| Demographics ofAustralia | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of Australia in 2022 | |
| Population | 27,400,013 (as of December 31, 2024) |
| Growth rate | 1.60% (2023 est.) |
| Birth rate | 12.3 births/1,000 population |
| Death rate | 6.77 deaths/1,000 population |
| Life expectancy | 83.09 years |
| • male | 80.93 years |
| • female | 85.36 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.63 children |
| Infant mortality rate | 3.01 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | 6.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Major ethnic | |
| Minor ethnic |
|
| Language | |
| Official | None at Federal level or State level |
| Spoken | English (72.00%) Mandarin (2.70%) Arabic (1.44%) Vietnamese (1.26%) Cantonese (1.16%) Punjabi (0.94%) Greek (0.90%) Italian (0.90%) Others (12.97%) |
The population ofAustralia is estimated to be 28,163,300 as of 27 November 2025.[11] It is the 54th[12] most populous country in the world and the most populousOceanian country. Its population is concentrated mainly in urban areas, particularly on the Eastern, South Eastern and Southern seaboards, and is expected to exceed 30 million by 2029.[13]
Australia's population has grown from an estimated population of between 300,000 and 2,400,000Indigenous Australians at the time of British colonisation in 1788 due tonumerous waves of immigration during the period since. Also due to immigration, the European component's share of the population rose sharply in the late 18th and 19th centuries, but is now declining as a percentage.[14]
Australia has an averagepopulation density of 3.7 persons per square kilometre of total land area, which makes it one of themost sparsely populated countries in the world. This is generally attributed to thesemi-arid anddesertgeography of much of the interior of the country. Another factor is urbanisation—with 89% of its population living in a handful of urban areas, Australia is one of the world'smost urbanised countries.[15] Thelife expectancy of Australia in 2015–2017 was 83.2 years,among the highest in the world.[16]
Population estimates in the table below do not include the Aboriginal population before 1961. Estimates of Aboriginal population before European settlement range from 300,000 to one million, with archaeological finds indicating a sustainable maximum population of around 750,000.[17] Where available, actual population figures from census years are included.
| Year | Indigenous population | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| pre 1788 | 300,000 to 1,000,000 | — |
| Source:[18] | ||
| Year | Non-indigenous population | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1788 | 859 | — |
| 1798 | 4,588 | +18.24% |
| 1808 | 10,263 | +8.38% |
| 1818 | 25,859 | +9.68% |
| 1828 | 58,197 | +8.45% |
| 1838 | 151,868 | +10.07% |
| 1848 | 332,328 | +8.15% |
| 1858 | 1,050,828 | +12.20% |
| 1868 | 1,539,552 | +3.89% |
| 1878 | 2,092,164 | +3.11% |
| 1888 | 2,981,677 | +3.61% |
| 1898 | 3,664,715 | +2.08% |
| Source:[19] | ||
| Year | Non-indigenous population | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 3,788,123 | — |
| 1906 | 4,059,083 | +7.2% |
| 1911 | 4,489,545 | +10.6% |
| 1916 | 4,943,173 | +10.1% |
| 1921 | 5,455,136 | +10.4% |
| 1926 | 6,056,360 | +11.0% |
| 1931 | 6,526,485 | +7.8% |
| 1936 | 6,778,372 | +3.9% |
| 1941 | 7,109,898 | +4.9% |
| 1946 | 7,465,157 | +5.0% |
| 1951 | 8,421,775 | +12.8% |
| 1956 | 9,425,563 | +11.9% |
| Note: Estimated populations prior to 1961 do not include the Indigenous population. Source:[20][21][22][23][24] | ||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10,548,267 | — |
| 1966 | 11,599,498 | +10.0% |
| 1971 | 13,067,265 | +12.7% |
| 1976 | 14,033,083 | +7.4% |
| 1981 | 14,923,260 | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 16,018,350 | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 17,284,036 | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 18,224,767 | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 18,769,249 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 19,855,288 | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 21,507,717 | +8.3% |
| 2016 | 23,401,892 | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 25,417,978 | +8.6% |
| Source:[20][25][26][27][28] | ||
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.[29][30][31][32]
| Ages | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2007 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 35.1 | 31.6 | 31.8 | 28.5 | 24.2 | 27.2 | 30.3 | 28.7 | 25.0 | 21.9 | 20.5 | 19.4 | 18.6 |
| 15–24 | 19.4 | 20.1 | 16.9 | 18.1 | 17.5 | 14.1 | 14.3 | 17.4 | 17.4 | 16.0 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 12.8 |
| 25–44 | 29.4 | 28.8 | 30.0 | 29.3 | 30.0 | 29.4 | 27.7 | 27.4 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 30.0 | 29.2 | 27.9 |
| 45–64 | 12.0 | 14.8 | 17.0 | 18.0 | 20.9 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 20.0 | 19.2 | 19.3 | 23.1 | 25.0 | 25.1 |
| 65 years | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.8 | 11.3 | 12.6 | 13.2 | 15.8 |
| Total (%) | 100 | 99.6 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Median age of the Australia population through history. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.[30][31][33][34]
