Damon Mcknight
Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only nine people per square mile. The population is concentrated mainly in urban areas, particularly on the Eastern, South Eastern and Southern seaboards. The central areas of Australia are sparsely populated due to the arid and desert geography of the interior of the country, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population of Australia | 27,940,400 as of 21 July 2025 |
| World ranking based on population | 54th most populous country |
| Population density | 3.6 persons per square kilometre |
| Population density compared to other countries | India (464 people per square kilometre), United States (36 people per square kilometre), Singapore (20,000 people per square kilometre), Mexico (167 people per square kilometre) |
| Population density in major cities | Melbourne (22,400 people per square kilometre), Potts Point in Sydney (16,700 people per square kilometre), Pyrmont in Sydney (16,500 people per square kilometre) |
| Population growth | Expected to exceed 30 million by 2029 |
| Population growth reasons | Immigration, baby boom after World War II, immigration of young people |
| Population decline reasons | Falling fertility rates, increase in deaths from an ageing population |
| Geography | Semi-arid, desert, snow-covered mountains, grasslands, forests |
| Percentage of population living in urban areas | 89% |
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What You'll Learn
Desert geography and arid conditions
Australia is the driest, least populated, and flattest continent on Earth. The country is divided into six states, two internal territories, and several external territories. The Western half of the country is the Western Plateau, which is generally flat but has several mountain ranges that divide it. The eastern part, the Eastern Highlands, is close to Australia's east coast. Here, temperate forests receive more rainfall, making human settlements denser.
The interior and west of Australia are mostly desert, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions. About 70% of Australia is considered arid or semi-arid, making it the driest continent on the planet. The central areas of the country only have medium or very small towns. Australia's geography is diverse, with snow-covered mountains in the Australian Alps and Tasmania, vast tropical and temperate grasslands, heathlands, and forests.
The population of Australia is estimated to be 27,940,400 as of 21 July 2025, with a population density of 3.6 people per square kilometre of total land area. This makes it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. To put this into perspective, India has a population density of 464 people per square kilometre, while the United States has 36 people per square kilometre.
The low population density in Australia is largely due to its desert geography and arid conditions, making most of the country's interior difficult to inhabit. The country's major cities have population densities comparable to those in the rest of the Western world. However, when considering all the sparsely populated areas in the middle, the overall population density becomes low.
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Isolated, hard-to-reach areas
Australia is the driest, least populated, and flattest continent on Earth. The population is concentrated mainly in urban areas, particularly on the Eastern, South Eastern and Southern seaboards. The country is divided into six states, two internal territories, and several external territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Australian Capital Territory.
The Western half of the country is the Western Plateau, which is generally flat but has several mountain ranges that divide it. In the eastern part, the Eastern Highlands are close to Australia's East Coast. Here, temperate forests receive more rainfall, making human settlements denser. Between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau lie the central lowlands formed by the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin.
The interior and west of Australia are mostly desert, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions. Around 70% of Australia is considered arid or semi-arid, making Oceania the driest continent on the planet. Australia's extreme geography, isolated towns and cities, and limited water sources make it one of the least populated countries in the world. Unlike other large countries, Australia's densely populated areas are concentrated in the East and Southeast, while central areas only have medium or very small towns.
Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only nine people per square mile. To put this in perspective, Monaco has over 47,000 inhabitants per square mile, Singapore has around 20,000, and Malta has about 4,000. Even countries like Mexico, which are also geographically large, have a population density far higher than Australia, with 167 people per square mile.
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Low fertility rates
Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only nine people per square mile or 3.3 people per square kilometre as of June 2020. The population is concentrated in urban areas, particularly on the Eastern, South Eastern and Southern seaboards. The interior and west of Australia are mostly desert, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions. Around 70% of Australia is considered arid or semi-arid, making it the driest continent on the planet.
The low population density in Australia is attributed to the semi-arid and desert geography of much of the interior of the country. The country's population has also been affected by immigration policies. Without immigration since World War II, Australia's population would be below 10 million.
The population density in Australia's biggest cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, is comparable to that of other Western countries. However, when considering all the uninhabited space in the middle of the country, the overall population density is low.
One factor contributing to the low population density in Central Australia is the low fertility rates in the country. Australia has experienced a decline in fertility rates since the 1960s, with the rate of natural increase falling from 12.7 persons per 1,000 population in 1971 to below seven for the first time in 1996. This downward trend is expected to continue, with population projections indicating that continued low fertility, combined with an increasing death rate from an ageing population, will result in a natural increase falling below zero in the mid-2030s.
The crude birth rate, or the total number of live births per 1,000 population in a year, has also fluctuated throughout Australia's history. During the Great Depression, the rate declined to 7.1 per thousand population in 1934 and 1935. Following World War II, the rate increased sharply due to the post-war baby boom and immigration of young people who had children in Australia. A rate plateau of over 13.0 persons per 1,000 population was maintained annually from 1946 to 1962. However, since then, there has been a fall in the rate of natural increase due to decreasing fertility rates.
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Aging population
Australia's population is highly concentrated in urban areas along the eastern and south-eastern coasts, with Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane being the three largest cities. In contrast, Central Australia, which encompasses the country's
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Urbanisation
Australia is the driest, least populated, and flattest continent on Earth. The population is concentrated mainly in urban areas, particularly on the Eastern, South Eastern and Southern seaboards. The country is divided into six states, two internal territories, and several external territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Australian Capital Territory.
The population density of Australia is incredibly low, with only nine people per square mile or 3.3 people per square kilometre as of June 2020. This is in stark contrast to other countries such as India with 464 people per square kilometre, or the United States with 36 people per square kilometre. Australia's major cities have population densities comparable to the rest of the Western world, but when taking into account the vast empty spaces in the country's interior, the overall population density is low.
The low population density in central Australia can be attributed to the semi-arid and desert geography of the region, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions. Around 70% of Australia is considered arid or semi-arid, with the Western half of the country consisting of the Western Plateau, which is generally flat but has several mountain ranges. The Eastern part of the country has the Eastern Highlands, which receive more rainfall and therefore have denser human settlements. The central lowlands lie between these two regions and are formed by the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin.
The urbanisation of Australia has resulted in 89% of its population living in a handful of urban areas, making it one of the world's most urbanised countries. The largest cities in Australia, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra, have higher population densities, with Melbourne's inner city having the country's highest population density at 22,400 people per square kilometre. However, even in these big cities, the population density is still relatively low compared to other global cities.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only nine people per square mile. The population is concentrated in urban areas, particularly in the East and Southeast, and the country is heavily urbanised with 89% of its population living in a handful of urban areas. The interior and west of Australia are mostly desert, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions.
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 27,940,400 as of 21 July 2025, due to numerous waves of immigration. There has been a fall in the rate of natural increase since 1962 due to falling fertility. Population projections indicate that continued low fertility, combined with an ageing population, will result in natural increase falling below zero in the mid-2030s.
Australia is the driest, least populated, and flattest continent on Earth. It has diverse geography, with snow-covered mountains, vast tropical and temperate deserts, grasslands, heathlands, and forests. The Western Plateau, which makes up the western half of the country, is generally flat but has several mountain ranges. The Eastern Highlands, located near the East Coast, receive more rainfall, making human settlements denser.
