Demography of Australia
The demography of Australia covers basic statistics, most populous cities, ethnicity and religion. The population of Australia is estimated to be as of . Australia is the 52nd most populous country in the world and the most populous Oceanian country. Its population is concentrated mainly in urban areas and is expected to exceed 28 million by 2030.
Australia's population has grown from an estimated population of between 300,000 and 1,000,000 at the time of British settlement in 1788 due to numerous waves of immigration during the period since. Also due to immigration from other continents, the European component's share of the population is declining as a percentage.
Australia has an average population density of persons per square kilometre of total land area, which makes it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. This is generally attributed to the semi-arid and desert geography of much of the interior of the country. Another factor is urbanisation, with 89% of its population living in a handful of urban areas, Australia is one of the world's most urbanised countries. The life expectancy of Australia in 2015–2017 was 83.2 years, among the highest in the world.
Australia generally doesn't collect data on race, with the exception of Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, however the Australian census asks respondents to nominate their ancestry.
Cities
Australia contains five cities that consist of over one million people. Most of Australia's population live close to coastlines.Ancestry
The earliest accepted timeline for the first arrivals of indigenous Australians to the continent of Australia places this human migration to at least 65,000 years ago, most probably from the islands of Indonesia and New Guinea.Captain James Cook claimed the east coast for Great Britain in 1770, the west coast was later settled by Britain also. At that time, the indigenous population was estimated to have been between 315,000 and 750,000, divided into as many as 500 tribes speaking many different languages.
Between 1788 and the Second World War, the vast majority of settlers and immigrants came from the British Isles, although there was significant immigration from China and Germany during the 19th century. In the decades immediately following the Second World War, Australia received a large wave of immigration from across Europe, with many more immigrants arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe than in previous decades. Since the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism, and there has been a large and continuing wave of immigration from across the world, with Asia being the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century.
In the 2016 Australian census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were:
At the 2016 census, 649,171 people identified as being Indigenous — Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.
Immigration and country of birth
In 2019, 30% of the Australian resident population, or 7,529,570 people, were born overseas.Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, much of this increase from immigration. Australia has the world's eighth-largest immigrant population, with immigrants accounting for 30% of the population, a higher proportion than in any other nation with a population of over 10 million. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees.
The following table shows Australia's population by country of birth as estimated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2019. It shows only countries or regions or birth with a population of over 100,000 residing in Australia.
For more information about immigration see Immigration to Australia and Foreign-born population of Australia.
Religion
Australia was, historically, a majority Protestant nation with a large Catholic minority. Australia has become a religiously diverse country with 22% being Catholic, 30% having no religion and there are significant numbers of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and others. While Australia has no official religion, the various governments of Australia refer to the Christian God in their ceremonies, as do the various Australian Courts. Generally, 52.1% of Australians are Christian, 30.1% have no religion and 8.2% are other religions.In an optional question on the 2016 Census, 52.1% of the Australian population declared some variety of Christianity. Historically the percentage has been far higher and the religious landscape of Australia is changing and diversifying. Also in 2016, 30.1% of Australians stated "no religion" and a further 9.6% chose not to answer the question. The remaining population is a diverse group which includes Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001 Census Dictionary statement on religious affiliation states the purpose for gathering such information:
Data on religious affiliation are used for such purposes as planning educational facilities, aged persons' care and other social services provided by religion-based organisations; the location of church buildings; the assigning of chaplains to hospitals, prisons, armed services and universities; the allocation of time on public radio and other media; and sociological research.
As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in religious services is lower than would be indicated by the proportion of the population identifying themselves as affiliated with a religion; weekly attendance at Christian church services is about 1.5 million, or about 7.5% of the population. Christian charitable organisations, hospitals and schools play a prominent role in welfare and education services. The :Category:Catholic schools in Australia|Catholic education system is the second biggest sector after government schools, with more than 650,000 students.
Language
Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language. Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling. General Australian serves as the standard dialect.According to the 2016 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 72.7% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are:
A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual.
Over 250 Indigenous Australian languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact, of which less than 20 are still in daily use by all age groups. About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people. At the time of the 2006 census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous language at home. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 5,500 deaf people.