| Years | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2015 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age of the total population | 22.5 | 24.0 | 25.8 | 30.3 | 29.3 | 27.7 | 29.6 | 32.4 | 35.7 | 37.4 | 38.7 |
| Median age of males | 23.6 | 24.6 | 26.1 | 29.9 | 28.7 | 27.0 | 29.0 | 31.7 | 34.9 | 37.9 | |
| Median age of females | 21.5 | 23.4 | 25.5 | 30.8 | 30.2 | 28.3 | 30.2 | 33.0 | 36.4 | 39.5 |
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 11 546 638 | 11 855 248 | 23 401 892 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 752 142 | 712 638 | 1 464 779 | 6.26 |
| 5–9 | 771 055 | 731 592 | 1 502 646 | 6.42 |
| 10–14 | 717 629 | 679 553 | 1 397 183 | 5.97 |
| 15–19 | 727 677 | 693 915 | 1 421 595 | 6.07 |
| 20–24 | 795 423 | 771 369 | 1 566 793 | 6.70 |
| 25–29 | 824 084 | 840 525 | 1 664 602 | 7.11 |
| 30–34 | 839 821 | 864 026 | 1 703 847 | 7.28 |
| 35–39 | 773 132 | 788 548 | 1 561 679 | 6.67 |
| 40–44 | 777 702 | 805 551 | 1 583 257 | 6.77 |
| 45–49 | 773 170 | 808 282 | 1 581 455 | 6.76 |
| 50–54 | 748 954 | 774 601 | 1 523 551 | 6.51 |
| 55–59 | 709 115 | 745 214 | 1 454 332 | 6.21 |
| 60–64 | 632 357 | 667 048 | 1 299 397 | 5.55 |
| 65-69 | 581 230 | 607 766 | 1 188 999 | 5.08 |
| 70-74 | 431 325 | 456 390 | 887 716 | 3.79 |
| 75-79 | 307 441 | 345 217 | 652 657 | 2.79 |
| 80-84 | 204 026 | 256 529 | 460 549 | 1.97 |
| 85-89 | 123 502 | 185 463 | 308 960 | 1.32 |
| 90-94 | 46 828 | 93 570 | 140 398 | 0.60 |
| 95-99 | 9 244 | 24 672 | 33 920 | 0.14 |
| 100+ | 777 | 2 788 | 3 569 | 0.02 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 2 240 826 | 2 123 783 | 4 364 609 | 18.65 |
| 15–64 | 7 601 439 | 7 759 070 | 15 360 509 | 65.64 |
| 65+ | 1 704 373 | 1 972 395 | 3 676 768 | 15.71 |
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As of June 2022[update], the population density of Australia was reported as 3.4/km2 (8.8/sq mi).[36] This makes Australia the 3rd least densely populated country in the world, afterNamibia andMongolia.[37]
| State/territory | Population (June 2023 estimate)[38] | Land area | Population density | % of total national population | % of population living in capital | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km² | mi² | per km² | per mi² | |||||
 New South Wales | 8,339,300 | 800,642 | 309,130 | 8.64 | 22 | 32% | 63% | [39] |
 Victoria | 6,812,500 | 227,416 | 87,806 | 23.54 | 61 | 26% | 71% | [40] |
 Queensland | 5,459,400 | 1,730,648 | 668,207 | 2.50 | 6 | 20% | 46% | [41] |
 Western Australia | 2,878,600 | 2,239,170 | 864,548 | 0.89 | 2 | 10% | 73.4% | [42] |
 South Australia | 1,851,700 | 983,482 | 379,725 | 1.62 | 4 | 7% | 73.5% | [43] |
 Tasmania | 572,800 | 68,401 | 26,410 | 7.24 | 19 | 2% | 41% | [44] |
 Australian Capital Territory | 466,800 | 2,358 | 910 | 151.49 | 392 | 2% | 100% | [45] |
 Northern Territory | 252,500 | 1,349,129 | 520,902 | 0.16 | 0.4 | 1% | 54% | [46] |
Australia contains five cities (including their suburbs) that consist of over one million people. Most of Australia's population live close to coastlines.[47]
| Rank | Name | State | Pop. | Rank | Name | State | Pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | NSW | 5,450,496 | 11 | Geelong | Vic | 302,046 | ||
| 2 | Melbourne | Vic | 5,207,145 | 12 | Hobart | Tas | 253,654 | ||
| 3 | Brisbane | Qld | 2,706,966 | 13 | Townsville | Qld | 186,734 | ||
| 4 | Perth | WA | 2,309,338 | 14 | Cairns | Qld | 160,933 | ||
| 5 | Adelaide | SA | 1,446,380 | 15 | Darwin | NT | 150,736 | ||
| 6 | Gold Coast–Tweed Heads | Qld/NSW | 735,213 | 16 | Toowoomba | Qld | 149,817 | ||
| 7 | Newcastle–Maitland | NSW | 526,515 | 17 | Ballarat | Vic | 116,390 | ||
| 8 | Canberra–Queanbeyan | ACT/NSW | 503,402 | 18 | Bendigo | Vic | 104,883 | ||
| 9 | Sunshine Coast | Qld | 407,859 | 19 | Albury-Wodonga | NSW/Vic | 100,095 | ||
| 10 | Wollongong | NSW | 313,745 | 20 | Launceston | Tas | 93,364 | ||
Thetotal fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources:Our World In Data andGapminder Foundation.[49]
The following figures show the total fertility rates since the first years of British colonisation.
1850s | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.94 | 5.01 | 4.07 | 5.03 | 4.86 | 5.32 | 5.19 | 5.63 | 5.71 | 5.75 | |
1860s | 1860 | 1861 | 1862 | 1863 | 1864 | 1865 | 1866 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 |
| 5.71 | 5.67 | 5.8 | 5.59 | 5.75 | 5.64 | 5.33 | 5.41 | 5.43 | 5.19 | |
1870s | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 |
| 5.19 | 5.09 | 4.97 | 5.01 | 4.93 | 4.81 | 4.81 | 4.69 | 4.74 | 4.8 | |
1880s | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
| 4.73 | 4.73 | 4.62 | 4.66 | 4.77 | 4.78 | 4.74 | 4.77 | 4.76 | 4.65 | |
1890s | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
| 4.69 | 4.62 | 4.52 | 4.4 | 4.13 | 4.07 | 3.81 | 3.78 | 3.64 | 3.66 |
Notable events in Australian demographics:
| Average population[N 11] | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1,000) | Crude death rate (per 1,000) | Natural change (per 1,000) | Crude migration change (per 1,000) | Total fertility rate[A][49] | Net overseas migration[53][54][55] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1852 | 438,000 | 16,381 | 6,088 | 10,293 | 37.4 | 13.9 | 23.5 | 4.07 | ||
