National, state and territory population

Latest release

Statistics about the estimated resident population (ERP) and components of change (births, deaths, migration)

Reference period
March 2026
Released
17/09/2026
  • Next Release 17/12/2026
    National, state and territory population, June 2026
  • Next Release 18/03/2027
    National, state and territory population, September 2026
  • Next Release 17/06/2027
    National, state and territory population, December 2026
  • View all releases
Release date and time
17/09/2026 11:30am AEST

Key statistics

  • Australia’s population was 27,921,150 people at 31 March 2026.
  • The quarterly growth was 130,887 people (0.5%).
  • The annual growth was 392,700 people (1.4%).
  • Annual natural increase was 100,600 and net overseas migration was 292,100.

National

Annual population change

In the year ending 31 March 2026, Australia's population grew by 392,700 people (1.4%).

  1. Annual growth calculated at the end of each quarter.
  2. All data after 30 June 2021 are subject to revision.

Australia's population growth is comprised of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net overseas migration (migration arrivals minus migration departures).

Components of quarterly population change

In the March 2026 quarter, natural increase:

  • was 29,900 people
  • increased by 7,900 (35.7%) people since the previous quarter
     

In the March 2026 quarter, net overseas migration:

  • was 101,000 people
  • increased by 44,900 people since the previous quarter

Components of annual population change

In the year ending 31 March 2026, natural increase:

  • was 100,600 people
  • decreased by 4,800 (4.6%) people since the previous year

In the year ending 31 March 2026, net overseas migration:

  • was 292,100 people
  • decreased by 17,400 (5.6%) people since the previous year
  1. Annual components calculated at the end of each quarter.

Births and deaths

Overseas migration arrivals and departures

A summary of Net Overseas Migration (NOM), the key data sources, concepts and revision process of preliminary and final estimates as well as an explanation of why NOM may take some time to fully reflect changes in migration patterns can be found in this article: Measuring Net Overseas Migration in Australia.

States and territories

Annual population change

  • All states and territories had positive population growth over the year ending 31 March 2026.
  • Western Australia had the fastest growth rate (2.1%).
  • Tasmania had the slowest rate (0.6%).
Annual population change at 31 March 2026
 Population at 31 March 2026 ('000)Change over previous year ('000)Change over previous year (%)
New South Wales8670.197.01.1
Victoria7154.2109.51.6
Queensland5739.590.11.6
South Australia1916.818.41.0
Western Australia3096.264.22.1
Tasmania580.73.40.6
Northern Territory268.94.01.5
Australian Capital Territory489.76.21.3
Australia (a)27921.2392.71.4
  1. Includes Other Territories comprising Jervis Bay Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island.
     

State and territory population change is comprised of natural increase, net overseas migration, and net interstate migration (interstate arrivals minus interstate departures).

Components of annual population change

For the year ending 31 March 2026:

  • net overseas migration was the major contributor to change in all states and territories.
Natural increase by state and territory - annual
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACT
Births94,74375,04559,20718,37130,7685,7113,3175,292
Deaths61,52747,36839,06416,18218,4155,4661,3482,501
Natural increase33,21627,67720,1432,18912,3532451,9692,791
Net overseas migration by state and territory - annual
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACT
Overseas arrivals177,015153,365105,85028,31971,3395,6575,69410,254
Overseas departures92,44271,63350,63310,91329,8082,4102,1095,438
Net overseas migration84,57381,73255,21717,40641,5313,2473,5854,816
Net interstate migration by state and territory - annual
 NSWVicQldSAWATasNTACT
Interstate arrivals85,88075,58098,12124,19238,12914,55914,29019,487
Interstate departures106,69875,49883,40325,40027,81514,65715,87920,888
Net interstate migration-20,8188214,718-1,20810,314-98-1,589-1,401

Quarterly internal migration, capital city - rest of state

Data downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Population and components of change - national

Quarterly population and components of change, national, from June 1981 onwards

Components of population change - states and territories

Quarterly components of change, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Population - states and territories

Quarterly population by sex, by state and territory, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration arrivals

Quarterly interstate migration arrivals, from June 1981 onwards

Interstate migration departures

Quarterly interstate migration departures, from June 1981 onwards

Population - New South Wales

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NSW, from 1971 onwards

Population - Victoria

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Vic., from 1971 onwards

Population - Queensland

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Qld, from 1971 onwards

Population - South Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, SA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Western Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, WA, from 1971 onwards

Population - Tasmania

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Tas., from 1971 onwards

Population - Northern Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, NT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australian Capital Territory

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, ACT, from 1971 onwards

Population - Australia

Population at 30 June, by sex and single year of age, Aust., from 1971 onwards

All time series spreadsheets

Data cubes

National, state and territory population tables

Various tables of population, components of change and rates, by state and territory. 

Population by age and sex - national

Summary statistics of Australia's population by age and sex

Standard population

Standard population used in age-standardised rates

Regional internal migration estimates, provisional

All data cubes

Rebasing of Australia's population estimates using the 2021 Census

Methodology

Scope

Australia's estimated resident population (ERP) includes all people who usually live in Australia, except for people present for foreign consular or diplomatic reasons.

Geography

Data is available for the following geographies:

  • national
  • state and territory.

Source

Statistics are compiled from:

  • Census of Population and Housing
  • each state/territory registry of births, deaths and marriages
  • Department of Home Affairs
  • Services Australia
  • Department of Defence.

Collection method

Concepts, sources and methods

Descriptions of the underlying concepts and methods used are available in Population Estimates: Concepts, Sources and Methods.

History of changes

  • In the December 2024 reference period interstate migration estimates were revised intercensally.
  • From January 2022 to March 2023, changes were made to how the preliminary estimates were modelled for overseas migration, due to COVID-19.
View full methodology
Back to top of the page