The total population in Australia was estimated at 27.0 million people in 2023, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Australia Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The statistic shows the total population of Australia from 1980 to 2021, with projections up until 2029. In 2021, Australia had a total population of about 25.77 million people. Population of Australia Australia is among the ten largest countries in the world, in terms of area size, although its total population is low in relation to this. Much of Australia’s interior remains uninhabited, as the majority of Australians live in coastal metropolises and cities. Most of the population is of European descent (predominantly British), although there is a growing share of the population with Asian heritage; only a small percentage belongs to the indigenous Aboriginal population. Australia's year-on-year population growth is fairly high compared to most other economically and demographically advanced nations, due to comparatively high rates of natural increase and immigration. Living standards Standard of living is fairly high in Australia, which can be seen when looking at the Human Development Index, which ranks countries by their level of human development and living standards, such as their unemployment rate, literacy rate, or life expectancy at birth. Life expectancy of Australia’s population is quite high in international comparison, for example, Australia is also among the leading countries when it comes to this key factor.

Economically speaking, Australia is also among the leading nations, with a steadily rising employment rate, an increasing gross domestic product (GDP) with a steady growth rate, and a relatively stable share in the global GDP.

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.

Humans have been living on the continent of Australia (name derived from "Terra Australis"; Latin for "the southern land") for approximately 65,000 years, however population growth was relatively slow until the nineteenth century. Europeans had made some contact with Australia as early as 1606, however there was no significant attempt at settlement until the late eighteenth century. By 1800, the population of Australia was approximately 350,000 people, and the majority of these were Indigenous Australians. As colonization progressed the number of ethnic Europeans increased while the Australian Aboriginal population was decimated through conflict, smallpox and other diseases, with some communities being exterminated completely, such as Aboriginal Tasmanians. Mass migration from Britain and China After the loss of its American colonies in the 1780s, the British Empire looked to other parts of the globe to expand its sphere of influence. In Australia, the first colonies were established in Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. Many of these were penal colonies which became home to approximately 164,000 British and Irish convicts who were transported to Australia between 1788 and 1868. As the decades progressed, expansion into the interior intensified, and the entire country was claimed by Britain in 1826. Inland colonization led to further conflict between European settlers and indigenous Australians, which cost the lives of thousands of natives. Inward expansion also saw the discovery of many natural resources, and most notably led to the gold rushes of the 1850s, which attracted substantial numbers of Chinese migrants to Australia. This mass migration from non-European countries eventually led to some restrictive policies being introduced, culminating with the White Australia Policy of 1901, which cemented ethnic-European dominance in Australian politics and society. These policies were not retracted until the second half of the 1900s. Independent Australia Australia changed its status to a British dominion in 1901, and eventually became independent in 1931. Despite this, Australia has remained a part of the British Commonwealth, and Australian forces (ANZAC) fought with the British and their Allies in both World Wars, and were instrumental in campaigns such as Gallipoli in WWI, and the South West Pacific Theater in WWII. The aftermath of both wars had a significant impact on the Australian population, with approximately 90 thousand deaths in both world wars combined, as well as 15 thousand deaths as a result of the Spanish flu pandemic following WWI, although Australia experienced a significant baby boom following the Second World War. In the past fifty years, Australia has promoted immigration from all over the world, and now has one of the strongest economies and highest living standards in the world, with a population that has grown to over 25 million people in 2020.

australia - Population Growth for Australia was 1.25870 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, australia - Population Growth for Australia reached a record high of 3.38029 in January of 1971 and a record low of 0.62468 in January of 2007. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for australia - Population Growth for Australia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on March of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 25 to 54 Years for Australia (LFWA25TTAUQ647S) from Q2 1978 to Q4 2024 about 25 to 54 years, working-age, Australia, and population.

Since the mid-1970s, Australia's population growth rate has remained fairly constant, fluctuating between one and two percent annual change in most years. Australia's crude birth rate has consistently been higher than its death rate during this time, which means that the population grows naturally and is not dependent on migration - however, Australia has historically been one of the most popular destinations for migrants, who are also responsible for a large share of this change.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Melbourne, Australia metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Unemployment Rate in Australia remained unchanged at 4.10 percent in February. This dataset provides - Australia Unemployment Rate at 5.8% in December - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Australia Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data was reported at 20,737,625.457 Person in 2026. This records an increase from the previous number of 20,430,371.770 Person for 2025. Australia Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data is updated yearly, averaging 12,990,055.545 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2026, with 67 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20,737,625.457 Person in 2026 and a record low of 6,972,703.116 Person in 1960. Australia Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.OECD.EO: Labour Force: Forecast: OECD Member: Annual. POP1574 - Working-age population, age 15-74 Population data are based on data reported to the OECD Statistics Directorate by member countries via an annual national accounts questionnaire. For the projection period, series are extended using Eurostat projections (EUROPOP2023) for European countries, and United Nations (WPP2022) for other countries. The data is further adjusted by the OECD.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Labor Force Total: From 15 to 64 Years for Australia (LFAC64TTAUM647S) from Feb 1978 to Jan 2025 about 15 to 64 years, Australia, labor force, and labor.

Since 1960, age distribution across Australia's population has observed a fairly significant change. The share of the population below 14 years has dropped from over 30 percent to less than 20 percent; while the share aged over 65 has almost doubled. However, Australia's under-14 population is still larger than its over-65 population. The bulk of the population is aged between 15 and 64 years, and this group had its largest share of the population in 2009 when it made up over two-thirds of the entire population. This gradual change has come as a result of decreasing fertility and higher life expectancy, causing the average age of the population to rise.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Newcastle-Maitland, Australia metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

The number of employed persons in Australia decreased to 14513.24 Thousand in February of 2025 from 14566.01 Thousand in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Employed Persons - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The number of unemployed persons in Australia decreased to 612.60 Thousand in February of 2025 from 623.77 Thousand in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Unemployed Persons - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Australia Population: Resident: Estimated: Annual: New South Wales: Greater Sydney data was reported at 5,132,355.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,024,923.000 Person for 2016. Australia Population: Resident: Estimated: Annual: New South Wales: Greater Sydney data is updated yearly, averaging 4,643,072.500 Person from Jun 2006 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,132,355.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 4,256,161.000 Person in 2006. Australia Population: Resident: Estimated: Annual: New South Wales: Greater Sydney data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.G002: Estimated Resident Population.

Employment Rate in Australia decreased to 64.10 percent in February from 64.40 percent in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Australia Employment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

As of 2021, Millennials and Baby Boomers made up an equal share of the Australian population at around 21.5 percent each, making them the largest generational groups at the time. Those aged 75 years and over made up the smallest portion of the population, followed by Gen Alpha, or those aged 0 to 9 years at the time.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Central Coast, Australia metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Australia from 1950 to 2100. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Australia's population was 36.9 years.