| 1853 | 514,000 | 18,021 | 8,995 | 9,026 | 35.1 | 17.5 | 17.6 | 138.1 | 5.03 | |
| 1854 | 601,000 | 22,538 | 14,134 | 8,404 | 37.5 | 23.5 | 14.0 | 139.9 | 4.86 | |
| 1855 | 695,000 | 25,229 | 15,161 | 10,068 | 36.3 | 21.8 | 14.5 | 132.1 | 5.32 | |
| 1856 | 793,000 | 31,532 | 14,978 | 16,554 | 39.7 | 18.9 | 20.8 | 118.2 | 5.19 | |
| 1857 | 877,000 | 33,920 | 13,155 | 20,765 | 38.7 | 15.0 | 23.7 | 80.8 | 5.63 | |
| 1858 | 970,000 | 40,740 | 15,908 | 24,832 | 42.0 | 16.4 | 25.6 | 78.2 | 5.71 | |
| 1859 | 1,051,000 | 44,733 | 19,221 | 25,512 | 42.6 | 18.3 | 24.3 | 55.6 | 5.75 | |
| 1860 | 1,097,000 | 47,031 | 19,098 | 27,933 | 42.9 | 17.4 | 25.5 | 19.1 | 5.71 | |
| 1861 | 1,146,000 | 48,820 | 23,921 | 24,899 | 42.6 | 20.9 | 21.7 | 18.8 | 5.67 | |
| 1862 | 1,168,000 | 49,386 | 20,186 | 29,200 | 42.3 | 17.3 | 25.0 | -2.5 | 5.80 | |
| 1863 | 1,207,000 | 52,193 | 21,263 | 30,930 | 43.3 | 17.6 | 25.7 | 8.3 | 5.59 | |
| 1864 | 1,259,000 | 52,530 | 21,791 | 30,739 | 41.7 | 17.3 | 24.4 | 17.1 | 5.75 | |
| 1865 | 1,325,000 | 56,893 | 21,573 | 35,320 | 42.9 | 16.3 | 26.6 | 27.3 | 5.64 | |
| 1866 | 1,390,000 | 58,519 | 23,074 | 35,445 | 42.1 | 16.6 | 25.5 | 21.9 | 5.33 | |
| 1867 | 1,444,000 | 57,431 | 26,858 | 30,573 | 39.8 | 18.6 | 21.2 | 13.1 | 5.41 | |
| 1868 | 1,484,000 | 59,954 | 27,157 | 32,797 | 40.4 | 18.3 | 22.1 | 6.4 | 5.43 | |
| 1869 | 1,540,000 | 62,370 | 23,870 | 38,500 | 40.5 | 15.5 | 25.0 | 15.3 | 5.19 | |
| 1870 | 1,592,000 | 61,451 | 23,402 | 38,049 | 38.6 | 14.7 | 23.9 | 8.9 | 5.19 | |
| 1871 | 1,648,000 | 63,758 | 23,442 | 40,316 | 38.7 | 14.2 | 24.5 | 9.7 | 5.09 | |
| 1872 | 1,701,000 | 64,638 | 22,457 | 42,181 | 38.0 | 13.2 | 24.8 | 6.5 | 4.97 | |
| 1873 | 1,743,000 | 64,665 | 25,274 | 39,391 | 37.1 | 14.5 | 22.6 | 1.3 | 5.01 | |
| 1874 | 1,795,000 | 67,157 | 26,387 | 40,770 | 37.4 | 14.7 | 22.7 | 6.3 | 4.93 | |
| 1875 | 1,849,000 | 67,991 | 29,779 | 38,212 | 36.8 | 16.1 | 20.7 | 8.7 | 4.81 | |
| 1876 | 1,898,000 | 68,088 | 37,321 | 30,767 | 35.9 | 19.7 | 16.2 | 9.7 | 4.81 | |
| 1877 | 1,959,000 | 70,358 | 34,538 | 35,820 | 35.9 | 17.6 | 18.3 | 13.1 | 4.69 | |
| 1878 | 2,031,000 | 71,085 | 32,603 | 38,482 | 35.0 | 15.9 | 18.9 | 16.8 | 4.74 | |
| 1879 | 2,092,000 | 74,057 | 34,124 | 39,933 | 35.4 | 16.3 | 19.1 | 10.2 | 4.80 | |
| 1880 | 2,161,000 | 77,364 | 31,667 | 45,697 | 35.8 | 14.7 | 21.2 | 11.0 | 4.73 | |
| 1881 | 2,232,000 | 78,566 | 32,563 | 46,003 | 35.2 | 14.6 | 20.6 | 11.4 | 4.73 | |
| 1882 | 2,307,000 | 81,548 | 33,939 | 47,609 | 35.3 | 14.7 | 20.6 | 12.1 | 4.62 | |
| 1883 | 2,388,000 | 82,386 | 38,208 | 44,178 | 34.5 | 16.0 | 18.5 | 15.7 | 4.66 | |
| 1884 | 2,506,000 | 87,209 | 38,842 | 48,367 | 34.8 | 15.3 | 19.3 | 28.5 | 4.77 | |
| 1885 | 2,606,000 | 92,774 | 42,999 | 49,775 | 35.6 | 16.5 | 19.1 | 19.7 | 4.78 | |
| 1886 | 2,695,000 | 96,212 | 43,120 | 53,092 | 35.7 | 16.0 | 19.7 | 13.6 | 4.74 | |
| 1887 | 2,788,000 | 98,695 | 42,935 | 55,760 | 35.4 | 15.4 | 20.0 | 13.6 | 4.77 | |
| 1888 | 2,881,000 | 102,564 | 42,063 | 60,501 | 35.6 | 14.6 | 21.0 | 11.5 | 4.76 | |
| 1889 | 2,982,000 | 105,861 | 43,537 | 62,324 | 35.5 | 14.6 | 20.9 | 13.2 | 4.65 | |
| 1890 | 3,062,000 | 106,251 | 47,155 | 59,096 | 34.7 | 15.4 | 19.3 | 6.9 | 4.69 | |
| 1891 | 3,151,000 | 110,285 | 45,059 | 65,226 | 35.0 | 14.3 | 20.7 | 7.6 | 4.62 | |
| 1892 | 3,241,000 | 111,815 | 47,961 | 63,854 | 34.5 | 14.8 | 19.7 | 8.2 | 4.52 | |
| 1893 | 3,306,000 | 111,412 | 42,647 | 68,765 | 33.7 | 12.9 | 20.8 | -1.2 | 4.40 | |
| 1894 | 3,362,000 | 110,274 | 46,045 | 64,229 | 32.8 | 13.7 | 19.1 | -2.5 | 4.13 | |
| 1895 | 3,427,000 | 105,552 | 43,545 | 62,007 | 30.8 | 12.7 | 18.1 | 0.9 | 4.07 | |
| 1896 | 3,492,000 | 106,157 | 43,650 | 62,507 | 30.4 | 12.5 | 17.9 | 0.7 | 3.81 | |
| 1897 | 3,553,000 | 100,911 | 45,478 | 55,433 | 28.4 | 12.8 | 15.6 | 1.6 | 3.78 | |
| 1898 | 3,618,000 | 102,068 | 43,778 | 58,290 | 28.2 | 12.1 | 16.1 | 1.9 | 3.64 | |
| 1899 | 3,665,000 | 99,462 | 51,677 | 47,785 | 27.1 | 14.1 | 13.0 | -0.2 | 3.66 | |
| 1900 | 3,715,000 | 102,221 | 44,060 | 58,161 | 27.3 | 11.8 | 15.5 | -2.2 | 3.66 | |
| 1901 | 3,765,000 | 102,945 | 46,330 | 56,615 | 27.1 | 12.2 | 14.9 | -1.6 | 3.64 | |
| 1902 | 3,824,000 | 102,776 | 48,078 | 54,698 | 26.7 | 12.5 | 14.2 | 1.4 | 3.39 | |
| 1903 | 3,875,000 | 98,443 | 47,293 | 51,150 | 25.3 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 3.58 | |
| 1904 | 3,916,000 | 104,113 | 43,572 | 60,541 | 26.4 | 11.0 | 15.4 | -4.9 | 3.54 | |
| 1905 | 3,974,000 | 104,941 | 43,514 | 61,427 | 26.2 | 10.9 | 15.3 | -0.6 | 3.51 | |
| 1906 | 4,032,000 | 107,890 | 44,333 | 63,557 | 26.6 | 10.9 | 15.7 | -1.2 | 3.35 | |
| 1907 | 4,091,000 | 110,347 | 45,305 | 55,042 | 26.7 | 11.0 | 15.7 | 1.2 | 3.35 | |
| 1908 | 4,161,000 | 111,545 | 46,426 | 55,119 | 26.6 | 11.1 | 15.5 | 3.9 | 3.35 | |
| 1909 | 4,232,000 | 114,071 | 44,172 | 59,899 | 26.7 | 10.3 | 16.4 | 2.9 | 3.35 | |
| 1910 | 4,323,000 | 116,801 | 45,590 | 61,211 | 26.7 | 10.4 | 16.3 | 7.3 | 3.35 | |
| 1911 | 4,425,000 | 122,193 | 47,869 | 74,324 | 27.2 | 10.6 | 16.6 | 6.8 | 3.51 | |
| 1912 | 4,573,000 | 133,088 | 52,177 | 80,911 | 28.6 | 11.2 | 17.4 | 15.8 | 3.51 | |
| 1913 | 4,820,172 | 135,714 | 51,789 | 83,925 | 28.2 | 10.7 | 17.5 | 36.6 | 3.51 | |
