Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI), analyzing a robust dataset of paid invoices from small businesses across five countries. Here's how the data is compiled:
Time to be Paid: Measures the duration small businesses wait for invoice payments, calculated as a weighted average of days from invoice issuance to full payment. Weights account for invoice value and a firm-level adjustment to reflect each country's small business industry mix, sourced from national statistics. Seasonal adjustments smooth out recurring trends.
Late Payments: Assesses the average delay beyond invoice due dates, using the same weighted methodology as time to be paid, comparing due dates to actual payment dates.
Data Filters: Includes only invoices marked fully paid within a year, excluding same-day due/paid invoices, unpaid invoices, and data from trusts, societies, or firms without advisors.
Data Coverage: Data for Canada and the United States extends to June 2024, while other countries reach September 2024.
This approach ensures a clear picture of payment behaviors, adjusted for industry representation and seasonal effects.
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