Population

Statistics in this release are commonly known as Estimated Resident Population (ERP).

• Australia’s population was 27,122,411 people at 31 March 2024.
• The quarterly growth was 164,600 people (0.6%).
• The annual growth was 615,300 people (2.3%).
• Annual natural increase was 105,500 and net overseas migration was 509,800.

• 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).
• 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).

• There were 286,998 registered births in 2023, a decrease of 4.6% from 2022.
• For all Australian women, the total fertility rate was 1.50 births per woman.
• For Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women, the total fertility rate was 2.17 births per woman.

• There were 183,131 registered deaths in 2023, a decrease of 7,808 since 2022.
• The standardised death rate decreased to 5.1 deaths, from 5.5 in 2022.
• Infant deaths decreased by 47 deaths to 911.

• The median age for capital cities (37.0 years) was younger than the rest of Australia (41.9).
• The youngest capital was Darwin with a median age of 34.6 years, while Adelaide was the oldest (39.2).
• Darwin was the only capital with more males than females.

• Australia's population has increased from 3.8 million in 1901 to 25.7 million in 2021.
• The urban population has increased from 58% of the total population in 1911 to 90% in 2021.
• Fertility has decreased from 3.1 births per woman in 1921 to 1.7 in 2021.
• Life expectancy at birth has increased by 26 years since the early 1900s.

• The number of households is projected to increase from 10.0 million in 2021 to between 13.3 and 13.9 million in 2046.
• The number of families is projected to increase from 7.2 million to between 9.5 and 9.7 million. 
• Living with a partner is projected to remain the most common living arrangement. 

• At 30 June 2023, Australia’s population included 8.2 million people who were born overseas
• The proportion of Australia's population born outside Australia was 30.7% 
• England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations
• Those born in India recorded the largest increase since 2013

• Australia's population in 2022 (26 million) is projected to reach between 34.3 and 45.9 million people by 2071.
• The current ten year average annual growth rate (1.4%) is projected to decline to between 0.2% and 0.9%.
• The median age (38.5 years) is projected to increase to between 43.8 and 47.6 years.

• The capitals grew by 517,200 people (3.0%) in 2022-23.
• Capital city growth comprised overseas migration (454,900), natural increase (89,200) and internal migration (-26,900).
• Melbourne had the largest increase (167,500), Perth had the highest growth rate (3.6%). 
• Regional Australia grew by 117,300 (1.4%).

• Overseas migration 2022-23 – net annual gain of 518,000 people
• Migrant arrivals increased 73% to 737,000 from 427,000 arrivals a year ago
• Largest group of migrant arrivals was temporary visa holders with 554,000 people
• Migrant departures decreased 2% to 219,000 from 223,000 departures a year ago.

• The Administrative data snapshot identified 25,744,797 residents of Australia on 30 June 2021.
• People aged 25 to 34 were least likely to have lived at the same address five years ago (27.6%).
• Three-quarters (76%) of people who earned $250 to $499 per week had their main source of income as Government benefits and allowances.

• The 2021 Census counted 25,422,788 people in Australia (excludes overseas visitors), an increase of 8.6 per cent since the 2016 Census.
• 49.3 per cent of the population were male with a median age of 37 years old.
• 50.7 per cent of the population were female with the median age of 39 years old.

• The Census net undercount was 0.7% (190,044 persons).
• The Northern Territory recorded the highest net undercount (6.0%) while the Australian Capital Territory recorded a net overcount (-0.6%).
• Males were more likely to be missed in the Census (1.3% net undercount) compared with females (0.2%).
• The net undercount for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 17.4%.

• 104,100 people moved interstate in the three months to the end of March 2021.
• 16,400 more people moved interstate compared with the March 2020 quarter.
• Capital cities had a net loss of 11,800 people from internal migration, the largest quarterly net loss on record.

For the year ending 30 June 2020:

• There were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia
• 29.8% of Australia's population were born overseas
• Australia's population increased by 194,400 people due to net overseas migration
• 368,700 people moved interstate, a decrease of 8.7% from the previous year.

This product contains the digital boundaries for the Destination Zones (DZNs) used in the 2016 Census of Population and Housing