Leslie Massey
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, with a total area of 7,688,287 square kilometres (2,968,464 square miles), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. Australia's population in 2022 was 26 million, with a median age of 38.5 years, and it is projected to reach between 34.3 and 45.9 million people by 2071. The population is concentrated on the coastal fringes, with about 95% living within 100 km of the coast. The country has a low population density of 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is among the lowest in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total land area | 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi) |
| Population density | 4 per Km² (9 people per sq mi) or 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre |
| Total population | 27,400,013 people as of 31 December 2024 |
| Population growth | 91,133 people (0.3%) quarterly; 445,900 people (1.7%) annually |
| Median age | 38.3 years or 38.5 years |
| Life expectancy | 83.2 years (2015-2017) |
| Urban population | 86.51% or 89% |
| Indigenous population | 495,757 (2011 census) |
| Births | 24,737 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered in 2023 |
| Fertility rate | 2.17 births per woman for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women |
| Net overseas migration | 340,800 |
| Population born outside Australia | 31.5% |
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What You'll Learn
Population density and demographics
Australia's population density is 3.5 to 4 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is one of the lowest in the world. The population is concentrated on the coastal fringes, with about 95% of people living within 100 km of the coast. The global average for this metric is 39%. The country's population in 2022 was 26 million, and it is projected to reach between 34.3 and 45.9 million by 2071. The current annual growth rate is 1.4%, but this is expected to decrease to between 0.2% and 0.9%.
The median age in Australia is 38.3 to 38.5 years, and it is projected to increase to between 43.8 and 47.6 years in the coming decades. 49.3% of the population is male, with a median age of 37 years, and 50.7% is female, with a median age of 39 years. Australia is one of the world's most urbanised countries, with 86.51% to 89% of its population living in a handful of urban areas. The country contains five cities (including their suburbs) that consist of over one million people. The capital, Canberra, is located in the southeast between the larger economic and cultural centres of Sydney and Melbourne.
The life expectancy in Australia in 2015–2017 was 83.2 years, one of the highest in the world. The crude death rate has decreased since 1901, falling from about 12.2 deaths per 1,000 population to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 population in 2006. The Indigenous population of Australia primarily lives on the east coast, with almost 60% residing in New South Wales and Queensland. The Northern Territory has an Indigenous population of 61,115, representing 26.3% of the territory's total population.
The total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.17 births per woman. In 2023, there were 24,737 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered, an increase of 349 babies from 2022. This represented 8.6% of all births registered in 2023.
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Urbanisation and population concentration
Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with a high degree of population concentration in urban areas. As of 2025, 86.51% of the population is urban, with 90% of the population living in just 0.22% of the country's land area. This is due to high rates of immigration since the 20th century, with immigrants largely settling in coastal, urban areas.
Australia's population is heavily concentrated on the coastal fringes, with about 95% of the population living within 100 km of the coast. This is significantly higher than the world average of 39%. The population density in Australia is 4 per km² (9 people per mi²), one of the lowest in the world, due to the country's large land area. The mainland's flat and arid geography also contributes to the low population density, with slow-moving rivers and a build-up of salt affecting the soil and landscape.
The urban population is largely centred in cities along the temperate south-eastern coastline, with population density exceeding 38 inhabitants per square kilometre in central Melbourne. As of the 2016 Census, 40% of the population was concentrated in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne, with two-thirds of Australians living in a capital city.
The high urbanisation rate and population concentration in Australia have been consistent trends since the 1960s, with the country's vast land area and diverse landscapes, including coastal areas and arid interiors, shaping the distribution of its population.
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Indigenous population distribution
Australia has one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world, with Aboriginal Australians belonging to a wide range of societies and diverse economies spread across at least 250 distinct language groups. The Indigenous population prior to European settlement is estimated to have ranged from 300,000 to 3 million, with a distribution pattern similar to that of the current Australian population. The majority lived in the southeast, centred along the Murray River.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia as of 30 June 2021 was estimated to be 983,700, representing 3.8% of the total Australian population. This population had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people. The median age was 24 years, with three-quarters (74.5%) living in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia combined.