| 1914 | 4,893,000 | 137,983 | 51,720 | 86,263 | 28.0 | 10.5 | 17.5 | -2.5 | 3.51 | |
| 1915 | 4,971,000 | 134,871 | 52,782 | 82,089 | 27.1 | 10.6 | 16.5 | -0.6 | 3.51 | |
| 1916 | 4,969,000 | 131,426 | 54,197 | 77,219 | 26.6 | 11.0 | 15.6 | -15.9 | 3.07 | |
| 1917 | 4,917,000 | 129,965 | 48,029 | 81,936 | 26.3 | 9.7 | 16.6 | -27.1 | 3.35 | |
| 1918 | 4,982,000 | 125,739 | 50,249 | 75,490 | 25.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | -1.9 | 3.07 | |
| 1919 | 5,080,000 | 122,290 | 65,930 | 56,360 | 23.6 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 8.6 | 3.07 | |
| 1920 | 5,303,000 | 136,406 | 56,289 | 80,117 | 25.5 | 10.5 | 15.5 | 28.8 | 3.07 | |
| 1921 | 5,411,000 | 136,198 | 54,076 | 82,122 | 24.9 | 9.9 | 15.0 | 5.2 | 3.12 | |
| 1922 | 5,510,000 | 137,496 | 51,311 | 86,185 | 24.7 | 9.2 | 15.5 | 2.7 | 3.11 | |
| 1923 | 5,637,000 | 135,222 | 56,236 | 78,986 | 23.7 | 9.9 | 13.8 | 9.0 | 3.02 | |
| 1924 | 5,755,000 | 134,927 | 54,980 | 79,953 | 23.2 | 9.4 | 13.8 | 7.0 | 2.97 | |
| 1925 | 5,882,000 | 135,792 | 54,658 | 81,134 | 22.9 | 9.2 | 13.7 | 8.3 | 2.95 | |
| 1926 | 6,000,000 | 133,162 | 56,952 | 76,210 | 22.0 | 9.4 | 12.6 | 7.4 | 2.85 | |
| 1927 | 6,124,000 | 133,698 | 58,282 | 75,716 | 21.6 | 9.4 | 12.2 | 8.3 | 2.80 | |
| 1928 | 6,251,000 | 134,078 | 59,378 | 74,700 | 21.3 | 9.4 | 11.9 | 8.8 | 2.77 | |
| 1929 | 6,355,000 | 129,480 | 60,857 | 68,623 | 20.2 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 5.8 | 2.64 | |
| 1930 | 6,436,000 | 128,399 | 55,331 | 73,068 | 19.8 | 8.6 | 11.2 | 1.4 | 2.58 | |
| 1931 | 6,500,000 | 118,509 | 56,560 | 61,949 | 18.2 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 0.4 | 2.36 | |
| 1932 | 6,552,000 | 110,933 | 56,757 | 54,176 | 16.9 | 8.6 | 8.3 | -0.3 | 2.19 | |
| 1933 | 6,603,000 | 111,269 | 59,117 | 52,152 | 16.8 | 8.9 | 7.9 | -0.1 | 2.17 | |
| 1934 | 6,656,000 | 109,475 | 62,229 | 47,246 | 16.4 | 9.3 | 7.1 | 0.9 | 2.11 | |
| 1935 | 6,707,000 | 111,325 | 63,599 | 47,726 | 16.5 | 9.4 | 7.1 | 0.5 | 2.12 | |
| 1936 | 6,755,000 | 116,073 | 63,932 | 52,141 | 17.1 | 9.4 | 7.7 | -0.6 | 2.18 | |
| 1937 | 6,810,000 | 119,131 | 64,496 | 54,635 | 17.4 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 0.1 | 2.21 | |
| 1938 | 6,871,000 | 120,415 | 66,451 | 53,964 | 17.4 | 9.6 | 7.8 | 1.1 | 2.21 | |
| 1939 | 6,935,000 | 122,891 | 69,147 | 53,744 | 17.6 | 9.9 | 7.7 | 1.6 | 2.22 | |
| 1940 | 7,004,000 | 126,347 | 68,384 | 57,963 | 17.9 | 9.7 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 2.26 | |
| 1941 | 7,077,000 | 134,525 | 71,176 | 63,349 | 18.9 | 10.0 | 8.9 | 1.5 | 2.36 | |
| 1942 | 7,143,000 | 136,708 | 75,191 | 61,517 | 19.1 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 0.7 | 2.38 | |
| 1943 | 7,201,000 | 149,295 | 74,486 | 74,809 | 20.6 | 10.3 | 10.3 | -2.3 | 2.57 | |
| 1944 | 7,269,000 | 153,344 | 69,596 | 83,748 | 21.0 | 9.5 | 11.5 | -2.1 | 2.63 | |
| 1945 | 7,347,000 | 160,560 | 70,231 | 90,229 | 21.7 | 9.5 | 12.2 | -1.6 | 2.74 | |
| 1946 | 7,430,000 | 176,379 | 74,661 | 101,718 | 23.6 | 10.0 | 13.6 | -2.4 | 2.99 | |
| 1947 | 7,517,000 | 182,384 | 73,468 | 108,916 | 24.1 | 9.7 | 14.4 | -2.8 | 3.08 | |
| 1948 | 7,637,000 | 177,976 | 76,839 | 101,137 | 23.1 | 10.0 | 13.1 | 2.7 | 2.98 | |
| 1949 | 7,792,000 | 181,261 | 75,260 | 106,001 | 22.9 | 9.5 | 13.4 | 6.7 | 2.99 | |
| 1950 | 8,045,000 | 190,591 | 78,187 | 112,404 | 23.3 | 9.6 | 13.7 | 18.5 | 3.01 | |
| 1951 | 8,307,000 | 193,298 | 81,788 | 111,510 | 23.0 | 9.7 | 13.3 | 31.2 | 3.06 | |
| 1952 | 8,527,000 | 201,650 | 81,597 | 120,053 | 23.4 | 9.5 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 3.15 | |
| 1953 | 8,739,000 | 202,235 | 80,188 | 122,047 | 22.9 | 9.1 | 13.8 | 10.9 | 3.23 | |
| 1954 | 8,902,000 | 202,256 | 81,805 | 120,451 | 22.5 | 9.1 | 13.4 | 5.1 | 3.3 | |
| 1955 | 9,089,000 | 207,677 | 82,036 | 125,641 | 22.6 | 8.9 | 13.7 | 7.2 | 3.35 | |
| 1956 | 9,311,000 | 212,633 | 86,088 | 126,545 | 22.5 | 9.1 | 13.4 | 10.8 | 3.39 | |
| 1957 | 9,530,000 | 220,358 | 84,953 | 135,405 | 22.9 | 8.8 | 14.1 | 9.3 | 3.41 | |
| 1958 | 9,744,000 | 222,504 | 83,723 | 138,481 | 22.6 | 8.5 | 14.1 | 8.2 | 3.42 | |
| 1959 | 9,947,000 | 226,976 | 89,212 | 137,765 | 22.6 | 8.9 | 13.7 | 7.0 | 3.41 | |
| 1960 | 10,160,000 | 230,326 | 88,464 | 141,862 | 22.4 | 8.6 | 13.8 | 7.5 | 3.39 | |
| 1961 | 10,391,000 | 239,986 | 88,961 | 151,025 | 22.8 | 8.5 | 14.3 | 8.2 | 3.35 | |
| 1962 | 10,642,000 | 237,081 | 93,163 | 143,918 | 22.1 | 8.7 | 13.4 | 10.6 | 3.3 | |
| 1963 | 10,846,000 | 235,689 | 94,894 | 140,795 | 21.5 | 8.7 | 12.8 | 6.2 | 3.24 | |
| 1964 | 11,055,000 | 229,149 | 100,594 | 128,555 | 20.5 | 8.7 | 11.8 | 7.6 | 3.17 | |
| 1965 | 11,280,000 | 222,854 | 99,715 | 123,139 | 19.6 | 8.8 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 2.97 | |
| 1966 | 11,505,000 | 223,731 | 103,929 | 119,802 | 19.3 | 9.0 | 10.3 | 9.5 | 2.89 | |
| 1967 | 11,704,000 | 229,796 | 102,703 | 127,093 | 19.4 | 8.7 | 10.7 | 6.4 | 2.85 | |
| 1968 | 11,912,000 | 240,906 | 109,547 | 131,359 | 20.0 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 6.7 | 2.89 | |
| 1969 | 12,145,000 | 250,175 | 106,496 | 143,681 | 20.4 | 8.7 | 11.7 | 7.7 | 2.93 | |
