Australia Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Australia is 27,799,169 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 27,196,812 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 20.5M people to 27.8M (35.9% growth in 20 years).
Australia is ranked 55/197 by population and was ranked 54th in 2006.
Australia is projected to reach 44M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, Australia has had an average growth rate of 1.8% per year.
Australia accounts for 0.34% of the world's population.

Australia population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	44,031,396	0.51%
2099	43,809,392	0.52%
2098	43,581,416	0.56%
2097	43,339,542	0.55%
2096	43,103,046	0.53%
2095	42,875,281	0.52%
2094	42,654,231	0.55%
2093	42,420,140	0.56%
2092	42,183,554	0.57%
2091	41,942,760	0.57%
2090	41,703,255	0.56%
2089	41,471,675	0.58%
2088	41,232,214	0.55%
2087	41,005,392	0.54%
2086	40,785,916	0.52%
2085	40,573,592	0.52%
2084	40,363,192	0.55%
2083	40,140,606	0.54%
2082	39,925,452	0.56%
2081	39,703,018	0.54%
2080	39,490,533	0.54%
2079	39,277,415	0.55%
2078	39,063,163	0.56%
2077	38,847,269	0.54%
2076	38,637,253	0.55%
2075	38,425,571	0.56%
2074	38,212,169	0.55%
2073	38,002,408	0.55%
2072	37,795,438	0.55%
2071	37,589,598	0.57%
2070	37,376,868	0.59%
2069	37,159,014	0.59%
2068	36,939,616	0.59%
2067	36,721,604	0.59%
2066	36,504,952	0.57%
2065	36,297,175	0.56%
2064	36,095,981	0.59%
2063	35,883,588	0.59%
2062	35,673,924	0.59%
2061	35,465,080	0.58%
2060	35,260,552	0.58%
2059	35,055,719	0.62%
2058	34,839,385	0.6%
2057	34,630,577	0.6%
2056	34,422,531	0.62%
2055	34,208,970	0.62%
2054	33,996,776	0.62%
2053	33,788,097	0.62%
2052	33,580,016	0.64%
2051	33,366,925	0.65%
2050	33,152,099	0.65%
2049	32,937,633	0.69%
2048	32,711,001	0.66%
2047	32,496,856	0.7%
2046	32,269,549	0.69%
2045	32,047,969	0.69%
2044	31,829,535	0.69%
2043	31,610,306	0.71%
2042	31,387,780	0.7%
2041	31,168,179	0.7%
2040	30,952,283	0.69%
2039	30,740,454	0.72%
2038	30,521,772	0.71%
2037	30,307,856	0.74%
2036	30,085,861	0.75%
2035	29,862,898	0.75%
2034	29,641,453	0.76%
2033	29,418,053	0.77%
2032	29,191,922	0.8%
2031	28,959,421	0.82%
2030	28,722,798	0.84%
2029	28,484,745	0.88%
2028	28,236,324	0.9%
2027	27,984,287	0.92%
2026	27,730,530	0.96%
2025	27,466,430	0.99%
2024	27,196,812	2.01%
2023	26,659,922	2.46%
2022	26,018,721	1.3%
2021	25,685,412	0.14%
2020	25,649,248	1.24%
2019	25,334,826	1.49%
2018	24,963,258	1.51%
2017	24,592,588	1.66%
2016	24,190,907	1.57%
2015	23,815,995	1.45%
2014	23,475,686	1.5%
2013	23,128,129	1.74%
2012	22,733,465	1.76%
2011	22,340,024	1.4%
2010	22,031,750	1.57%
2009	21,691,653	2.08%
2008	21,249,199	2.02%
2007	20,827,622	1.84%
2006	20,450,966	1.36%
2005	20,176,844	1.22%
2004	19,932,722	1.07%
2003	19,720,737	1.16%
2002	19,495,210	1.14%
2001	19,274,701	1.29%
2000	19,028,802	1.15%
1999	18,812,264	1.1%
1998	18,607,584	1%
1997	18,423,037	1.09%
1996	18,224,767	1.22%
1995	18,004,882	1.12%
1994	17,805,468	0.97%
1993	17,634,808	0.89%
1992	17,478,635	1.13%
1991	17,284,036	1.28%
1990	17,065,128	1.49%
1989	16,814,416	1.71%
1988	16,532,164	1.65%
1987	16,263,874	1.53%
1986	16,018,350	1.46%
1985	15,788,312	1.34%
1984	15,579,391	1.21%
1983	15,393,472	1.38%
1982	15,184,247	1.75%
1981	14,923,260	1.57%
1980	14,692,000	1.23%
1979	14,514,000	1.09%
1978	14,358,000	1.17%
1977	14,192,000	1.13%
1976	14,033,000	1.01%
1975	13,893,000	1.24%
1974	13,723,000	2.56%
1973	13,380,000	1.54%
1972	13,177,000	1.86%
1971	12,937,000	3.44%
1970	12,507,000	1.99%
1969	12,263,000	2.12%
1968	12,009,000	1.78%
1967	11,799,000	1.27%
1966	11,651,000	2.31%
1965	11,388,000	1.98%
1964	11,167,000	1.98%
1963	10,950,000	1.94%
1962	10,742,000	2.47%
1961	10,483,000	2.01%
1960	10,276,477	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/australia | CC BY

