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Australia's population distribution is heavily skewed towards urban areas, with 89% of its population inhabiting a handful of cities and their suburbs. The population is concentrated in major cities, with nearly three-quarters (73%) residing in capital cities, while a quarter (25%) live in inner and outer regional areas, and the remaining 1.9% in remote regions. The country's population is projected to grow from 26 million in 2022 to between 34.3 and 45.9 million by 2071, with a declining annual growth rate. As of 2024, Australia's population included 8.6 million people born overseas, representing 31.5% of the total population. The distribution of the population is influenced by factors such as the semi-arid and desert geography of the interior, and urbanization trends, with capital cities experiencing faster growth than regional areas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,974,026 (mid-2025 estimate) |
| Population growth rate | 1.4% (average annual growth rate) |
| Population density | 4 per Km² (9 people per sq. mile) |
| Urban population | 86.51% (23,335,357 people in 2025) |
| Median age | 38.3 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.49 babies per woman (2023-24) |
| Life expectancy | 83.2 years (2015-17) |
| Net overseas migration | 340,800 (2024) |
| Natural increase | 105,200 (2024) |
| Indigenous population | 984,000 (2021) |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander births | 24,737 (2023) |
| Percentage of population with a parent born overseas | 48% (2021) |
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Population growth
Australia's population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (migration arrivals minus migration departures). As of 31 December 2024, Australia's population was 27.4 million people, with a quarterly growth of 91,133 people (0.3%) and an annual growth of 445,900 people (1.7%). The annual natural increase was 105,200, and net overseas migration was 340,800.
Net overseas migration has been the main driver of population growth in Australia, increasing from a net inflow of 47,000 people in 1993-94 to 435,000 people in 2023-24. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the first net outflow of migrants from Australia since World War II, with border restrictions leading to a net outflow of -85,000 people in 2020-21.
The total fertility rate in Australia has been declining, falling from 1.85 babies per woman in 1993-94 to 1.49 in 2023-24, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. Despite this, the crude birth rate has increased, with 289,000 births in 2023-24, a rebound from the previous year.
Australia's population is heavily concentrated in urban areas, with 86.51% of the population living in urban areas in 2025, and 68% living in the 8 capital cities in 2023-24. This is due to overseas migrants tending to settle in cities and the younger age structure of city residents, resulting in a greater natural increase.
The Indigenous population of Australia, comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, numbered 984,000 in 2021, representing 3.8% of the total population. The majority of Indigenous Australians live on the east coast, with 60% residing in New South Wales and Queensland.
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Population density
Australia's population density is 4 per square kilometre (9 per square mile). The country's total land area is 7,682,300 square kilometres (2,966,151 square miles). 86.51% of the population is urban, with 89% of the population living in a handful of urban areas. This makes Australia one of the world's most urbanised countries.
The population is concentrated in the major cities, with close to three-quarters (73%) of the total population living in capital cities. The share of the population living in the eight capital cities increased by 3% over the past 30 years to 68% in 2023-24. This is because overseas migrants tend to settle in cities, and the younger age structure of cities results in a greater natural increase. The capitals grew by 427,800 people (2.4%) in 2023-24. Capital city growth comprised overseas migration (373,000), natural increase (89,500), and internal migration (-34,600).
A quarter (25%) of people live in inner regional and outer regional Australia, with the remainder (1.9%) living in remote and very remote areas. Australia's Indigenous population is spread across the country, with almost 60% living in New South Wales and Queensland, which roughly represents 2-5% of those state's populations. The Northern Territory has an Indigenous population of 61,115, which represents 26.3% of the territory's total population.
Australia's population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (migration arrivals minus migration departures). In 2023-24, natural increase added 106,000 people to the population, while net overseas migration added 435,000 people. However, in 2020-21, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia experienced its first net outflow of migrants since World War II, with a net migration outflow of 85,000 people.
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Urbanisation
Australia's population distribution is heavily skewed towards urban areas. Urbanisation has resulted in a high concentration of people in a handful of cities, with 86.51% of the population living in urban areas in 2025. This figure was even higher in 2021, with 89% of Australians living in urban areas. As of 2023, the share of the population living in the eight capital cities was 68%, up from 65% three decades ago. This trend is driven by overseas migrants settling in cities and the relatively younger populations in cities, leading to a higher natural increase.