Indigenous population
The earliest accepted timeline for the first arrivals of indigenous Australians to the continent of Australia places this human migration to at least 40,000 years ago.These first inhabitants of Australia were originally hunter-gatherers, who over the course of many succeeding generations diversified widely throughout the continent and its nearby islands. Although their technical culture remained static—depending on wood, bone, and stone tools and weapons—their spiritual and social life was highly complex. Most spoke several languages, and confederacies sometimes linked widely scattered tribal groups. Aboriginal population density ranged from approximately one person per along the coasts to one person per in the arid interior. Food procurement was usually a matter for the nuclear family, requiring an estimated 3 days of work per week.
Dutch navigators landed on the coasts of modern Western Australia and Queensland several times during the 17th century. Captain James Cook wrote that he claimed the east coast for Great Britain in 1770 while standing on Possession Island off the west coast of Cape York Peninsula. The west coast was later settled by Britain also. At that time, the indigenous population was estimated to have been between 315,000 and 750,000, divided into many tribes speaking many different languages. In the, 495,757 respondents declared they were Aboriginal, 31,407 declared they were Torres Strait Islander, and a further 21,206 declared they were both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Since the end of World War II, efforts have been made both by the government and by the public to be more responsive to Aboriginal rights and needs.
Today, most of Australia's Indigenous population live on the east coast of Australia, where almost 60% of Indigenous Australians live in New South Wales and Queensland which roughly represents 2–5% of those state's populations. The Northern Territory has an Indigenous population of almost 70,000 and represents about 30% of the total Northern Territory population.
States and territories
Historical population
Note that population estimates in the table below do not include the Aboriginal population before 1961. Estimates of Aboriginal population prior to European settlement range from 300,000 to one million, with archaeological finds indicating a sustainable population of around 750,000. Where available, actual population figures from census years are included.Total Fertility Rate from 1850 to 1899
The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.The following figures show the total fertility rates since the first years of British colonisation.
| Years | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | 1860 |
| Total Fertility Rate in Australia | 4.94 | 5.01 | 4.07 | 5.03 | 4.86 | 5.32 | 5.19 | 5.63 | 5.71 | 5.75 | 5.71 |
| Years | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 |
| Total Fertility Rate in Australia | 5.09 | 4.97 | 5.01 | 4.93 | 4.81 | 4.81 | 4.69 | 4.74 | 4.8 | 4.73 |
| Years | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
| Total Fertility Rate in Australia | 4.62 | 4.52 | 4.4 | 4.13 | 4.07 | 3.81 | 3.78 | 3.64 | 3.66 |
Crude birth rates from 1860 to 1899
The crude birth rate is the total number of live births per 1,000 population in a year. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.| Years | 1860 | 1861 | 1862 | 1863 | 1864 | 1865 | 1866 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 | 1870 |
