The statistic shows the ten largest cities in Australia in 2021. In 2021, around 5.26 million people lived in Sydney and the surrounding area, making it the most populous city in Australia.

Australia Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 22.673 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 22.893 % for 2022. Australia Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 24.973 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27.701 % in 1971 and a record low of 22.181 % in 2013. Australia Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population 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 in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.;United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.;Weighted average;

In financial year 2020, Sydney was the most popular tourist region with around 2.8 million international visitors. The other major east coast cities, Melbourne and Brisbane, ranked second and third in terms of international visitors in that year.

Australia Population in Largest City data was reported at 5,235,407.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,150,766.000 Person for 2022. Australia Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 3,691,137.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,235,407.000 Person in 2023 and a record low of 2,134,673.000 Person in 1960. Australia Population in Largest City 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 in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.;United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.;;

This statistic displays the median price for dwellings in major cities in Australia, as of August 2016. That year, the median price for a dwelling in Darwin was about 459 thousand Australian dollars.

Data hosted on data.gov.au Data hosted on data.gov.au

A review commissioned by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in June 2001 entitled 'Natural Disasters in Australia: reforming mitigation, relief and recovery arrangements' concluded that a new approach to natural disasters in Australia was needed. While disaster response and reaction plans remain important, there is now a greater focus towards anticipation of mitigation against natural hazards, involving a fundamental shift in focus beyond relief and recovery towards cost-effective, evidence-based disaster mitigation. This new approach now includes an assessment of the changes in frequency and intensity of natural hazard events that are influenced by climate change, and aims to achieve safer, more sustainable Australian communities in addition to a reduction in risk, damage and losses from future natural disasters.

Geoscience Australia (GA) is developing risk models and innovative approaches to assess the potential losses to Australian communities from a range of sudden impact natural hazards. GA aims to define the economic and social threat posed by a range of rapid onset hazards through a combined study of natural hazard research methods and risk assessment models. These hazards include earthquakes, cyclones, floods, landslides, severe winds and storm surge/tsunami. This presentation provides an overview of the risk that peak wind gusts pose to a number of Australian communities (major capital cities), and for some cities examines how climate change may affect the risk (utilising modelling underpinned by a small subset of the IPCC greenhouse gas emission scenarios).

With an increase of about 19.1 percent, Perth experienced the largest annual change in the value of residential property compared to other capital cities in Australia for the year ended December 2024. Melbourne witnessed the largest annual decrease in the value of residential property compared to other capitals.

The Australian traffic management market, valued at $737.94 million in 2025, is projected to experience robust growth, driven by increasing urbanization, escalating traffic congestion in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne, and a rising demand for improved road safety and efficiency. Government initiatives focused on smart city development and the adoption of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are key catalysts. The market's expansion is fueled by the deployment of advanced technologies such as adaptive traffic control systems, journey time management systems, and dynamic traffic management systems, which optimize traffic flow and reduce travel times. Furthermore, the shift towards cloud-based solutions offers scalability and cost-effectiveness, boosting market adoption. The hardware component currently dominates the market share, encompassing various devices like sensors, cameras, and communication infrastructure. However, the software and services segments are experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing need for sophisticated traffic management algorithms and data analytics. While the market presents significant opportunities, challenges remain. High initial investment costs for deploying advanced systems, particularly in smaller cities and regional areas, might hinder growth. Data security and privacy concerns associated with the collection and analysis of traffic data also need careful consideration. The competitive landscape is characterized by a mix of established technology providers and specialized traffic management companies. Successful players are leveraging strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions to expand their market reach and offer comprehensive solutions. The continued focus on research and development of innovative technologies, alongside government support and private sector investment, will be crucial in shaping the future trajectory of this dynamic market. The forecast period of 2025-2033 suggests a significant expansion, likely exceeding $1 billion by 2033, considering the 6.5% CAGR and ongoing infrastructure development in Australia.

As of June 2024, the average weekly rent for a house in Sydney was 750 Australian dollars, which was the highest average rent across all major cities in Australia that year. That same year, the average weekly rent for a house in Melbourne was around 580 Australian dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Geographical Outreach: Number of Branches in 3 Largest Cities, Excluding Headquarters, for Credit Unions and Financial Cooperatives for Australia (AUSFCBODULNUM) from 2004 to 2015 about branches, credit unions, Australia, financial, and depository institutions.

The average commuting distance in kilometres by place of residence by major cities 2011. This information provided by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). Further information can be found at www.bitre.gov.au. Australia’s commuting distance:cities and regions.

Figure BLT30 in Built environment. See; https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/built-environment/topic/2016/livability-transport#built-environment-figure-BLT30

In the last quarter of 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Australia's capital cities recorded a weighted average change of 0.6 percent on the preceding quarter. Perth, the capital of Western Australia, recorded the largest change with 1.5 percent, in comparison to Sydney, which recorded a change of 0.4 percent.