| 1970 | 12,407,000 | 257,516 | 113,048 | 144,468 | 20.5 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 9.9 | 2.94 | |
| 1971 | 12,663,000 | 276,361 | 110,650 | 165,711 | 21.5 | 8.6 | 12.9 | 7.5 | 2.98 | |
| 1972 | 13,067,000 | 271,960 | 110,191 | 161,769 | 20.6 | 8.4 | 12.2 | 19.5 | 2.74 | |
| 1973 | 13,303,000 | 255,848 | 111,336 | 144,512 | 19.1 | 8.3 | 10.8 | 7.2 | 2.49 | |
| 1974 | 13,504,000 | 243,658 | 110,179 | 133,479 | 17.9 | 8.1 | 9.8 | 5.2 | 2.32 | |
| 1975[56] | 13,771,400 | 239,794 | 114,501 | 125,293 | 17.4 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 10.7 | 2.15 | |
| 1976 | 13,915,500 | 231,135 | 110,610 | 120,525 | 16.6 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 2.06 | |
| 1977 | 14,074,100 | 226,954 | 111,490 | 115,464 | 16.1 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 3.2 | 2.01 | |
| 1978 | 14,248,600 | 226,359 | 108,059 | 118,300 | 15.9 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 4.1 | 1.95 | |
| 1979 | 14,521,700 | 223,370 | 108,315 | 115,055 | 15.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 11.2 | 1.91 | |
| 1980 | 14,695,400 | 223,664 | 106,654 | 117,010 | 15.3 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 1.89 | |
| 1981 | 14,923,300 | 230,920 | 109,429 | 121,491 | 15.6 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 1.94 | |
| 1982 | 15,178,400 | 237,076 | 110,990 | 116,086 | 15.7 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 1.93 | 128,100 |
| 1983 | 15,393,500 | 241,764 | 112,918 | 128,846 | 15.8 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 1.92 | 73,300 |
| 1984 | 15,579,400 | 240,544 | 110,887 | 129,657 | 15.5 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 3.8 | 1.84 | 49,100 |
| 1985 | 15,788,300 | 241,814 | 114,197 | 127,617 | 15.4 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 5.3 | 1.92 | 73,800 |
| 1986 | 16,018,400 | 239,115 | 116,069 | 123,046 | 15.0 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 1.87 | 100,500 |
| 1987 | 16,263,900 | 242,977 | 116,139 | 126,838 | 15.0 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 1.85 | 125,800 |
| 1988 | 16,532,200 | 246,200 | 120,463 | 125,737 | 15.0 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 1.83 | 149,400 |
| 1989 | 16,814,400 | 250,155 | 118,767 | 131,388 | 15.1 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 1.84 | 157,500 |
| 1990 | 17,065,100 | 257,521 | 125,112 | 132,409 | 15.3 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 1.90 | 124,700 |
| 1991 | 17,284,000 | 261,158 | 119,572 | 141,586 | 15.2 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 4.6 | 1.85 | 86,500 |
| 1992 | 17,494,700 | 259,200 | 120,836 | 138,800 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 4.3 | 1.89 | 68,600 |
| 1993 | 17,667,100 | 259,959 | 121,338 | 138,621 | 14.8 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 2.9 | 1.86 | 30,100 |
| 1994 | 17,854,700 | 258,314 | 123,496 | 134,818 | 14.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 3.1 | 1.84 | 46,600 |
| 1995 | 18,071,800 | 258,210 | 126,232 | 131,978 | 14.4 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 4.9 | 1.82 | 80,200 |
| 1996 | 18,310,700 | 250,438 | 126,400 | 124,038 | 13.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 1.80 | 104,000 |
| 1997 | 18,517,600 | 253,660 | 127,298 | 126,362 | 13.7 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 4.5 | 1.78 | 87,200 |
| 1998 | 18,711,300 | 249,105 | 129,255 | 119,850 | 13.4 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 1.75 | 79,100 |
| 1999 | 18,925,900 | 249,965 | 128,278 | 121,487 | 13.3 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 1.75 | 96,500 |
| 2000 | 19,153,400 | 249,310 | 128,392 | 120,918 | 13.1 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 5.7 | 1.75 | 107,200 |
| 2001 | 19,413,200 | 247,500 | 128,913 | 118,587 | 12.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 1.73 | 135,700 |
| 2002 | 19,654,900 | 247,400 | 130,300 | 117,200 | 12.9 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 1.77 | 110,600 |
| 2003 | 19,902,700 | 247,400 | 132,239 | 115,200 | 12.5 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 1.75 | 116,500 |
| 2004 | 20,139,800 | 252,100 | 133,231 | 115,851 | 12.4 | 6.7 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 1.76 | 100,000 |
| 2005 | 20,409,100 | 255,800 | 131,354 | 124,580 | 12.6 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 7.3 | 1.79 | 123,800 |
| 2006 | 20,697,900 | 263,500 | 134,000 | 129,500 | 12.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 1.82 | 146,700 |
| 2007 | 21,015,900 | 277,700 | 136,000 | 141,700 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 1.87 | 232,700 |
| 2008 | 21,384,400 | 289,500 | 140,800 | 148,700 | 14.4 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 10.6 | 2.02 | 277,400 |
| 2009 | 21,778,800 | 297,100 | 143,700 | 153,400 | 13.9 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 11.4 | 1.97 | 299,800 |
| 2010 | 22,031,900 | 304,200 | 141,500 | 162,600 | 13.4 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 4.2 | 1.95 | 172,038 |
| 2011 | 22,340,000 | 301,200 | 145,400 | 155,800 | 13.5 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 1.92 | 205,679 |
| 2012 | 22,733,500 | 306,000 | 147,200 | 158,800 | 13.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 10.6 | 1.93 | 241,151 |
