As of April 2025, the population of Australia is 26.9 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 257 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.97%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 36.3 years in 2015 to 38.1 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 84 years and population density is 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Australia peaked in 1970, reaching around 3.19% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.96% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 433.89 thousand in 2008 to nearly 257.48 thousand in 2025.
In Australia, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 81.1 years in 2005 to 84 years in 2025, representing an increase of almost 3 years over the past 2 decades.
Australia has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Sydney, New South Wales, with approximately 5.2 million inhabitants. It is followed by Melbourne, Victoria with 4.9 million and Brisbane, Queensland with 2.6 million.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Australia:
# | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Sydney, New South Wales | 5,231,147 |
2 | Melbourne, Victoria | 4,917,750 |
3 | Brisbane, Queensland | 2,582,007 |
4 | Perth, Western Australia | 2,192,229 |
5 | Adelaide, South Australia | 1,387,290 |
6 | Gold Coast, Queensland | 640,778 |
7 | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | 367,752 |
8 | Newcastle, New South Wales | 348,539 |
9 | Logan City, Queensland | 326,615 |
10 | Wollongong, New South Wales | 280,153 |
# | City | Population |
---|---|---|
11 | Geelong, Victoria | 268,984 |
12 | Hobart, Tasmania | 247,086 |
13 | Townsville, Queensland | 180,820 |
14 | Cairns, Queensland | 153,075 |
15 | Darwin, Northern Territory | 147,255 |
16 | Toowoomba, Queensland | 140,303 |
17 | Mackay, Queensland | 123,183 |
18 | Ballarat, Victoria | 116,201 |
19 | Mandurah, Western Australia | 107,641 |
20 | Bendigo, Victoria | 103,034 |