Population

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

In this issue, the ABS has rebased the population estimates to the 2021 Census of Population. Rebased estimates supersede all estimates from June 2016, for further information see Methodology used in rebased population estimates, June 2021.
 

• Australia’s population was 25,890,773 people at 31 March 2022.
• The quarterly growth was 124,200 people (0.5%).
• The annual growth was 234,100 people (0.9%).
• Annual natural increase was 130,200 and net overseas migration was 109,600.

• Life expectancy at birth was 81.3 years for males and 85.4 years for females in 2019-21.
• The Australian Capital Territory had the highest male (82.7 years) and female (86.3 years) life expectancy of the states and territories.

• People living in the capitals increased by 2.5 million (17%) between 2011 and 2021.
• Melbourne had the largest increase (806,800), Darwin grew the least (19,700).
• Canberra had the highest growth rate (23%), Adelaide had the lowest (11%).
• Regional Australia grew by 832,000 (11%).

• There were 309,996 registered births in 2021, an increase of 15,627 (5.3%) from 2020.
• For all Australian women, the total fertility rate was 1.70 births per woman.
• For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the total fertility rate was 2.34 births per woman.

• The 2021 Census counted 25,422,788 people in Australia (excludes overseas visitors), an increase of 8.6 per cent since the 2016 Census.
• 49.3 per cent of the population were male with a median age of 37 years old.
• 50.7 per cent of the population were female with the median age of 39 years old.

• There were 171,469 registered deaths in 2021, an increase of 10,169 since 2020.
• The standardised death rate increased to 5.1 deaths, from 4.9 in 2020.
• Infant deaths increased by 66 deaths to 1,009.

• The median age for capital cities (37.1 years) was younger than the rest of Australia (41.8).
• The youngest capital was Darwin with a median age of 34.5 years, while Adelaide was the oldest (39.3).
• Darwin was the only capital with more males than females.

• The Census net undercount was 0.7% (190,044 persons).
• The Northern Territory recorded the highest net undercount (6.0%) while the Australian Capital Territory recorded a net overcount (-0.6%).
• Males were more likely to be missed in the Census (1.3% net undercount) compared with females (0.2%).
• The net undercount for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 17.4%.

• 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.

• 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