| 42.6 | 42.3 | 43.3 | 41.7 | 42.9 | 42.1 | 39.8 | 40.4 | 40.5 | 38.7 | 38.7 | |
| Years | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | - |
| 38.0 | 37.1 | 37.4 | 36.8 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 35.0 | 35.4 | 35.8 | 35.3 | - | |
| Years | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890 | - |
| 35.3 | 34.5 | 34.8 | 35.6 | 35.7 | 35.4 | 35.6 | 35.5 | 34.7 | 35.0 | - | |
| Years | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 | - | - |
| 34.5 | 33.7 | 32.8 | 30.8 | 30.4 | 28.4 | 28.2 | 27.2 | 27.3 | - | - |
Historical percent distribution of the total population by age
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.| Ages | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2007 | 2016 |
| 0-14 years | 35.1 | 31.6 | 31.8 | 28.5 | 24.2 | 27.2 | 30.3 | 28.7 | 25.0 | 21.9 | 20.5 | 19.4 | 18.6 |
| 15-24 years | 19.4 | 20.1 | 16.9 | 18.1 | 17.5 | 14.1 | 14.3 | 17.4 | 17.4 | 16.0 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 12.8 |
| 25-44 years | 29.4 | 28.8 | 30.0 | 29.3 | 30.0 | 29.4 | 27.7 | 27.4 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 30.0 | 29.2 | 27.9 |
| 45-64 years | 12.0 | 14.8 | 17.0 | 18.0 | 20.9 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 20.0 | 19.2 | 19.3 | 23.1 | 25.0 | 25.1 |
| 65 years and over | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.8 | 11.3 | 12.6 | 13.2 | 15.8 |
| Total | 100 | 99.6 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Historical median age of the population
of the Australia population through history. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.| Years | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2015 | 2017 |
| Median age of the total population | 22.5 | 24.0 | 25.8 | 30.3 | 29.3 | 27.7 | 29.6 | 32.4 | 35.7 | 37.4 | 38.7 |
| Median age of males | 23.6 | 24.6 | 26.1 | 29.9 | 28.7 | 27.0 | 29.0 | 31.7 | 34.9 | 37.9 | |
| Median age of females | 21.5 | 23.4 | 25.5 | 30.8 | 30.2 | 28.3 | 30.2 | 33.0 | 36.4 | 39.5 |
Vital statistics since 1900
Source:| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Natural change | Total fertility rates | Net overseas migration | |
| 1900 | 3,715,000 | 102,221 | 44,060 | 58,161 | 27.3 | 11.8 | 15.5 | 3.66 | |
| 1901 | 3,765,000 | 102,945 | 46,330 | 56,615 | 27.1 | 12.2 | 14.9 | 3.64 | |
| 1902 | 3,824,000 | 102,776 | 48,078 | 54,698 | 26.7 | 12.5 | 14.2 | 3.39 | |
| 1903 | 3,875,000 | 98,443 | 47,293 | 51,150 | 25.3 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 3.58 | |
| 1904 | 3,916,000 | 104,113 | 43,572 | 60,541 | 26.4 | 11.0 | 15.4 | 3.54 | |
| 1905 | 3,974,000 | 104,941 | 43,514 | 61,427 | 26.2 | 10.9 | 15.3 | 3.51 | |
| 1906 | 4,032,000 | 107,890 | 44,333 | 63,557 | 26.6 | 10.9 | 15.7 | 3.35 | |
| 1907 | 4,091,000 | 110,347 | 45,305 | 55,042 | 26.7 | 11.0 | 15.7 | 3.35 | |
| 1908 | 4,161,000 | 111,545 | 46,426 | 55,119 | 26.6 | 11.1 | 15.5 | 3.35 | |
| 1909 | 4,232,000 | 114,071 | 44,172 | 59,899 | 26.7 | 10.3 | 16.4 | 3.35 | |
| 1910 | 4,323,000 | 116,801 | 45,590 | 61,211 | 26.7 | 10.4 | 16.3 | 3.35 | |
| 1911 | 4,425,000 | 122,193 | 47,869 | 74,324 | 27.2 | 10.6 | 16.6 | 3.51 | |
| 1912 | 4,573,000 | 133,088 | 52,177 | 80,911 | 28.6 | 11.2 | 17.4 | 3.51 | |
| 1913 | 4,820,172 | 135,714 | 51,789 | 83,925 | 28.2 | 10.7 | 17.5 | 3.51 | |
| 1914 | 4,893,000 | 137,983 | 51,720 | 86,263 | 28.0 | 10.5 | 17.5 | 3.51 | |
| 1915 | 4,971,000 | 134,871 | 52,782 | 82,089 | 27.1 | 10.6 | 16.5 | 3.51 | |
| 1916 | 4,969,000 | 131,426 | 54,197 | 77,219 | 26.6 | 11.0 | 15.6 | 3.07 | |