Significant Urban Areas (SUA)

Significant Urban Areas (SUA) are used to output a broad range of ABS social and demographic statistics. They represent towns and cities of 10,000 people or more.

SUAs are built of Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s). They are defined by Urban Centres from the Urban Centres and Localities (UCLs) geography i.e. a single SUA can represent either a single Urban Centre or a cluster of related Urban Centres.

Areas that are not in an SUA are combined to form a ‘Not in any significant urban area’ region for each state or territory.

Using SUAs with Census data

SUAs are useful to understand the characteristics of the built up area of cities and towns. A wider range of ABS data is also available for SUAs such as Estimated Resident Population which can be used for more detailed analysis.

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Australian Bureau of Statistics (Jul2021-Jun2026), Data services and APIs, ABS Website, accessed 25 July 2023.

https://www.abs.gov.au/website-privacy-copyright-and-disclaimer#copyright-and-creative-commons

License Information

The End User Licence Agreement terms are the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0).

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;

Data for the ACT is (C) Access canberra and licenced for reuse under the CC By 4.0 International, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Data for NSW was provided by the Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Government.

Data for the Northern Territory was sourced from the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.

Data for Queensland was provided by the State of Queensland, Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation.

Data for South Australia was created and supplied by the Environment Protection Authority, SA.

Data for Tasmania was provided by EPA Tasmania, DPIPWE.

Data for Victoria was provided by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria.

Data for Western Australia was provided by the Western Australian Department of Environment Regulation.

Data used to produce figure ATM36 of the Atmosphere theme of SoE2016 available at https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/ambient-air-quality/topic/2016/ozone#ambient-air-quality-figure-ATM36

This dataset is part of the Geographical repository maintained by Opendatasoft. This dataset contains data for Local Government Areas in Australia.The ASGS Local Government Areas are an ABS approximation of gazetted local government boundaries as defined by each State and Territory Local Government Department. Local Government Areas cover incorporated areas of Australia. Incorporated areas are legally designated parts of a State or Territory over which incorporated local governing bodies have responsibility. The major areas of Australia not administered by incorporated bodies are the northern parts of South Australia, and all of the Australian Capital Territory and the Other Territories. These regions are identified as ‘Unincorporated’ in the ASGS Local Government Areas structure.More information on local governments can be found at the Australian Local Government Association website: http://www.alga.asn.au The suffix on Long Official Name Local Government Area indicates the Local Government Area status: Cities (C), Areas (A), Rural Cities (RC), Boroughs (B), Shires (S), Towns (T), Regional Councils (R), Municipalities/Municipal Councils (M), District Councils (DC), Regional Councils (RegC), Aboriginal Councils (AC).Processors and tools are using this data.EnhancementsAdd ISO 3166-3 codes.Simplify geometries to provide better performance across the services.

Australia Consumer Price Index (CPI): Canberra: Furnishings, Household Equipments & Services: Household Appliances, Utensils & Tools: Major Household Appliances data was reported at 101.100 2011-2012=100 in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 100.500 2011-2012=100 for Jun 2024. Australia Consumer Price Index (CPI): Canberra: Furnishings, Household Equipments & Services: Household Appliances, Utensils & Tools: Major Household Appliances data is updated quarterly, averaging 97.400 2011-2012=100 from Sep 1972 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 209 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 113.800 2011-2012=100 in Mar 2001 and a record low of 47.200 2011-2012=100 in Sep 1972. Australia Consumer Price Index (CPI): Canberra: Furnishings, Household Equipments & Services: Household Appliances, Utensils & Tools: Major Household Appliances 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.I007: Consumer Price Index: 2011-12=100: Eight Capital Cities.

The house price-to-income ratio in Australia was 122.1 as of the third quarter of 2024. This ratio, calculated by dividing nominal house prices by nominal disposable income per head, increased from the previous quarter. The price-to-income ratio can be used to measure housing affordability in a specific area. Australia's property bubble There has been considerable debate over the past decade about whether Australia is in a property bubble or not. A property bubble refers to a sharp increase in the price of property that is disproportional to income and rental prices, followed by a decline. In Australia, rising house prices have undoubtedly been an issue for many potential homeowners, pricing them out of the market. Along with the average house price, high mortgage interest rates have exacerbated the issue. Is the homeownership dream out of reach? Housing affordability has varied across the different states and territories in Australia. In 2024, the median value of residential houses was the highest in Sydney compared to other major Australian cities, with Brisbane becoming an increasingly expensive city. Nonetheless, expected interest rate cuts in 2025, alongside the expansion of initiatives to improve Australia's dwelling stock, social housing supply, and first-time buyer accessibility to properties, may start to improve the situation. These encompass initiatives such as the Australian government's Help to Buy scheme and the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF) programs.