The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 86 people per square km. The highest value was in Tuvalu: 373 people per square km and the lowest value was in Australia: 3 people per square km. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Australia was reported at 3.382 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Australia Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 3.382 Person/sq km in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.339 Person/sq km for 2021. Australia Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 2.263 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2022, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.382 Person/sq km in 2022 and a record low of 1.365 Person/sq km in 1961. Australia Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.;Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.;Weighted average;

Historical dataset showing Australia population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

This data set contains the Australian Bureau of Statistics population data for Australian states and territories. Population data was collected as part of national census’ in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Data presented is the total population for all collection districts by place of enumeration. District Boundaries differed for each census and therefore were re-projected onto the 2011 population mesh blocks to standardise the spatial extent of the reporting areas. Given the focus of this project, population data was clipped by a 50km coastal buffer.

Note: population data for census’ 1991 – 1996 - 2001 was purchased by NESP and is made publically available through by NESP

Note: population data for 2006 and 2011 was downloaded through the ABS webportal. http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/tablebuilder?opendocument&navpos=240

Note. 2006 Census district boundaries were downloaded from the ABS website http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2919.0.55.001Main+Features1Aug%202006?OpenDocument and 2011 population mesh blocks http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1270.0.55.001

This data contains geographical information in shape files that represent the population density in Australia, from 1991 to 2011. The data contains the summary polygon, state_code, cd_code19, 91_pop_dat (population count), area and density (in persons per km^2). For other data sets the count will be 96_pop_dat, 2001_pop_dat, 2006_pop_dat and 2011_pop_dat.

🇦🇺 호주 English This data set contains the Australian Bureau of Statistics population data for Australian states and territories. Population data was collected as part of national census’ in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Data presented is the total population for all collection districts by place of enumeration. District Boundaries differed for each census and therefore were re-projected onto the 2011 population mesh blocks to standardise the spatial extent of the reporting areas. Given the focus of this project, population data was clipped by a 50km coastal buffer. Note: population data for census’ 1991 – 1996 - 2001 was purchased by NESP and is made publically available through by NESP Note: population data for 2006 and 2011 was downloaded through the ABS webportal. http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/tablebuilder?opendocument&navpos=240 Note. 2006 Census district boundaries were downloaded from the ABS website http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2919.0.55.001Main+Features1Aug%202006?OpenDocument and 2011 population mesh blocks http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1270.0.55.001 This data contains geographical information in shape files that represent the population density in Australia, from 1991 to 2011. The data contains the summary polygon, state_code, cd_code19, 91_pop_dat (population count), area and density (in persons per km^2). For other data sets the count will be 96_pop_dat, 2001_pop_dat, 2006_pop_dat and 2011_pop_dat.

Download ServicesThe density of threatened and migratory species distributions grid is derived from the Department's Species of National Environmental Significance modelled distribution data. All threatened and most migratory species, for which Australia is part of the normal range, are modelled using three categories to indicate where their habitat is known, likely or may occur across Australia. The spatial input data was filtered using the following criteria:1. Distributions for EPBC Act (1999) listed species that are Matters of National Environmental Significance (vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild or migratory – where mapped within the Australian context)2. Contains ‘known’ and/or ‘likely to occur’ modelled habitat categories. Species with only ‘may occur’ habitat modelled are not included in the counts.3. High-level habitat filtering based on taxonomy, EPBC Act status and traits to include only terrestrial species or species that have some portion of their lifecycle modelled in terrestrial (freshwater aquatic, estuarine, shore-based or intertidal) environments. This includes all plants (including mangroves), migratory marine species that have mapped breeding sites on land, such as marine turtles or birds, and any animals that move between freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. In some cases, for migratory birds, full range distributions are not mapped and only the known and likely breeding habitat is mapped on land. Where a broader distribution including marine habitats has been mapped, the known and likely categories have been clipped to the Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) GEODATA COAST 100K 2004. External territories and islands not present in the 100k coastline dataset are therefore not represented in this derived dataset.The number of overlaps for each distribution in the selected feature set were counted and gridded to a 0.01 decimal degree (~1km) cell size. Note projecting the data will alter the cell size. Given the indicative nature of the source data which includes models of a range of quality and currency, this output should be used as guide showing the relative density of the selected species modelled habitat.The initial raster stretch in ArcGIS Online Map Viewer may appear dark. To improve visibility, it is recommended to change Image Enhancement: Symbology Type to Unique Values and apply a suitable colour ramp.