| 1917 | 4,917,000 | 129,965 | 48,029 | 81,936 | 26.3 | 9.7 | 16.6 | 3.35 | |
| 1918 | 4,982,000 | 125,739 | 50,249 | 75,490 | 25.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 3.07 | |
| 1919 | 5,080,000 | 122,290 | 65,930 | 56,360 | 23.6 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 3.07 | |
| 1920 | 5,303,000 | 136,406 | 56,289 | 80,117 | 25.5 | 10.5 | 15.5 | 3.07 | |
| 1921 | 5,411,000 | 136,198 | 54,076 | 82,122 | 24.9 | 9.9 | 15.0 | 3.12 | |
| 1922 | 5,510,000 | 137,496 | 51,311 | 86,185 | 24.7 | 9.2 | 15.5 | 3.11 | |
| 1923 | 5,637,000 | 135,222 | 56,236 | 78,986 | 23.7 | 9.9 | 13.8 | 3.02 | |
| 1924 | 5,755,000 | 134,927 | 54,980 | 79,953 | 23.2 | 9.4 | 13.8 | 2.97 | |
| 1925 | 5,882,000 | 135,792 | 54,658 | 81,134 | 22.9 | 9.2 | 13.7 | 2.95 | |
| 1926 | 6,000,000 | 133,162 | 56,952 | 76,210 | 22.0 | 9.4 | 12.6 | 2.85 | |
| 1927 | 6,124,000 | 133,698 | 58,282 | 75,716 | 21.6 | 9.4 | 12.2 | 2.80 | |
| 1928 | 6,251,000 | 134,078 | 59,378 | 74,700 | 21.3 | 9.4 | 11.9 | 2.77 | |
| 1929 | 6,355,000 | 129,480 | 60,857 | 68,623 | 20.2 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 2.64 | |
| 1930 | 6,436,000 | 128,399 | 55,331 | 73,068 | 19.8 | 8.6 | 11.2 | 2.58 | |
| 1931 | 6,500,000 | 118,509 | 56,560 | 61,949 | 18.2 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 2.36 | |
| 1932 | 6,552,000 | 110,933 | 56,757 | 54,176 | 16.9 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 2.19 | |
| 1933 | 6,603,000 | 111,269 | 59,117 | 52,152 | 16.8 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 2.17 | |
| 1934 | 6,656,000 | 109,475 | 62,229 | 47,246 | 16.4 | 9.3 | 7.1 | 2.11 | |
| 1935 | 6,707,000 | 111,325 | 63,599 | 47,726 | 16.5 | 9.4 | 7.1 | 2.12 | |
| 1936 | 6,755,000 | 116,073 | 63,932 | 52,141 | 17.1 | 9.4 | 7.7 | 2.18 | |
| 1937 | 6,810,000 | 119,131 | 64,496 | 54,635 | 17.4 | 9.4 | 8.0 | 2.21 | |
| 1938 | 6,871,000 | 120,415 | 66,451 | 53,964 | 17.4 | 9.6 | 7.8 | 2.21 | |
| 1939 | 6,935,000 | 122,891 | 69,147 | 53,744 | 17.6 | 9.9 | 7.7 | 2.22 | |
| 1940 | 7,004,000 | 126,347 | 68,384 | 57,963 | 17.9 | 9.7 | 8.2 | 2.26 | |
| 1941 | 7,077,000 | 134,525 | 71,176 | 63,349 | 18.9 | 10.0 | 8.9 | 2.36 | |
| 1942 | 7,143,000 | 136,708 | 75,191 | 61,517 | 19.1 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 2.38 | |
| 1943 | 7,201,000 | 149,295 | 74,486 | 74,809 | 20.6 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 2.57 | |
| 1944 | 7,269,000 | 153,344 | 69,596 | 83,748 | 21.0 | 9.5 | 11.5 | 2.63 | |
| 1945 | 7,347,000 | 160,560 | 70,231 | 90,229 | 21.7 | 9.5 | 12.2 | 2.74 | |
| 1946 | 7,430,000 | 176,379 | 74,661 | 101,718 | 23.6 | 10.0 | 13.6 | 2.99 | |
| 1947 | 7,517,000 | 182,384 | 73,468 | 108,916 | 24.1 | 9.7 | 14.4 | 3.08 | |
| 1948 | 7,637,000 | 177,976 | 76,839 | 101,137 | 23.1 | 10.0 | 13.1 | 2.98 | |
| 1949 | 7,792,000 | 181,261 | 75,260 | 106,001 | 22.9 | 9.5 | 13.4 | 2.99 | |
| 1950 | 8,045,000 | 190,591 | 78,187 | 112,404 | 23.3 | 9.6 | 13.7 | 3.01 | |
| 1951 | 8,307,000 | 193,298 | 81,788 | 111,510 | 23.0 | 9.7 | 13.3 | 3.06 | |
| 1952 | 8,527,000 | 201,650 | 81,597 | 120,053 | 23.4 | 9.5 | 13.9 | 3.15 | |
| 1953 | 8,739,000 | 202,235 | 80,188 | 122,047 | 22.9 | 9.1 | 13.8 | 3.23 | |
| 1954 | 8,902,000 | 202,256 | 81,805 | 120,451 | 22.5 | 9.1 | 13.4 | 3.3 | |
| 1955 | 9,089,000 | 207,677 | 82,036 | 125,641 | 22.6 | 8.9 | 13.7 | 3.35 | |
| 1956 | 9,311,000 | 212,633 | 86,088 | 126,545 | 22.5 | 9.1 | 13.4 | 3.39 | |
| 1957 | 9,530,000 | 220,358 | 84,953 | 135,405 | 22.9 | 8.8 | 14.1 | 3.41 | |
| 1958 | 9,744,000 | 222,504 | 83,723 | 138,481 | 22.6 | 8.5 | 14.1 | 3.42 | |
