diff --git a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/client/analytics/report/stock/table.js b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/client/analytics/report/stock/table.js
index 4e8f523da82..ffdf8e15fb6 100644
--- a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/client/analytics/report/stock/table.js
+++ b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/client/analytics/report/stock/table.js
@@ -43,12 +43,13 @@ export default class StockReportTable extends Component {
 			{
 				label: __( 'Status', 'wc-admin' ),
 				key: 'stock_status',
+				isSortable: true,
+				defaultSort: true,
 			},
 			{
 				label: __( 'Stock', 'wc-admin' ),
 				key: 'stock_quantity',
 				isSortable: true,
-				defaultSort: true,
 			},
 		];
 	}
@@ -136,8 +137,8 @@ export default class StockReportTable extends Component {
 				// getSummary={ this.getSummary }
 				query={ query }
 				tableQuery={ {
-					orderby: query.orderby || 'stock_quantity',
-					order: query.order || 'desc',
+					orderby: query.orderby || 'stock_status',
+					order: query.order || 'asc',
 					type: query.type || 'all',
 				} }
 				title={ __( 'Stock', 'wc-admin' ) }
diff --git a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/includes/api/class-wc-admin-rest-reports-stock-controller.php b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/includes/api/class-wc-admin-rest-reports-stock-controller.php
index 903766f3d5a..785acc1a828 100644
--- a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/includes/api/class-wc-admin-rest-reports-stock-controller.php
+++ b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/includes/api/class-wc-admin-rest-reports-stock-controller.php
@@ -51,6 +51,23 @@ class WC_Admin_REST_Reports_Stock_Controller extends WC_REST_Reports_Controller
 
 		if ( 'date' === $args['orderby'] ) {
 			$args['orderby'] = 'date ID';
+		} elseif ( 'stock_status' === $args['orderby'] ) {
+			$args['meta_query'] = array( // WPCS: slow query ok.
+				'relation'      => 'AND',
+				'_stock_status' => array(
+					'key'     => '_stock_status',
+					'compare' => 'EXISTS',
+				),
+				'_stock' => array(
+					'key'     => '_stock',
+					'compare' => 'EXISTS',
+					'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
+				),
+			);
+			$args['orderby']    = array(
+				'_stock_status' => $args['order'],
+				'_stock'        => 'desc' === $args['order'] ? 'asc' : 'desc',
+			);
 		} elseif ( 'stock_quantity' === $args['orderby'] ) {
 			$args['meta_key'] = '_stock'; // WPCS: slow query ok.
 			$args['orderby']  = 'meta_value_num';
@@ -353,8 +370,9 @@ class WC_Admin_REST_Reports_Stock_Controller extends WC_REST_Reports_Controller
 		$params['orderby']        = array(
 			'description'       => __( 'Sort collection by object attribute.', 'wc-admin' ),
 			'type'              => 'string',
-			'default'           => 'stock_quantity',
+			'default'           => 'stock_status',
 			'enum'              => array(
+				'stock_status',
 				'stock_quantity',
 				'date',
 				'id',