Geographic coverage
3. Estimated resident population (ERP) data covers Australia and its states and territories, as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) 2016.
4. Jervis Bay Territory, the Territories of Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island are included as one spatial unit at the State and Territory level under the category of Other Territories.
Historical changes
5. ERP for Other Territories is available from September quarter 1993 onwards. Before then, Jervis Bay Territory was included in the ACT estimate, while Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands were excluded from ERP. Norfolk Island has been included in Other Territories since 30 June 2016. Prior to this, the population of Norfolk Island was not part of Australia’s ERP.
6. The populations of Australian external territories are updated annually to fulfil the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, but are not part of Australia’s ERP. These external territories are:
- Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
- Coral Sea Islands Territory
- Australian Antarctic Territory
- Territory of Heard and McDonald Islands.