| 1959 | 9,947,000 | 226,976 | 89,212 | 137,765 | 22.6 | 8.9 | 13.7 | 3.41 | |
| 1960 | 10,160,000 | 230,326 | 88,464 | 141,862 | 22.4 | 8.6 | 13.8 | 3.39 | |
| 1961 | 10,391,000 | 239,986 | 88,961 | 151,025 | 22.8 | 8.5 | 14.3 | 3.35 | |
| 1962 | 10,642,000 | 237,081 | 93,163 | 143,918 | 22.1 | 8.7 | 13.4 | 3.3 | |
| 1963 | 10,846,000 | 235,689 | 94,894 | 140,795 | 21.5 | 8.7 | 12.8 | 3.24 | |
| 1964 | 11,055,000 | 229,149 | 100,594 | 128,555 | 20.5 | 8.7 | 11.8 | 3.17 | |
| 1965 | 11,280,000 | 222,854 | 99,715 | 123,139 | 19.6 | 8.8 | 10.8 | 2.97 | |
| 1966 | 11,505,000 | 223,731 | 103,929 | 119,802 | 19.3 | 9.0 | 10.3 | 2.89 | |
| 1967 | 11,704,000 | 229,796 | 102,703 | 127,093 | 19.4 | 8.7 | 10.7 | 2.85 | |
| 1968 | 11,912,000 | 240,906 | 109,547 | 131,359 | 20.0 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 2.89 | |
| 1969 | 12,145,000 | 250,175 | 106,496 | 143,681 | 20.4 | 8.7 | 11.7 | 2.93 | |
| 1970 | 12,407,000 | 257,516 | 113,048 | 144,468 | 20.5 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 2.94 | |
| 1971 | 12,663,000 | 276,361 | 110,650 | 165,711 | 21.5 | 8.6 | 12.9 | 2.98 | |
| 1972 | 13,067,000 | 271,960 | 110,191 | 161,769 | 20.6 | 8.4 | 12.2 | 2.74 | |
| 1973 | 13,303,000 | 255,848 | 111,336 | 144,512 | 19.1 | 8.3 | 10.8 | 2.49 | |
| 1974 | 13,504,000 | 243,658 | 110,179 | 133,479 | 17.9 | 8.1 | 9.8 | 2.32 | |
| 1975 | 13,722,000 | 239,794 | 114,501 | 125,293 | 17.4 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 2.15 | |
| 1976 | 13,892,000 | 231,135 | 110,610 | 120,525 | 16.6 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 2.06 | |
| 1977 | 14,033,000 | 226,954 | 111,490 | 115,464 | 16.1 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 2.01 | |
| 1978 | 14,192,000 | 226,359 | 108,059 | 118,300 | 15.9 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 1.95 | |
| 1979 | 14,359,000 | 223,370 | 108,315 | 115,055 | 15.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 1.91 | |
| 1980 | 14,515,000 | 223,664 | 106,654 | 117,010 | 15.3 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 1.89 | |
| 1981 | 14,695,000 | 230,920 | 109,429 | 121,491 | 15.6 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 1.94 | |
| 1982 | 14,923,000 | 237,076 | 110,990 | 116,086 | 15.7 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 1.93 | 128,100 |
| 1983 | 15,184,000 | 241,764 | 112,918 | 128,846 | 15.8 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 1.92 | 73,300 |
| 1984 | 15,393,000 | 240,544 | 110,887 | 129,657 | 15.5 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 1.84 | 49,100 |
| 1985 | 15,579,000 | 241,814 | 114,197 | 127,617 | 15.4 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 1.92 | 73,800 |
| 1986 | 15,788,000 | 239,115 | 116,069 | 123,046 | 15.0 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 1.87 | 100,500 |
| 1987 | 16,018,000 | 242,977 | 116,139 | 126,838 | 15.0 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 1.85 | 125,800 |
| 1988 | 16,263,000 | 246,200 | 120,463 | 125,737 | 15.0 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 1.83 | 149,400 |
| 1989 | 16,532,000 | 250,155 | 118,767 | 131,388 | 15.1 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 1.84 | 157,500 |
| 1990 | 16,814,000 | 257,521 | 125,112 | 132,409 | 15.3 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 1.90 | 124,700 |
| 1991 | 17,065,000 | 261,158 | 119,572 | 141,586 | 15.2 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 1.85 | 86,500 |