| 2013 | 23,128,100 | 311,100 | 149,200 | 161,900 | 13.3 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 10.4 | 1.88 | 235,797 |
| 2014 | 23,475,700 | 307,000 | 150,000 | 157,000 | 12.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 1.80 | 179,000 |
| 2015 | 23,816,000 | 307,700 | 155,900 | 151,800 | 12.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 1.80 | 181,000 |
| 2016[57] | 24,385,600 | 311,800 | 157,400 | 154,400 | 12.9 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 10.2 | 1.79 | 243,800 |
| 2017 | 24,770,700[58] | 308,500 | 160,300 | 148,200 | 12.7 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 9.7 | 1.74 | 241,700 |
| 2018 | 25,180,200[59] | 314,900[60] | 158,500 | 156,400 | 12.7 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 10.2 | 1.75 | 248,400 |
| 2019 | 25,522,169 | 305,800 | 166,700 | 139,100 | 12.1 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 1.67 | 210,700 |
| 2020 | 25,694,400 | 294,400 | 161,400 | 133,000 | 11.5 | 6.3 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 1.59 | 3,300 |
| 2021 | 25,422,788(C) | 309,996 | 171,469 | 138,527 | 12.1 | 6.7 | 5.4 | -2.6 | 1.70 | -3,600 |
| 2022 | 26,268,359 | 300,684 | 190,745 | 109,800 | 11.6 | 7.3 | 4.3 | 15.2 | 1.63 | 387,000 |
| 2023 | 26,966,789 | 286,998 | 183,131 | 103,867 | 10.8 | 6.9 | 3.9 | 21.1 | 1.50 | 547,300 |
| 2024 | 27,400,013 | 292,418 | 187,268 | 105,150 | 10.7 | 6.9 | 3.8 | 12.1 | 1.48 | 340,800 |
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| January - March 2024 | 72,100 | 43,900 | +28,200 |
| January - March 2025 | 78,300 | 44,100 | +34,200 |
| Difference |  +6,200 (+8.6%) |  +200 (+0.0%) | +6,000 |
| Source:[61] | |||
| State/Territory | TFR |
|---|---|
| Northern Territory | 1.63 |
| Victoria | 1.52 |
| Queensland | 1.51 |
| Tasmania | 1.49 |
 Australia | 1.48 |
| New South Wales | 1.46 |
| South Australia | 1.46 |
| Western Australia | 1.43 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1.27 |
| Country of birth mother | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Total | 286,998 |
| Total overseas-born | 100,011 |
| Oceania and Antartica | 196,654 |
| Australia(includes External Territories) | 186,811 |
 New Zealand | 7,420 |
 Papua New Guinea | 288 |
 Fiji | 736 |
 Samoa | 701 |
| Other | 698 |
| North-West Europe | 10,486 |
 United Kingdom | 6,986 |
 Ireland | 1,153 |
 Austria | 55 |
 France | 563 |
 Germany | 835 |
 Netherlands | 295 |
 Switzerland | 102 |
 Denmark | 64 |
| Other | 433 |
| Southern and Eastern Europe | 3,846 |
 Italy | 478 |
 Malta | 30 |
 Portugal | 84 |
 Spain | 179 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 341 |
 Croatia | 215 |
 Cyprus | 35 |
 North Macedonia | 234 |
 Greece | 183 |
 Romania | 149 |
 Serbia | 210 |
 Czechia | 95 |
 Hungary | 76 |
 Poland | 301 |
 Russian Federation | 495 |
 Ukraine | 248 |
| Other | 493 |
| North Africa and the Middle East | 7,555 |
 Egypt | 423 |
 Iran | 1,134 |
 Iraq | 1,785 |
 Israel | 105 |
 Lebanon | 1,078 |
 Syria | 490 |
 Turkey | 299 |
| Other | 2,241 |
| South-East Asia | 14,979 |
 Myanmar | 802 |
 Cambodia | 495 |
 Laos | 79 |
 Thailand | 1,368 |
 Vietnam | 3,064 |
 Indonesia | 1,361 |
 Malaysia | 1,902 |
 Philippines | 5,158 |
 Singapore | 632 |
| Other | 118 |
| North-East Asia | 10,919 |
 China | 6,791 |
 Hong Kong | 1,066 |
 Taiwan | 763 |
 Japan | 838 |
 South Korea | 1,185 |
| Other | 276 |
| Southern and Central Asia | 29,771 |
 Bangladesh | 1,363 |
 India | 16,593 |
 Nepal | 4,159 |
 Pakistan | 3,276 |
 Sri Lanka | 1,876 |
 Afghanistan | 2,014 |
| Other | 490 |
| Americas | 5,459 |
 Canada | 901 |
 United States | 1,536 |
 Argentina | 199 |
 Brazil | 1,194 |
 Chile | 285 |
 Uruguay | 22 |
| Central America | 239 |
| Caribbean | 57 |
| Other | 1,026 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7,153 |
 Kenya | 489 |
 Mauritius | 293 |
 South Africa | 2,451 |
 Zimbabwe | 642 |
| Other | 3,278 |
At the time ofAustralian Federation in 1901, the rate ofnatural increase was 14.9 persons per 1,000 population. The rate increased to a peak of 17.4 per thousand population in the years 1912, 1913 and 1914. During theGreat Depression, the rate declined to a low of 7.1 per thousand population in 1934 and 1935. Immediately after World War II, the rate increased sharply as a result of the start of thepost–World War II baby boom and the immigration of many young people who then had children in Australia. A rate plateau of over 13.0 persons per 1,000 population occurred for every year from 1946 to 1962.
There has been a fall in the rate of natural increase since 1962 due to fallingfertility. In 1971, the rate of natural increase was 12.7 persons per 1,000 population; a decade later it had fallen to 8.5. In 1996 the rate of natural increase fell below seven for the first time, with the downward trend continuing in the late 1990s. Population projections by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that continued low fertility, combined with the increase in deaths from an ageing population, will result in natural increase falling below zero sometime in the mid-2030s. However, in 2006 thefertility rate rose to 1.81, one of the highest rates in theOECD.