The population distribution in Australia is uneven, with most people living close to coastlines. The country's five largest cities, including their suburbs, have populations of over a million. The capital cities, in particular, have been growing faster than regional areas. In 2023-24, the capitals grew by 427,800 people (2.4%), while regional areas experienced a net loss of 34,600 people.
The Australian population is diverse, with almost half of Australians having at least one parent born overseas. As of 2023, 31% of people in Australia were born overseas, an increase of 8% compared to three decades ago. The Indigenous population, on the other hand, makes up a smaller proportion of the total population. In 2021, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was 984,000, representing 3.8% of the total population. However, the majority of Indigenous Australians live on the east coast, with 60% residing in New South Wales and Queensland.
Australia's population growth has been driven by net overseas migration and natural increase (births minus deaths). In 2023-24, net overseas migration contributed 340,800 people to the population, while natural increase added 106,000 people. However, the total fertility rate has been declining, falling from 1.85 in 1993-94 to 1.49 in 2023-24, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. As a result, the crude birth rate has decreased, and the population is ageing.
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Indigenous population
The Indigenous population in Australia is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Estimates of the Aboriginal population before European settlement range from 300,000 to one million, with archaeological finds indicating a sustainable maximum population of around 750,000. In the 2011 census, 495,757 respondents declared they were Aboriginal, 31,407 declared they were Torres Strait Islanders, and 21,206 declared they were both.
As of 30 June 2021, there were 983,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, representing 3.8% of the total Australian population. This was an increase of 23% (185,600 people) from the 30 June 2016 estimate of 798,400. The Indigenous population has a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people. The median age of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was 24.0 years, compared to 38.5 years for the total Australian population. One-third (33.1%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were aged under 15 years, compared with 17.9% of non-Indigenous people in the same age group.
The Indigenous population is not evenly distributed across Australia. Almost two-thirds of Aboriginal people live in Australia's eastern states, particularly in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. The Northern Territory has a significant Indigenous population, with 61,115 people, representing 26.3% of the territory's total population. The Australian Capital Territory has the smallest proportion of Indigenous people, with only 1.0% of the population identifying as such.
Indigenous Australians are more likely to live in remote and very remote areas, with over one-third of the Indigenous population living in Remote and Very Remote Regions. However, it is important to note that only a minority of Indigenous Australians (around one in five) live in these remote areas, and the majority live in urban areas. The total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.17 births per woman, slightly higher than the replacement rate of 2.1.
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Fertility rate
In Australia, the TFR is used to determine the country's population projections. For example, the United Nations uses the medium-fertility variant to forecast the country's population from 2024 onwards. Australia's population in 2022 was 26 million, and it is projected to reach between 34.3 and 45.9 million by 2071. The current ten-year average annual growth rate is 1.4%, but it is projected to decline to between 0.2% and 0.9%.
The TFR also helps determine the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change without migration. The rate of natural increase is calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate. In 1901, the rate of natural increase in Australia was 14.9 persons per 1,000 population. Since then, the crude death rate has decreased from about 12.2 deaths per 1,000 population to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 population in 2006.
The TFR can also vary within a country among different demographic groups. For example, in Australia, the total fertility rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was 2.17 births per woman in 2023. This is slightly higher than the overall TFR of 2.1, which is considered the threshold for a stable population. A TFR of 2 and below leads to an aging population and a decrease in overall population size.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia's population was 27.4 million at the end of 2024, with a projected population of between 34.3 and 45.9 million by 2071.
Australia's population is heavily concentrated in urban areas, with 86.51% of the population living in urban areas in 2025. The capital cities are home to 68% of the population, with three-quarters (73%) of the total population living in major cities. A quarter (25%) of people live in inner and outer regional Australia, and the remaining 1.9% live in remote and very remote areas.
Australia's population growth rate was 1.7% in 2024. The population growth rate has averaged 1.4% over the past 3 decades. The population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration.
