Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia's population is made up of a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups, with a significant proportion of the population being of European ancestry, including those with British and Irish heritage. The country has seen waves of immigration from various parts of the world, including Asia, New Zealanders, and other European countries. As of 2025, the population is estimated to be around 27 million people, with a median age of 38.3 years and a life expectancy of 83.2 years. The population is highly urbanised, with 89% living in urban areas, particularly along the Eastern, South Eastern, and Southern seaboards. The Aboriginal population, which has a long history in Australia, makes up a smaller but significant and growing proportion of the total population.
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What You'll Learn
Urbanisation
The capital cities have experienced notable growth, with an increase of 427,800 people (2.4%) in 2023-24. This growth is attributed to overseas migration, natural increase, and internal migration. The capitals offer opportunities and amenities that attract people from rural areas and other countries.
The process of urbanisation in Australia has been influenced by various factors, including immigration and the country's historical context. Since the late 18th and 19th centuries, immigration has played a significant role in shaping the population distribution. Initially, the European component of the population rose sharply due to immigration, but it is now declining as a percentage. In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in immigration from Asian countries, particularly China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. This shift has contributed to the diverse ethnic makeup of Australia's urban centres.
The Aboriginal population, which has a long history in Australia dating back 50,000 to 65,000 years, has experienced growth as well. While they represented an estimated 300,000 to 2,400,000 people at the time of British colonisation in 1788, their numbers have increased over time. In the 2021 census, 3.2% of the population identified as Indigenous Australians, and their fertility rates have remained above replacement levels despite an overall national decline in fertility.
The urbanisation of Australia has led to the development of diverse and vibrant cities. However, it has also presented challenges, such as increased pressure on infrastructure, housing, and the environment. As the population continues to grow and concentrate in urban areas, addressing these challenges becomes increasingly important for ensuring the well-being and sustainability of Australia's cities.
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Religion
Christianity is the largest religion in Australia, with 43.9% of the population identifying with a Christian denomination in the 2021 census, a decrease from 52.1% in the 2016 census. The largest Christian denominations are Catholic at 20% (21.5% of those who answered), Anglican at 9.8% (10.6% of those who answered), Uniting Church at 2.7% (2.9% of those who answered), Eastern Orthodox at 2.1% (2.3% of those who answered), Presbyterian/Reformed at 1.6% (1.8% of those who answered), Baptist at 1.4% (1.5% of those who answered), and Pentecostal at 1% (1.1% of those who answered).
Non-Christian religions in Australia include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Judaism. Islam is the largest non-Christian religion, with followers comprising 3.2% of the total population. Hinduism is the second-largest non-Christian religion, with followers making up about 2.7% of the total population and is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia. Other religions, such as the Baháʼí Faith, make up a smaller percentage of the population.
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Ancestry
Australia's population is diverse, with more than 270 ethnic groups. The country's population has grown from an estimated 300,000 to 2,400,000 Indigenous Australians at the time of British colonisation in 1788 to 27,819,400 as of May 2025. This growth is due to numerous waves of immigration over the years, particularly from Europe and Asia.
In the 2021 census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics asked each resident to nominate up to two ancestries. The most commonly nominated ancestry groups as a proportion of the total population were: 57.2% European (including 46% North-West European and 11.2% Southern and Eastern European), 33.8% Oceanian, 17.4% Asian (6.5% South and Central Asian, 6.4% North-East Asian, and 4.5% South-East Asian), 3.2% North African and Middle Eastern, 1.4% Peoples of the Americas, and 1.3% Sub-Saharan African.
At the 2021 census, 3.8% of the Australian population identified as Indigenous (Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders). The Indigenous population has seen growth, with 7.5% of births in 2020 being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, up from 5.7% in 2010. Their fertility rates have stayed above replacement levels, even as the nation's has declined. The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, and by the time of British settlement, they spoke 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world.
Multicultural immigration since World War II has also led to the growth of non-Christian religions. The largest of these are Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (2.7%), Buddhism (2.4%), Sikhism (0.8%), and Judaism (0.4%).
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Indigenous population
Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups, which include many ethnic groups: the Aboriginal Australians of the mainland and many islands, including Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders of the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea, located in Melanesia.
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago during the last glacial period. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world. The Tasmanian Aboriginal population is thought to have first crossed into Tasmania around 40,000 years ago via a land bridge between the island and the rest of mainland Australia during the last glacial period.
The Indigenous population prior to European settlement was small, with estimates ranging widely from 318,000 to more than 3,000,000 in total. A population collapse, principally from new infectious diseases, followed European colonisation. A smallpox epidemic spread for three years after the arrival of Europeans. Massacres, frontier armed conflicts, and competition over resources with European settlers also contributed to the decline of the Aboriginal peoples. Numerous scholars have classified elements of the colonisation process as constituting genocide against Indigenous Australians.
In the 2021 Census, 812,728 people self-identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin, representing 3.2% of the total population of Australia. Of these Indigenous Australians, 91.4% identified as Aboriginal, 4.2% identified as Torres Strait Islander, and 4.4% identified with both groups. The Government has stated that as of 30 June 2021, there were 983,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, representing 3.8% of the total population of Australia. The median age of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population was 24.0 years, and one-third (33.1%) were under 15 years of age. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population had a younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with both larger proportions of young people and smaller proportions of older people. This reflects higher birth rates and lower life expectancy in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population compared to the non-Indigenous population.
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Immigration
Australia's population has grown from an estimated 300,000 to 2,400,000 Indigenous Australians at the time of British colonisation in 1788 to 27,819,400 as of May 2025. This growth is due to numerous waves of immigration over the years. The European component's share of the population rose sharply in the late 18th and 19th centuries but is now declining as a percentage.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics asks each Australian resident to nominate up to two ancestries at each census, and these responses are classified into broad ancestry groups. In the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated ancestry groups as a proportion of the total population were: 57.2% European (including 46% Northwest European and 11.2% Southern and Eastern European), 33.8% Oceanian, 17.4% Asian (including 6.5% Southern and Central Asian, 6.4% Northeast Asian, and 4.5% Southeast Asian), 3.2% North African and Middle Eastern, 1.4% Peoples of the Americas, and 1.3% Sub-Saharan African.
At the 2021 census, 3.8% of the Australian population identified as being Indigenous (Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders). The growth in the Aboriginal population has been exceeded by the increase in the number of Australians born in Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. By the early 21st century, about one-third of all new settler arrivals had been born in Asia.
Non-British immigration since the Second World War has led to the growth of non-Christian religions. The largest of these are Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (2.7%), Buddhism (2.4%), Sikhism (0.8%), and Judaism (0.4%). In 2021, just under 8,000 people declared an affiliation with traditional Aboriginal religions.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 12 May 2025, Australia's population is estimated to be 27,819,400. It is the 54th most populous country in the world and the most populous Oceanian country.
The population of Australia is made up of more than 270 ethnic groups. The country has seen numerous waves of immigration, with about one-third of all new settlers arriving from Asia. In 2021, 3.2% of the population identified as Indigenous Australians. The most commonly nominated ancestries in the 2021 census were European (57.2%), Oceanian (33.8%), and Asian (17.4%).
Australia has no state religion. In the 2021 census, 38.9% of the population identified as having no religion, and 43.9% identified as Christian. The largest non-Christian religions are Islam (3.2%), Hinduism (2.7%), Buddhism (2.4%), Sikhism (0.8%), and Judaism (0.4%).
