While Melbourne often edges out Sydney in recent population estimates, Sydney remains Australia's most populous and densely populated city, generally considered the busiest hub for business, tourism, and flights, though Brisbane leads in traffic congestion, and the Melbourne-Sydney route is the busiest domestic flight path.
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As the most-visited destination in Australia, Brisbane is set to continue its upward trajectory in the tourism industry, especially in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics.
NSW has the highest population of any state in Australia, with 8,153,000 residents as of 30 June 2022. Nearly a third of all Australians live in NSW, with most living in the Greater Sydney region.
Fremantle crowned Australia's Top Tourism Town. Fremantle is thrilled to be crowned Australia's Top Tourism Town for 2025, as announced at an awards ceremony this morning at Parliament House in Canberra.
Topping the list of world city populations is Tokyo. With a population of 37.2 million, it has become the city with the highest population density in the world.
Nothing comes close to Mong Kok in Hong Kong
For this Hong Kong district is believed to be the most densely populated place on planet Earth. With more than 340,000 people per square mile, nothing comes close.
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Sydney is generally considered Australia's richest city, often topping lists for high-net-worth individuals, property values, and its strong financial sector, though Melbourne consistently ranks close behind, with both cities featuring in global wealth reports alongside Perth and Brisbane. Sydney leads in overall wealth indicators and is Australia's financial hub, while expensive suburbs are found across these major cities, including some in Western Australia and Victoria.
There isn't one single "fastest-growing" city, as it depends on the metric (absolute numbers vs. percentage) and time frame, but Melbourne often leads in absolute population growth (largest number of new residents) for major cities, while Perth and regional areas like Mandurah (WA) and parts of Victoria (Surf Coast, Mitchell, Melton) show very high percentage growth, driven by migration, lifestyle, and affordability. For recent periods (2022-23), Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane added the most people, with Melbourne and Perth having the highest growth rates among capitals.
The oldest and first city to be built in Australia is Sydney. Sydney officially became the first Australian city in 1842 after Great Britain colonised New South Wales. The state of New South Wales was founded by Governor Arthur Phillips alongside the First Fleet, who immigrated to Australia in 1788.
While reports vary slightly, Brisbane is frequently cited as Australia's most congested city by time lost in traffic, often ranking high globally (around 10th) for peak hour delays, with commuters losing dozens of hours annually, though some sources place Melbourne and Sydney as having higher costs or variability. Melbourne and Sydney consistently rank second and third for congestion within Australia.
Not only did Canberra top the global list, but it also ranked as the highest Australian city across four of the six core quality-of-life indicators: income per person, income equality, housing expenditure and life expectancy. Discover more about what makes Canberra stand out.
The most remote town in Australia is probably Kiwirrkurra*1 in Australia's Gibson Desert around 850KM west of Alice springs, and 1200- kilometer East of Port Hedland. Around 3000 km North East of Perth.
About 90% of the world's human population lives in the Northern Hemisphere, primarily due to more habitable land, favorable climates for agriculture, and the historical development of large civilizations in Asia, Europe, and North America, despite the Southern Hemisphere having significant landmasses like Australia, Southern Africa, and most of South America.
As of late 2025/early 2026, India has surpassed China to become the world's most populous country, with both nations having populations exceeding 1.4 billion people, followed by the United States, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023.
It depends on how you measure: Melbourne has overtaken Sydney as Australia's most populous city using the "Significant Urban Area" (SUA) definition, due to boundary changes. However, using the broader "Greater Capital City" (GCC) measure, which includes surrounding areas like the Central Coast, Sydney remains larger, though the gap is narrowing.
World's Best Cities ranking
There's no single "most beautiful" town, but Richmond, Tasmania, often tops lists for its historic Georgian architecture and colonial bridge, while Noosa, Queensland, and Byron Bay, NSW, are famous for stunning beaches and vibrant vibes, and coastal towns like Esperance, WA, and Port Fairy, VIC, are celebrated for breathtaking natural beauty, making your choice depend on whether you prefer history, coast, or countryside charm**.
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
Founded in 1893, Marble Bar has earned a reputation as Australia's hottest town.