Density of nursing and midwifery personnel of Australia increased by 3.16% from 13.3 number per thousand population in 2020 to 13.7 number per thousand population in 2021. Since the 6.24% drop in 2012, density of nursing and midwifery personnel shot up by 34.15% in 2021.

Density of physicians of Australia rose by 1.92% from 3.9 number per thousand population in 2020 to 4.0 number per thousand population in 2021. Since the 0.09% decline in 2012, density of physicians soared by 20.24% in 2021.

New business density (new registrations per 1,000 people ages 15-64) in Australia was reported at 17.26 in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Australia - New business density (new registrations per 1;000 people ages 15-64) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Census data reveals that population density varies noticeably from area to area. Small area census data do a better job depicting where the crowded neighborhoods are. In this map, the yellow areas of highest density range from 30,000 to 150,000 persons per square kilometer. In those areas, if the people were spread out evenly across the area, there would be just 4 to 9 meters between them. Very high density areas exceed 7,000 persons per square kilometer. High density areas exceed 5,200 persons per square kilometer. The last categories break at 3,330 persons per square kilometer, and 1,500 persons per square kilometer.This dataset is comprised of multiple sources. All of the demographic data are from Michael Bauer Research with the exception of the following countries:Australia: Esri Australia and MapData ServicesCanada: Esri Canada and EnvironicsFrance: Esri FranceGermany: Esri Germany and NexigaIndia: Esri India and IndicusJapan: Esri JapanSouth Korea: Esri Korea and OPENmateSpain: Esri España and AISUnited States: Esri Demographics

Please note, we recommend using the new Map Viewer in ArcGIS Online. There is an issue in Map Viewer Classic with the display of grid cell values. The clickable area of each cell is shifted to the northwest. This can result in neighbouring pixel values being displayed. The underlying data is correct, and the values display correctly in the new Map Viewer and in ArcGIS Pro. The Australian population grid 2022 is a modelled 1 km x 1 km grid representation of the estimated resident population (ERP) of Australia from 30 June 2022. The population grid is created by reaggregating estimated resident population data from Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1) to a 1 km x 1 km grid across Australia based on point data representing residential address points. The value of each grid cell represents the estimated population density (number of people per square kilometre) within each 1 km x 1 km grid cell.

SA1 boundaries are defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 (2021) and the 1 km x 1 km grid is based on the National Nested Grid.

Data considerations Caution must be taken when using the population grid as it presents modelled data only; it is not an exact measure of population across Australia. Contact the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) If you have questions, feedback or would like to receive updates about this web service, please email geography@abs.gov.au. For information about how the ABS manages any personal information you provide view the ABS privacy policy.

Data and geography references Source data publication: Regional population, 2022 Additional data input: ABS Address Register Geographic boundary information: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, National Nested Grid Further information: Regional population methodology Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

The Census 2021 Usual Residents Population Density for SA2 data.sourced from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/socio-economic-indexes-areas-seifa-australia/latest-release

The Australian population grid 2024 was created using 2024 Estimated Resident Population (ERP) by Statistical Area Level 1 2021 (SA1) data. This data was modelled to 1 kilometre square grid cells to represent the population density of Australia (people per square kilometre). This is modelled data and should be used and interpreted with caution.SA1s are defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 2021. The grid was constructed using the National Nested Grid Standard.Processing steps:A subset of the ABS Address Register (AR) was created to represent residential addresses as closely as possible. Indigenous Community Points (ICP) were included where no AR point existed. SA1 centroid points were included where no AR or ICP point existed within an SA1. All these layers were combined into a single point layer (Allpoints).The Allpoints layer was overlaid with the SA1 boundaries to give every point an SA1 code. Points without an SA1 code (outside all SA1 regions) were dropped.ERP by SA1 was averaged across all points within each SA1. Points were converted to raster using the National Nested Grid as template. Point population values which fell within each raster cell were summed.Data and geography referencesMain source data publication: Regional population, 2023–24 financial yearGeographic boundary information: Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3Further information: Regional population methodologySource: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)Contact the Australian Bureau of StatisticsEmail geography@abs.gov.au if you have any questions or feedback about this web service.Subscribe to get updates on ABS web services and geospatial products.Privacy at the Australian Bureau of StatisticsRead how the ABS manages personal information - ABS privacy policy.

