Australia Population
Australia had an estimated population of 27,614,411 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 55th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.34% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.53% a year.
Australia at a glance
How Australia's population is changing
Australia's population is growing fast: +1.53% a year, which works out to about +423,354 people per year, or +1,159 a day. Births (10.7 per 1,000) and deaths (6.9 per 1,000) alone would give +0.38% a year; net migration adds about 137,109 people a year (+0.50%). Roughly one in every 298 people on Earth lives in Australia.
Population of Australia since 1960
In 1960, Australia had 10,276,477 people. By 2025 that was 27,614,411 — 2.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1961 and 1971, when the population rose by 23%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 10,276,477 | — |
| 1970 | 12,507,000 | +21.7% |
| 1980 | 14,692,000 | +17.5% |
| 1990 | 17,065,128 | +16.2% |
| 2000 | 19,028,802 | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 22,031,750 | +15.8% |
| 2020 | 25,649,248 | +16.4% |
| 2025 | 27,614,411 | +7.7% |
Australia from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Australia at about 200,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 26,974,024 in 2025 (135× 1800) and projects 43,143,685 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 60% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 200,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 622,584 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 3,693,331 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 8,176,751 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 19,132,472 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 26,974,024 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 32,506,964 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 37,659,590 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 43,143,685 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Australia
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 27,614,411. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 4,150,917 | UN urban centre | 15.03% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Melbourne | 3,639,893 | UN urban centre | 13.18% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Perth | 1,079,374 | UN urban centre | 3.91% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Brisbane | 1,071,628 | UN urban centre | 3.88% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Adelaide | 879,249 | UN urban centre | 3.18% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Canberra | 367,752 | GeoNames settlement | 1.33% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Central Coast | 346,596 | GeoNames settlement | 1.26% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Logan City | 345,098 | GeoNames settlement | 1.25% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Gold Coast | 298,750 | UN urban centre | 1.08% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 10 | Townsville | 201,313 | GeoNames settlement | 0.73% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Australia compares
Australia has almost the same population as Niger (27,917,831).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #53 |  Venezuela | 28,516,896 | +3% | compare → |
| #54 |  Niger | 27,917,831 | +1% | compare → |
| #56 |  North Korea | 26,571,036 | −4% | compare → |
| #57 |  Syria | 25,620,427 | −7% | compare → |
Compare Australia with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around Australia
Nearest countries
Australia has no land border. Closest by distance:
New Caledonia 295,333 · 93.5× smaller · compare
New Zealand 5,324,700 · 5.2× smaller · compare
Vanuatu 335,169 · 82.4× smaller · compare
Papua New Guinea 10,762,817 · 2.6× smaller · compare
In its region
Australia is the 10th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 1.2% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring Australia
- Least densely populated countries #3
- Highest life expectancy #22
- Richest countries by GDP per capita #19
Cities
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Central Coast, Logan City — all Australia's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Australia when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.