🇦🇺 Australia Population 2026

As of 2026, the population of Australia is 27,227,096, ranking #55 in the world (0.33% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 0.91% per year. The biggest city is Sydney with 5,638,830 inhabitants.

Live estimate

27,232,853

Growth rate

0.91%

Density

people / km² (9 / mi²)

Median age

38.5

Fertility rate

1.64

births per woman

Life expectancy

84.3

years

Australia population 1950–2100

Population of Australia, 1950–2100 — solid: UN estimates, dashed: UN medium-variant projection.

By 2050, the population of Australia is projected to reach 32,506,969, and 43,143,685 by 2100.

Australia population by year

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2026	27,227,096	0.91%	3.5	38.5
2025	26,974,026	0.96%	3.5	38.3
2024	26,713,205	0.99%	3.5	38.0
2023	26,451,124	0.98%	3.4	37.8
2022	26,200,984	0.92%	3.4	37.5
2021	25,956,417	0.96%	3.4	37.3
2020	25,743,791	0.68%	3.4	36.9
2019	25,482,714	1.36%	3.3	36.5
2018	25,119,706	1.51%	3.3	36.4
2017	24,731,038	1.61%	3.2	36.3
2016	24,329,963	1.66%	3.2	36.2
2015	23,948,002	1.50%	3.1	36.3
2014	23,595,601	1.46%	3.1	36.3
2013	23,236,270	1.61%	3.0	36.2
2012	22,852,644	1.72%	3.0	36.2
2011	22,479,775	1.56%	2.9	36.2
2010	22,141,580	1.47%	2.9	36.0
2009	21,783,011	1.80%	2.8	35.9
2008	21,370,589	2.02%	2.8	35.8
2007	20,954,549	1.91%	2.7	35.8
2006	20,590,559	1.59%	2.7	35.6
2005	20,294,490	1.30%	2.6	35.5
2004	20,046,677	1.16%	2.6	35.3
2003	19,819,454	1.12%	2.6	35.1
2002	19,595,355	1.15%	2.6	34.9
2001	19,365,433	1.21%	2.5	34.6
2000	19,132,471	1.21%	2.5	34.4
1999	18,909,981	1.13%	2.5	34.1
1998	18,701,717	1.09%	2.4	33.7
1997	18,504,912	1.03%	2.4	33.4
1996	18,305,307	1.14%	2.4	33.0
1995	18,095,344	1.17%	2.4	32.7
1994	17,897,433	1.03%	2.3	32.3
1993	17,722,911	0.93%	2.3	32.0
1992	17,549,288	1.04%	2.3	31.7
1991	17,353,193	1.21%	2.3	31.4
1990	17,126,298	1.43%	2.2	31.1
1989	16,869,362	1.60%	2.2	30.8
1988	16,594,099	1.69%	2.2	30.6
1987	16,322,268	1.61%	2.1	30.3
1986	16,069,633	1.51%	2.1	30.0
1985	15,835,748	1.42%	2.1	29.8
1984	15,620,653	1.31%	2.0	29.5
1983	15,414,893	1.34%	2.0	29.2
1982	15,192,485	1.57%	2.0	28.9
1981	14,949,202	1.66%	1.9	28.6
1980	14,721,347	1.41%	1.9	28.4
1979	14,533,035	1.16%	1.9	28.1
1978	14,367,098	1.13%	1.9	27.9
1977	14,203,508	1.16%	1.8	27.6
1976	14,046,755	1.06%	1.8	27.4
1975	13,893,989	1.13%	1.8	27.1
1974	13,719,494	1.40%	1.8	26.9
1973	13,518,685	1.55%	1.8	26.7
1972	13,304,896	1.64%	1.7	26.6
1971	12,997,964	3.04%	1.7	26.5
1970	12,599,411	3.19%	1.6	26.5
1969	12,272,380	2.06%	1.6	26.7
1968	12,030,013	1.93%	1.6	26.8
1967	11,810,519	1.75%	1.5	26.9
1966	11,592,485	1.98%	1.5	27.1
1965	11,357,477	2.12%	1.5	27.3
1964	11,128,250	1.96%	1.4	27.5
1963	10,913,265	1.94%	1.4	27.8
1962	10,707,236	1.87%	1.4	28.1
1961	10,500,443	2.03%	1.4	28.3
1960	10,280,813	2.19%	1.3	28.6
1959	10,060,036	2.15%	1.3	28.8
1958	9,847,636	2.12%	1.3	28.9
1957	9,638,775	2.17%	1.3	29.0
1956	9,424,662	2.33%	1.2	29.1
1955	9,205,181	2.38%	1.2	29.2
1954	8,999,383	2.13%	1.2	29.2
1953	8,816,081	1.98%	1.1	29.3
1952	8,630,704	2.27%	1.1	29.3
1951	8,418,610	2.71%	1.1	29.3
1950	8,176,750	3.13%	1.1	29.4