Australia has a population of 27.8M as of 2026, compared to 24.2M in 2016, 20.5M in 2006, and 18.2M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.49% per year. Australia is ranked 82nd out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Australia will have 32,269,549 people (16.1% growth) with a rank change from 55th to 60th.

By the year 2100, Australia's population is projected to grow by 58.4% from its current level to 44M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	137,109
2024	-	-	138,510
2023	244,206	103,974	140,232
2022	252,853	111,881	140,972
2021	255,469	138,701	116,768
2020	177,823	133,376	44,447
2019	343,950	136,808	207,142
2018	383,681	157,269	226,412
2017	405,038	150,015	255,023
2016	407,051	152,403	254,648
2015	362,391	150,041	212,350
2014	355,117	154,940	200,177
2013	375,407	159,584	215,823
2012	397,184	161,408	235,776
2011	354,037	156,380	197,657
2010	325,380	158,628	166,752
2009	396,146	160,518	235,628
2008	430,892	155,119	275,773
2007	403,997	154,124	249,873
2006	324,916	132,931	191,985
2005	260,503	129,132	131,371
2004	225,682	115,610	110,072
2003	222,762	118,325	104,437
2002	225,823	116,971	108,852
2001	235,127	117,575	117,552
2000	231,068	119,882	111,186
1999	211,417	118,517	92,900
1998	202,259	120,949	81,310
1997	189,253	121,592	67,661
1996	208,716	125,751	82,965
1995	211,892	131,436	80,456
1994	183,702	131,761	51,941
1993	161,384	137,551	23,833
1992	180,596	139,829	40,767
1991	207,120	138,273	68,847
1990	243,440	143,347	100,093
1989	271,831	127,789	144,042
1988	280,628	127,298	153,330
1987	264,905	128,484	136,421
1986	236,403	123,342	113,061
1985	242,001	143,674	98,327
1984	202,694	123,077	79,617
1983	204,095	130,844	73,251
1982	237,752	126,030	111,722
1981	247,277	125,356	121,921
1980	206,725	117,536	89,189
1979	168,249	116,112	52,137
1978	162,131	116,299	45,832
1977	162,739	117,793	44,946
1976	147,862	115,070	32,792
1975	148,984	123,648	25,336
1974	185,163	128,996	56,167
1973	199,404	136,476	62,928
1972	210,383	155,488	54,895
1971	389,584	165,593	223,991
1970	401,376	145,081	256,295
1969	252,247	143,477	108,770
1968	233,062	132,099	100,963
1967	207,153	126,249	80,904
1966	237,860	126,996	110,864
1965	241,881	122,990	118,891
1964	220,008	128,420	91,588
1963	213,398	140,161	73,237
1962	202,258	143,943	58,315
1961	215,450	150,955	64,495
1960	227,523	141,816	85,707

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/australia | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 43.6% of the population change in Australia is from natural causes (a gain of 1,389,408 people) and 56.4% is from migration (a gain of 1,798,171 people).

As of 2024, 8,111,404 residents or 30.4% of the population were not native-born in Australia, compared to 5,879,802 and 26.6% in 2010.

Australia population clock

	Australia	Rank
Current population	27799169	55/197
Percent of world population	0.34%	55/197
One net population change	58.7 seconds	41/197
One birth every	1.83 minutes	71/196
One death every	2.86 minutes	58/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,471	41/197
Annual growth/decline	+536,890	41/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.01%	51/197
One migration net change every	3.84 minutes	11/196
Annual migration change	+137,109	11/196
Foreign-born residents	8,111,404	9/195
Foreign-born share of population	30.4%	18/195

Largest cities by population

Australia
City	Population
Sydney	5.45M
Melbourne	5.35M
Brisbane	2.71M
Perth	2.14M
Adelaide	1.39M
Gold Coast	608K
Canberra	381K
Sunshine Coast	284K
Wollongong	262K
Ipswich	233K

Australia population statistics

	Australia	World
Life expectancy	84.3 years	73.8 years
Average age	40.1 years	33.8 years
Median age	39 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.6:50.4	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.5 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	9.34 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Australia.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/australia | CC BY