In terms of geographical distribution, over a third (33.1%) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population lived in Major Cities, while one-quarter (24.8%) lived in Inner Regional Australia, and 187,200 people (19.0%) lived in Outer Regional Australia. The remaining population was distributed across Remote (6.0%) and Very Remote (9.4%) areas. The Indigenous Regions (IREGs) with the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations were Central and North Coast, New South Wales, with 116,100 people.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has been increasing with each Census since 2001, rising from 2.4% in 2001 to 3.8% in 2021. This increase is attributed not only to demographic factors but also to changing identification in the Census, greater participation, and a higher response rate to the question on Indigenous status. The Australian Capital Territory has the smallest proportion of Australia's First Nations population, at 1.0%.
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Life expectancy and fertility rates
Australia's life expectancy at birth was 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females in 2021-2023, a slight decrease of 0.1 years for males and 0.2 years for females from the previous year (2020-2022). In 1993, life expectancy at birth was 75.0 years for males and 80.9 years for females, a gap of 5.9 years. Over the past decade, life expectancy increased by 1.0 years for males and 0.8 years for females. The difference in life expectancy between males and females is 4.0 years. Life expectancy was highest in the Australian Capital Territory for males (81.7 years) and the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia for females (both 85.7 years). Life expectancy was lowest in the Northern Territory for both males (76.4 years) and females (80.4 years).
The leading causes of death are statistical estimates based on available data from multiple sources, including national vital registration data, WHO technical programmes, United Nations partners, and inter-agency groups. Annual monitoring of causes of death helps countries address these causes and adapt their health systems to respond effectively.
Australia's fertility rate is at a record low of 1.5 babies per woman as of 2023, a decline of 7.98% from 2022. The fertility rate for women aged 40 to 44 years has almost doubled over the past 30 years, while the birth rate for girls and women aged 15 to 24 has seen a large decline. The total fertility rate over the past 30 years has slowly dropped from 1.86 in 1993 to 1.5 in 2023. Experts attribute the low fertility rate to younger Australians' concerns about economic security and their views on climate change, housing affordability, and gender equality.
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International migration and population growth
Australia has a total land area of 7,688,287 sq km (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. The population density is 4 per sq km (9 people per sq mi), with 86.51% of the population living in urban areas. The median age in Australia is 38.3 years.
Historically, more people migrate to Australia than leave each year, making international migration a significant source of population growth. In the year ending June 30, 2024, overseas migration contributed a net gain of 446,000 people to Australia's population. This was a decrease from the previous year's record of 536,000 people, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated border closures. During the pandemic in 2020-2021, there was a net outflow of migrants, with more people emigrating from Australia than immigrating. However, after the borders reopened in February 2022, Australia experienced a period of record net overseas migration as people caught up on postponed migration plans.
In 2019, Australia had the second-highest share of migrants in the OECD (after Luxembourg), with 30% of its population born outside the country. Migration has positive effects on Australia's economy and labour market. It boosts labour productivity, employment, and patenting. A region with a higher migrant share tends to have larger regional wage differences, indicating a positive link between migration and labour productivity. Migration also increases employment for Australian-born individuals without affecting their wages.
Interstate migration within Australia also contributes to population growth in certain states. For example, in the 2019-2020 financial year, Queensland had the highest net gain from interstate migration, with 25,300 people moving to the state, while New South Wales experienced the highest net loss, with 20,900 people leaving.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia's population in 2022 was 26 million and is projected to reach between 34.3 and 45.9 million by 2071. In 2024, the population was 27,400,013. The population density in Australia is 4 per Km² (9 people per mi²).
Australia is one of the world's most urbanised countries, with 86.51% to 89% of its population living in urban areas. Most of Australia's population lives close to coastlines, with about 95% living within 100 km of the coast. The population is concentrated in cities along the temperate south-eastern coastline, with population density exceeding 38 inhabitants per square kilometre in central Melbourne.
Australia's Indigenous population, including Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, makes up a small percentage of the total population. In 2023, there were 24,737 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births registered, representing 8.6% of all births. The median age in Australia is 38.3 to 38.5 years, and the life expectancy in 2015–2017 was 83.2 years. The population is also predominantly female, with 50.7% of the population being female and 49.3% male.