| 1992 | 17,284,000 | 259,186 | 120,836 | 138,350 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 8.0 | 1.89 | 68,600 |
| 1993 | 17,494,000 | 259,959 | 121,338 | 138,621 | 14.8 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 1.86 | 30,100 |
| 1994 | 17,667,000 | 258,314 | 123,496 | 134,818 | 14.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 1.84 | 46,600 |
| 1995 | 17,854,000 | 258,210 | 126,232 | 131,978 | 14.4 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 1.82 | 80,200 |
| 1996 | 18,071,000 | 250,438 | 126,400 | 124,038 | 13.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 1.80 | 104,000 |
| 1997 | 18,310,000 | 253,660 | 127,298 | 126,362 | 13.7 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 1.78 | 87,200 |
| 1998 | 18,517,000 | 249,105 | 129,255 | 119,850 | 13.4 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 1.75 | 79,100 |
| 1999 | 18,711,000 | 249,965 | 128,278 | 121,487 | 13.3 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 1.75 | 96,500 |
| 2000 | 18,925,000 | 249,310 | 128,392 | 120,918 | 13.1 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 1.75 | 107,200 |
| 2001 | 19,153,000 | 247,500 | 128,913 | 118,587 | 12.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 1.73 | 135,700 |
| 2002 | 19,413,000 | 250,988 | 133,707 | 117,281 | 12.9 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 1.77 | 110,600 |
| 2003 | 19,651,000 | 246,663 | 132,239 | 114,424 | 12.5 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 1.75 | 116,500 |
| 2004 | 19,895,000 | 249,082 | 133,231 | 115,851 | 12.4 | 6.7 | 5.7 | 1.76 | 100,000 |
| 2005 | 20,127,000 | 255,934 | 131,354 | 124,580 | 12.6 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 1.79 | 123,800 |
| 2006 | 20,394,000 | 263,540 | 134,041 | 129,499 | 12.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 1.82 | 146,700 |
| 2007 | 20,697,000 | 274,330 | 134,785 | 139,545 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 1.87 | 232,700 |
| 2008 | 21,015,000 | 302,272 | 143,946 | 158,326 | 14.4 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 2.02 | 277,400 |
| 2009 | 21,262,000 | 295,700 | 140,760 | 154,940 | 13.9 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 1.90 | 299,800 |
| 2010 | 22,183,000 | 297,900 | 143,473 | 154,427 | 13.4 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 1.89 | 172,038 |
| 2011 | 22,340,000 | 301,617 | 146,932 | 156,050 | 13.5 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 1.92 | 205,679 |
| 2012 | 22,723,000 | 309,582 | 147,098 | 161,782 | 13.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 1.91 | 241,151 |
| 2013 | 23,162,000 | 308,065 | 147,708 | 160,357 | 13.3 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 1.88 | 235,797 |
| 2014 | 23,413,000 | 299,697 | 153,400 | 146,300 | 12.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 1.8 | 179,000 |
| 2015 | 23,858,000 | 305,377 | 159,052 | 146,325 | 12.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 1.81 | 181,000 |
| 2016 | 24,385,600 | 311,104 | 158,504 | 152,600 | 12.9 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 1.789 | 243,800 |
| 2017 | 24,770,700 | 309,142 | 160,909 | 148,233 | 12.6 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 1.741 | 241,700 |
| 2018 | 25,180,200 | 315,147 | 158,493 | 156,654 | 12.6 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 1.741 | 248,400 |
In 2012, the total fertility rate of Australian-born women was 1.94, while for overseas-born women, it was 1.81, while in 2013, it was 1.91 and 1.79 respectively.