The statistic depicts the road density of land area in Australia from 1990 to 2011. In 2000, the road density amounted to **** kilometers of road per one hundred square kilometers of land area.

NEXIS (National Exposure Information System) Residential Population Density web service is a set of five raster layers, representing the density of people across Australia at different scales and resolution.

Australia New Business Density: New Registrations per 1000 People Aged 15 to 64 data was reported at 17.258 Number in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.991 Number for 2021. Australia New Business Density: New Registrations per 1000 People Aged 15 to 64 data is updated yearly, averaging 13.482 Number from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2022, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.991 Number in 2021 and a record low of 9.703 Number in 2006. Australia New Business Density: New Registrations per 1000 People Aged 15 to 64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.World Bank.WDI: Businesses Registered Statistics. New businesses registered are the number of new limited liability corporations (or its equivalent) registered in the calendar year.;World Bank's Entrepreneurship Database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship).;Unweighted average;For cross-country comparability, only limited liability corporations that operate in the formal sector are included.

In June 2022, it was estimated that around 7.3 percent of Australians were aged between 25 and 29, and the same applied to people aged between 30 and 34. All in all, about 55 percent of Australia’s population was aged 35 years or older as of June 2022. At the same time, the age distribution of the country also shows that the share of children under 14 years old was still higher than that of people over 65 years old. A breakdown of Australia’s population growth Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, yet with a population of around 26 million inhabitants, it is only sparsely populated. Since the 1970s, the population growth of Australia has remained fairly constant. While there was a slight rise in the Australian death rate in 2022, the birth rate of the country decreased after a slight rise in the previous year. The fact that the birth rate is almost double the size of its death rate gives the country one of the highest natural population growth rates of any high-income country.
National distribution of the population Australia’s population is expected to surpass 28 million people by 2028. The majority of its inhabitants live in the major cities. The most populated states are New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Together, they account for over 75 percent of the population in Australia.

It should be noted that this data is now somwhat dated!

Human population density is a surrogate indicator of the extent of human pressures on the surrounding landscapes.

Areas with high population density are associated with higher levels of stream pollution and water diversion through sewers and drains. City and urban environments are substantially changed from their pre-European condition but a changed condition is not of itself necessarily poor by societal standards. It is the impacts such as polluted run-off to waterways, air pollution, sewage disposal, household water use and predation of wildlife by pets that confer impacts on catchment condition. Human population centres have an impact well beyond the built environment.

The impact of major population centres is well expressed in the AWRC map, but is best displayed in the 500 map. The main areas of impact are the major coastal and capital cities and suburbs, including popular beachside tourist destinations. Elsewhere, the impact of population density appears to be confined to the Murray and other major river valleys.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics compiles population statistics by sampling statistical local areas (SLAas) through the national census. These data can be converted to a per catchment basis.

Interpretation of the indicator is largely unequivocal, although there are land-uses/activities (e.g. mining) where population density is not a good indicator of the degree of habitat decline. This indicator has not been validated relative to habitat decline. This indicator is easy to understand.

Data are available as:

• continental maps at 5km (0.05 deg) cell resolution for the ILZ;
• spatial averages over CRES defined catchments (CRES, 2000) in the ILZ;
• spatial averages over the AWRC river basins in the ILZ.

See further metadata for more detail.

Author: J Trygestad, educator, Minnesota Alliance for Geographic EducationGrade/Audience: grade 8Resource type: lessonSubject topic(s): population, migrationRegion: australia oceaniaStandards: Minnesota Social Studies Standards

Standard 5. The characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on the earth’s surface influence human systems (cultural, economic and political systems).Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Compare Australia’s population and culture with the U.S.’s population and culture.
2. Describe the population, population distribution, and population density of Australia.
3. Describe why people moved to Australia by naming push and pull factors.
4. Identify when and where immigrants settled in Australia.
5. Identify how Aborigines and immigrants were treated and the influence they have on Australia.Summary: This lesson is a series of activities and extensions detailing Australia’s population and culture characteristics. Also included are activities to learn about immigration and Aborigines. An Australia skit is a summative activity on Australian culture and history.