Population

Statistics in this release are commonly known as Estimated Resident Population (ERP).

• Australia’s population was 25,750,198 people at 30 September 2021.
• The quarterly growth was 12,100 people (0.05%).
• The annual growth was 68,900 people (0.3%).
• Annual natural increase was 136,200 and net overseas migration was -67,300.

• People living in the capitals decreased by 26,000 (-0.1%). 
• The decline comprised net overseas (-84,700) and internal (-49,200) migration losses, and natural increase (107,900).
• Melbourne had the largest decline (-60,500), Brisbane grew the most (21,900).
• Regional Australia grew by 70,900 (0.9%).

• In 2021, 29.1% of Australia's population were born overseas. This decreased from 29.8% in 2020 
• 7.5 million people resident in Australia in 2021 were born overseas
• Largest group of overseas-born were born in England, however Indian-born was the group with the largest increase since 2011
• In 2020, Australia ranked 9th internationally for the total number of migrants in its population.

• Overseas migration 2020-21 - net loss of 88,800 people - the first loss since 1946 and second lowest on record
• Immigration fell 71% to 145,800 from 506,900 arrivals a year ago
• Emigration fell 25% to 234,600 from 314,200 departures a year ago

• A decline was recorded in net overseas migration in every state and territory in 2020-21.

• There were 294,369 registered births in 2020, a decrease of 3.7% from 2019.
• For all Australian women, the total fertility rate was 1.58 births per woman.
• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the total fertility rate was 2.25 births per woman.

• Life expectancy at birth was 81.2 years for males and 85.3 years for females in 2018-20
• The Australian Capital Territory had the highest male (82.1 years) and female (85.9 years) life expectancy of the states and territories

• There were 161,300 registered deaths in 2020, a decrease of 8,001 since 2019
• The standardised death rate decreased to 4.9 deaths, from 5.3 in 2019
• Infant deaths decreased by 66 deaths to 943

• The median age for capital cities (36.5 years) was younger than the rest of Australia (41.4).
• The youngest capital was Darwin with a median age of 34.7 years, while Hobart was the oldest (39.7).
• Darwin was the only capital with more males than females.

• 104,100 people moved interstate in the three months to the end of March 2021.
• 16,400 more people moved interstate compared with the March 2020 quarter.
• Capital cities had a net loss of 11,800 people from internal migration, the largest quarterly net loss on record.

For the year ending 30 June 2020:

• There were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia
• 29.8% of Australia's population were born overseas
• Australia's population increased by 194,400 people due to net overseas migration
• 368,700 people moved interstate, a decrease of 8.7% from the previous year.

• The population increased from 4 million in 1901 to 24 million in 2016.
• Australians living in urban areas increased from 60% in 1911 to 90%.
• Fertility fell from 3.1 births per woman in 1921 to 1.8.
• Life expectancy increased by 25 years since the early 1900s.

• The number of households is projected to increase from 9.2 million in 2016 to between 12.6 and 13.2 million in 2041.
• The number of families is projected to increase from 6.7 million to between 9.2 and 9.4 million. 
• Living with a partner is projected to remain the most common living arrangement. 

This product contains the digital boundaries for the Destination Zones (DZNs) used in the 2016 Census of Population and Housing