Since 1901, the crude death rate has fallen from about 12.2 deaths per 1,000 population, to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 population in 2006.[64]
1920s | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61.0 | 62.9 | 61.7 | 62.5 | 63.2 | 62.9 | 62.8 | 62.9 | 63.1 | ||
1930s | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
| 64.9 | 65.3 | 65.6 | 65.4 | 64.8 | 65.1 | 65.2 | 65.8 | 65.8 | 65.8 | |
1940s | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
| 66.2 | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.4 | 68.0 | 68.5 | 68.0 | 68.6 | 68.5 | 69.1 |
Source:Our World in Data[65]
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950–1955 | 69.4 | 1985–1990 | 76.2 |
| 1955–1960 | 70.4 | 1990–1995 | 77.7 |
| 1960–1965 | 70.9 | 1995–2000 | 78.8 |
| 1965–1970 | 70.8 | 2000–2005 | 80.3 |
| 1970–1975 | 71.8 | 2005–2010 | 81.5 |
| 1975–1980 | 73.6 | 2010–2015 | 82.3 |
| 1980–1985 | 75.1 |
Source:UN World Population Prospects[66]
The earliest accepted timeline for the first arrivals ofindigenous Australians to the continent of Australia places thishuman migration to at least 40,000 years ago.[67]
Dutch navigators landed on the coasts of modern Western Australia and Queensland several times during the 17th century. CaptainJames Cook wrote that he claimed the east coast forGreat Britain in 1770 while standing onPossession Island off the west coast ofCape York Peninsula. The west coast was later settled by Britain also. At that time, the indigenous population was estimated to have numbered between as few as 315,000 and as many as 1,100,000,[68][69] divided into many tribes speaking many different languages. In the2011 census, 495,757 respondents declared they wereAboriginal, 31,407 declared they wereTorres Strait Islander, and a further 21,206 declared they were bothAboriginal andTorres Strait Islanders.[70]
Today, most of Australia's Indigenous population live on the east coast of Australia, where almost 60% of Indigenous Australians live inNew South Wales (208,476) andQueensland (188,954) which roughly represents 2–5% of those state's populations. TheNorthern Territory has an Indigenous population of 61,115, which represents 26.3% of the total Northern Territory population.[71]
There were 24,737 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2023, an increase of 349 babies from 2022. This represents 8.6% of all births registered in 2023. The total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.17 births per woman.[72]
Of the 24,388 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2022 only 23% were births for which both parents were identified as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin on the birth certificate. 45% were births where only the mother was of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin (including births where paternity was not acknowledged or the father's Indigenous status was not stated), and 32% were births where only the father was of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin (including births where the mother's Indigenous status was not stated).[73]
The earliest accepted timeline for the first arrivals of humans to the continent of Australia places thishuman migration to at least 65,000 years ago,[74] most probably from the islands ofIndonesia andNew Guinea.[67]
CaptainJames Cook claimed the east coast forGreat Britain in 1770; the west coast was later settled by Britain also. At that time, the indigenous population was estimated to have been between 315,000 and 750,000,[68] divided into as many as 500 tribes speaking many different languages.
Between 1788 and theSecond World War, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from theBritish Isles (principallyEngland,Ireland andScotland), although there was significant immigration fromChina andGermany during the 19th century. In the decades immediately following the Second World War, Australia received alarge wave of immigration from acrossEurope, with many more immigrants arriving fromSouthern andEastern Europe than in previous decades. Since the end of theWhite Australia policy in 1973, Australia has pursued an official policy ofmulticulturalism,[75] and there has been alarge and continuing wave of immigration from across the world, withAsia being the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century.[76]
TheAustralian Bureau of Statistics no longer collects data onrace, but does ask each Australian resident to nominate up to twoancestries eachcensus.[77] These ancestry responses are classified into broad standardised ancestry groups.[78] In the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated individual ancestries as a proportion of the total population were:[79]
At the 2021 census, 3.2% of the Australian population identified as beingIndigenous —Aboriginal Australians andTorres Strait Islanders.[N 13][80] In 2020, 7.5% of births were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons up from 5.7% in 2010; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fertility rates have stayed above replacement levels even as the nation's has declined rapidly.[81]
Although the ABS does not collect data on race and ethnic background, various studies have put together results of the census to determine the ethnic composition of Australia, theAustralian Human Rights Commission has estimated the European population at 76% of the Australian population in 2016,[82] while a media diversity study put it at 72% in 2021, the non-European proportion was 21% and 23% respectively, and theAboriginal Australian population at 3% in both.[83]
Immigration ministerAndrew Giles had pledged to incorporate a question on ethnicity into the2026 Australian census.[84] However in 2024 the ABS decided against collecting data on ethnicity in favor of ancestry. As recent studies indicate that the public does not have a consistent understanding of ethnic identity, or the difference between ethnic identity and ancestry. The ABS determined that due to these complexities, collecting both ethnic identity and ancestry on the same form is not feasible for the 2026 Census.[85]
In 2019, 30% of the Australian resident population, or 7,529,570 people, were born overseas.[86]
Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I,[87] much of this increase fromimmigration. Australia has the world'seighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30% of the population, a higher proportion than in any other nation with a population of over 10 million.[86][88]Asia is the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century.[89] Net overseas migration reached a record level of 536,000 in 2022–23.[90] Overall migration was 739,000 in 2022-23.[91] Net permanent and long-term arrivals in 2023 were 447,790, the highest on record.[92] Most immigrants are skilled,[93] but the immigration quota includes categories for family members andrefugees.[93]
The following table shows Australia's population by country of birth as estimated by theAustralian Bureau of Statistics in 2023. It shows only countries or regions or birth with a population of over 100,000 residing in Australia.
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024)[94] | |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Estimated resident population[A] |
| TotalAustralian-born | 18,617,690 |
| Totalforeign-born | 8,576,680 |
 England[B] | 963,650 |
| India | 916,330 |
| China[C] | 700,120 |
| New Zealand | 617,960 |
| Philippines | 394,380 |
| Vietnam | 318,760 |
| South Africa | 224,160 |
| Nepal | 197,800 |
| Malaysia | 183,490 |
| Sri Lanka | 172,800 |
| Italy | 156,070 |
| Pakistan | 134,720 |
 Scotland | 124,880 |
| Hong Kong[C] | 124,550 |
| Indonesia | 120,160 |
| South Korea | 119,190 |
| United States | 118,000 |
| Thailand | 114,280 |
| Iraq | 109,600 |
| Ireland | 103,080 |
| Germany | 102,960 |
As of 2020, 29.8% of Australia's population was born overseas and 76% as of 2016 had European ancestry. The percentage of Australians with European backgrounds has been declining since the 1960s and 1970s, which is around the time the White Australia policy was abolished.