In 2017, TFR was 1.68 for overseas women and 1.78 for native women.
Life expectancy at birth from 1921 to 2015
Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations.1921–1950
| Years | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 |
| Life expectancy in Australia | 61.0 | 62.9 | 61.7 | 62.5 | 63.2 | 62.9 | 62.8 | 62.9 | 63.1 | 64.9 |
| Years | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 |
| Life expectancy in Australia | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.4 | 68.0 | 68.5 | 68.0 | 68.6 | 68.5 | 69.1 | 69.0 |
1950–2015
| Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
| 1950–1955 | 69.4 | 1985–1990 | 76.2 |
| 1955–1960 | 70.4 | 1990–1995 | 77.7 |
| 1960–1965 | 70.9 | 1995–2000 | 78.8 |
| 1965–1970 | 70.8 | 2000–2005 | 80.3 |
| 1970–1975 | 71.8 | 2005–2010 | 81.5 |
| 1975–1980 | 73.6 | 2010–2015 | 82.3 |
| 1980–1985 | 75.1 |
Source: UN World Population Prospects
Other general demographic statistics
As of February 2018, the population growth rate was 0.9%. This rate was based on estimates of :- one birth every 1 minute and 41 seconds,
- one death every 3 minutes and 20 seconds,
- one migrant person arriving to live in Australia every 56 seconds,
- one Australian resident leaving Australia to live overseas every 1 minute and 53 seconds, leading to
- an overall total population increase of one person every 1 minute and 13 seconds.
Population
The following figures are ABS estimates for the resident population of Australia, based on the 2001 and 2006 Censuses and other data.Age structure
Median age
Birth rate
Death rate
Total fertility rate
Net migration rate
Population growth rate
Mother's mean age at first birth
Life expectancy at birth
At the time of Australian Federation in 1901, the rate of natural increase was 14.9 persons per 1,000 population. The rate increased to a peak of 17.4 per thousand population in the years 1912, 1913 and 1914. During the Great Depression, the rate declined to a low of 7.1 per thousand population in 1934 and 1935. Immediately after World War II, the rate increased sharply as a result of the start of the post–World War II baby boom and the immigration of many young people who then had children in Australia. A rate plateau of over 13.0 persons per 1,000 population occurred for every year from 1946 to 1962.There has been a fall in the rate of natural increase since 1962 due to falling fertility. In 1971, the rate of natural increase was 12.7 persons per 1,000 population; a decade later it had fallen to 8.5. In 1996 the rate of natural increase fell below seven for the first time, with the downward trend continuing in the late 1990s. Population projections by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that continued low fertility, combined with the increase in deaths from an ageing population, will result in natural increase falling below zero sometime in the mid-2030s. However, in 2006 the fertility rate rose to 1.81, one of the highest rates in the OECD.
Since 1901, the crude death rate has fallen from about 12.2 deaths per 1,000 population, to 6.4 deaths per 1,000 population in 2006.
Urbanisation
Sex ratio
[Dependency ratio]s
HIV/AIDS
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
Incarceration and punishment
In March 2019, there was 43,320 adults imprisoned in Australia, which was an incarceration rate of 221 prisoners per 100,000 adult population., or 169 per 100,000 total population. Additionally, there was 75,544 people in community corrections.In June 2018, there was about 980 minors imprisoned in Australia on an average night.