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2027	27,474,271	0.90%	3.6	38.8
2028	27,718,838	0.88%	3.6	39.0
2029	27,956,571	0.83%	3.6	39.3
2030	28,188,539	0.82%	3.7	39.5
2031	28,417,794	0.80%	3.7	39.8
2032	28,641,922	0.77%	3.7	40.0
2033	28,861,602	0.76%	3.8	40.3
2034	29,078,992	0.74%	3.8	40.5
2035	29,296,168	0.74%	3.8	40.7
2036	29,513,613	0.73%	3.8	40.9
2037	29,726,637	0.70%	3.9	41.1
2038	29,938,042	0.71%	3.9	41.2
2039	30,148,427	0.69%	3.9	41.4
2040	30,357,450	0.69%	4.0	41.5
2041	30,570,272	0.70%	4.0	41.6
2042	30,786,334	0.71%	4.0	41.6
2043	31,002,214	0.69%	4.0	41.7
2044	31,216,093	0.68%	4.1	41.7
2045	31,431,123	0.69%	4.1	41.7
2046	31,650,488	0.70%	4.1	41.7
2047	31,866,219	0.66%	4.1	41.7
2048	32,081,621	0.69%	4.2	41.8
2049	32,297,180	0.65%	4.2	41.9
2050	32,506,969	0.65%	4.2	42.0
2051	32,716,087	0.64%	4.3	42.1
2052	32,921,908	0.62%	4.3	42.2
2053	33,125,573	0.62%	4.3	42.3
2054	33,331,248	0.62%	4.3	42.4
2055	33,539,309	0.62%	4.4	42.5
2056	33,745,342	0.60%	4.4	42.6
2057	33,949,054	0.60%	4.4	42.7
2058	34,156,815	0.62%	4.4	42.8
2059	34,362,634	0.58%	4.5	42.9
2060	34,562,683	0.58%	4.5	42.9
2061	34,764,692	0.59%	4.5	43.0
2062	34,969,212	0.59%	4.6	43.1
2063	35,175,466	0.59%	4.6	43.1
2064	35,377,580	0.56%	4.6	43.2
2065	35,577,439	0.57%	4.6	43.3
2066	35,784,852	0.59%	4.7	43.3
2067	35,997,266	0.59%	4.7	43.4
2068	36,211,023	0.59%	4.7	43.5
2069	36,424,702	0.58%	4.7	43.5
2070	36,635,122	0.57%	4.8	43.6
2071	36,839,672	0.55%	4.8	43.6
2072	37,041,408	0.55%	4.8	43.7
2073	37,245,058	0.55%	4.8	43.7
2074	37,451,852	0.56%	4.9	43.8
2075	37,659,585	0.55%	4.9	43.8
2076	37,865,664	0.54%	4.9	43.8
2077	38,073,800	0.55%	5.0	43.8
2078	38,284,007	0.55%	5.0	43.8
2079	38,492,857	0.54%	5.0	43.9
2080	38,700,844	0.54%	5.0	43.9
2081	38,913,382	0.56%	5.1	43.9
2082	39,127,226	0.54%	5.1	43.9
2083	39,341,144	0.55%	5.1	43.9
2084	39,552,738	0.52%	5.1	43.9
2085	39,759,318	0.52%	5.2	44.0
2086	39,970,333	0.54%	5.2	44.0
2087	40,188,433	0.55%	5.2	44.0
2088	40,416,300	0.58%	5.3	44.1
2089	40,646,491	0.56%	5.3	44.1
2090	40,876,704	0.57%	5.3	44.1
2091	41,111,420	0.57%	5.4	44.2
2092	41,344,708	0.56%	5.4	44.2
2093	41,574,723	0.55%	5.4	44.3
2094	41,797,144	0.52%	5.4	44.4
2095	42,016,474	0.53%	5.5	44.4
2096	42,243,352	0.55%	5.5	44.5
2097	42,477,126	0.56%	5.5	44.6
2098	42,706,735	0.52%	5.6	44.6
2099	42,926,634	0.51%	5.6	44.7
2100	43,143,685	0.50%	5.6	44.8

States & provinces of Australia by population

#	State / province	Population	Share
1	New South Wales	8,545,000	31.4%
2	Victoria	7,012,962	25.8%
3	Queensland	5,647,468	20.7%
4	Western Australia	3,008,700	11.1%
5	South Australia	1,815,485	6.7%
6	Tasmania	571,165	2.1%
7	Australian Capital Territory	475,600	1.7%
8	Northern Territory	260,400	1.0%

State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).

Biggest cities in Australia

#	City	Region	Population
1	Sydney	New South Wales	5,638,830
2	Melbourne	Victoria	5,435,590
3	Brisbane	Queensland	2,780,063
4	Perth	Western Australia	2,384,371
5	Adelaide	South Australia	1,469,163
6	Gold Coast	Queensland	640,778
7	Newcastle	New South Wales	508,437
8	Sunshine Coast	Queensland	398,840
9	Canberra capital	Australian Capital Territory	367,752
10	Central Coast	New South Wales	346,596
11	Logan City	Queensland	345,098
12	Geelong	Victoria	282,809
13	Wollongong	New South Wales	280,153
14	Hobart	Tasmania	254,930
15	Townsville	Queensland	201,313

FAQ

What is the population of Australia in 2026?

The population of Australia is 27,227,096 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).

What is the biggest city in Australia?

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia with 5,638,830 inhabitants; the capital is Canberra.

Is the population of Australia growing or shrinking?

The population of Australia is growing at 0.91% per year.

Sources

Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-07.

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