| Date | Immigration ('000) | Emigration ('000) | Net Migration ('000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun-2013 | 482.09 | -251.76 | 230.33 |
| Sep-2013 | 484.31 | -263.10 | 221.21 |
| Dec-2013 | 478.68 | -270.31 | 208.38 |
| Mar-2014 | 472.63 | -270.44 | 202.19 |
| Jun-2014 | 464.68 | -276.90 | 187.78 |
| Sep-2014 | 459.84 | -276.11 | 183.74 |
| Dec-2014 | 458.76 | -276.41 | 182.35 |
| Mar-2015 | 460.64 | -279.56 | 181.08 |
| Jun-2015 | 465.25 | -281.22 | 184.03 |
| Sep-2015 | 469.39 | -285.16 | 184.23 |
| Dec-2015 | 473.25 | -286.52 | 186.73 |
| Mar-2016 | 481.33 | -285.35 | 195.98 |
| Jun-2016 | 489.28 | -283.04 | 206.23 |
| Sep-2016 | 507.11 | -277.60 | 229.51 |
| Dec-2016 | 519.65 | -275.82 | 243.83 |
| Mar-2017 | 536.66 | -277.08 | 259.59 |
| Jun-2017 | 540.15 | -276.80 | 263.35 |
| Sep-2017 | 540.06 | -280.64 | 259.43 |
| Dec-2017 | 531.37 | -289.71 | 241.66 |
| Mar-2018 | 527.23 | -289.23 | 238.00 |
| Jun-2018 | 527.52 | -289.30 | 238.22 |
| Sep-2018 | 530.94 | -288.62 | 242.32 |
| Dec-2018 | 534.40 | -282.18 | 252.22 |
| Mar-2019 | 536.60 | -285.93 | 250.67 |
| Jun-2019 | 550.40 | -309.06 | 241.34 |
| Sep-2019 | 566.35 | -324.32 | 242.04 |
| Dec-2019 | 607.87 | -360.25 | 247.62 |
| Mar-2020 | 618.36 | -379.11 | 239.25 |
| Jun-2020 | 506.85 | -314.16 | 192.70 |
| Sep-2020 | 361.95 | -286.34 | 75.61 |
| Dec-2020 | 235.35 | -240.32 | -4.97 |
| Mar-2021 | 113.00 | -207.34 | -94.34 |
| Jun-2021 | 146.00 | -230.93 | -84.94 |
| Sep-2021 | 162.49 | -218.63 | -56.14 |
| Dec-2021 | 216.11 | -209.24 | 6.87 |
| Mar-2022 | 336.24 | -208.35 | 127.89 |
| Jun-2022 | 426.73 | -223.14 | 203.59 |
| Sep-2022 | 571.41 | -229.93 | 341.48 |
| Dec-2022 | 646.11 | -223.88 | 422.23 |
| Mar-2023 | 694.61 | -221.53 | 473.08 |
| Jun-2023 | 737.17 | -219.08 | 518.09 |
| Dec-2023 | 740.90 | -205.91 | 534.99 |
| Mar-2024 | 714.16 | -211.19 | 502.97 |
| Jun-2024 | 666.81 | -221.17 | 445.64 |
The vast majority of Australians speak English at home, with the exception of some Aboriginal Australians and first-generation immigrants.Although Australia has no official language, English has always been thede facto national language and the only common tongue.[95]Australian English is a major variety of the language, with a distinctive accent and lexicon,[96] and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling.[97]General Australian serves as the standard variety.
At the 2021 census English was the only language spoken in the homes of 72% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home areMandarin Chinese (2.7%),Arabic (1.4%),Vietnamese (1.3%), andCantonese (1.2%).[80] Considerable proportions of first- and second-generation immigrants are bilingual.
Over 250Indigenous Australian languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact; fewer than 20 are still in daily use by all age groups.[98][99] About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people.[99] At the time of the 2006 census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous language at home.[100]
Australia has its ownsign language,Auslan. The Australian Bureau of Statistics included Auslan as an option for the first time in the 2021 census when asking which language was used at home.[101][102] According to the census, it is the main language of about 16,000 deaf people.[102]
At the 2021 Census, 38.9% of the population identified as having"no religion",[79] up from 15.5% in 2001.[104] The largest religion isChristianity (43.9% of the population).[79] The largest Christian denominations are theRoman Catholic Church (20% of the population) and theAnglican Church of Australia (9.8%). Multicultural immigration since theSecond World War has led to the growth of non-Christian religions, the largest of which areIslam (3.2%),Hinduism (2.7%),Buddhism (2.4%),Sikhism (0.8%), andJudaism (0.4%).[79]
TheAustralian Bureau of Statistics 2001 Census Dictionary statement on religious affiliation states the purpose for gathering such information:
Data on religious affiliation are used for such purposes as planning educational facilities, aged persons' care and other social services provided by religion-based organisations; the location of church buildings; the assigning of chaplains to hospitals, prisons, armed services and universities; the allocation of time on public radio and other media; and sociological research.
Historically,Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology was the prevalent belief system in Australia until around 1840, when European Australians first outnumbered indigenous Australians. For a period, in the 19th and 20th centuries, Australia was majorityProtestant with a large Catholic minority.[105][106] Catholics first outnumbered Anglicans in the 1986 census.[107] As a result of this history, while Australia has no official religion and "no religion" constitutes the largest group by religious identification, the various governments of Australia refer to theChristian God in their ceremonies, as do the various Australian Courts.[108] In all censuses since 1991, the percentage of Christians has been steadily decreasing, while the percentage of non-religious has been increasing.[109]
As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in religious services is lower than would be indicated by the proportion of the population identifying themselves as affiliated with a religion; weekly attendance at Christian church services is about 1.5 million, or about 7.5% of the population.[110] Christian charitable organisations, hospitals and schools play a prominent role in welfare and education services. TheCatholic education system is the second biggest sector after government schools, with more than 795,000 students (and around 20 per cent of all secondary school enrolments).[111]
| Religion | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ('000) | (%) | ('000) | (%) | ('000) | (%) | ('000) | (%) | |
| Christian | 12,685 | 63.9 | 13,149.3 | 61.1 | 12,201.6 | 52.1 | 11,148.8 | 43.9 |
| No religion | 3,706.8 | 18.7 | 4,804.6 | 22.3 | 7,040.7 | 30.1 | 9,887.0 | 38.9 |
| Islam | 340.4 | 1.7 | 476.3 | 2.2 | 604.2 | 2.6 | 813.4 | 3.2 |
| Buddhism | 418.8 | 2.1 | 529.0 | 2.5 | 563.7 | 2.4 | 615.8 | 2.4 |
| Hinduism | - | - | 275.5 | 1.3 | 440.3 | 1.9 | 684.0 | 2.7 |
| Sikhism | - | - | 72.3 | 0.3 | 125.9 | 0.5 | 210.4 | 0.8 |
| Other | 133.8 | 0.5 | 193.2 | 0.9 | 186.7 | 0.8 | 215.0 | 0.8 |
| Not stated | 224.0 | 11.2 | 235.8 | 1.1 | 237.8 | 1.0 | 237.4 | 1.0 |
| Total population ('000) | 21,507.7 | - | 21,507.7 | - | 23,401.9 | - | 25,422.8 | - |
In trend terms, in April 2025, the Australian labour force consisted of 14,622,100 people, representing a seasonal employment rate of 64.4%; on the same time, unemployment andunderemployment rates remained at 4.1% and 6.0% respectively.[112] At the 2021 census, the national median weeklypersonal income across Australia was $789, and the median weeklyhousehold income was $1,770. More than half of people had employee wages and salary as their main source of income (56.4% or more than 10.5 million people). Government benefits and allowances were the main source of income for 23.4% or 4.4 million people.[113]
Australian population: (1919) 5,080,912; (2006) 20,209,993
English has no de jure status, but is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)
