Australia's population was approximately 26.97 million at the end of 2023 (December 31, 2023), a ~2.5% annual increase driven mainly by overseas migration, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A slightly different figure of around 26.64 million reflects the mid-year point (June 30, 2023).
While Australia doesn't ask about "race," the 2021 Census shows a large European ancestry: 57.2% reported European ancestry, with English (33%), Australian (29.9%), Irish (9.5%), and Scottish (8.6%) being the most common, indicating a significant "white" population, though many identify with multiple backgrounds, making exact percentages complex.
India has the most immigrants arriving in Australia in recent years, leading in new migrant arrivals and skilled visas, though England and China also contribute significantly to Australia's overall overseas-born population, with India rapidly becoming the top source country for new migrants.
As of June 30, 2025, Australia's population was approximately 27.6 million, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reporting a growth of 1.5% (420,100 people) in the prior year, driven by strong net overseas migration. Projections suggested continued growth towards 30 million in the coming decade, with significant contributions from migration.
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.
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.
Australia's top nationalities, based on the country of birth, consistently feature England, India, China, and New Zealand, with England often leading, followed by India and China experiencing significant growth in recent years, and New Zealand also holding a strong position in the foreign-born population.
Several states have less than 1,000,000 people, and Wyoming holds the title of the least-populated state, with fewer than 600,000. How do the other states rank?
Is it cheaper to live in Australia or America? It depends on where you're comparing. Major U.S. cities like New York or San Francisco are typically more expensive than Sydney or Melbourne, but overall living costs—especially groceries and housing—can be higher in Australia due to import prices and taxes.
The latter, in effect, is an adjustment to the former to incorporate the 12/16 rule, whereby an arrival counts as an overseas migrant arrival if the person stays in Australia for 12 of the following 16 months.
The proportion of Australia's population born outside Australia was 31.5%. England, India, China and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations. Those born in India recorded the largest increase since 2014.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
82% of people in England and Wales are White, and 18% belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group (2021 Census data). Find information about the experiences and outcomes of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated Anglo-Celtic ancestries were: English Australian: 8,395,928. Irish Australian: 2,410,833. Scottish Australian: 2,176,777.
By 2017 China surpassed New Zealand as the top source of visitors to Australia, and in 2019 Chinese visitors reached a peak of over 1.4 million and had contributed about A$12 billion to the Australian economy.
The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Australia's population was 36.9 years.
In Australia there are almost 100,000 more women than men, with 6 out of our 8 states and territories experiencing a man drought, while the Northern Territory and Western Australia have a significant male surplus.
#2: Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese is the second most spoken language in Australia, with over 600,000 speakers. The growing number of Chinese immigrants and students in recent years has also made it the most widely spoken Asian language in the country.
Midlife is generally acknowledged as one's early 40s to early 60s; with increases in longevity and health, the range continues to be redefined upwards, with some now arguing that mid-life begins at 45, not the "classic" age 40.
Carrying capacity
A 2012 United Nations report summarized 65 different estimated maximum sustainable population sizes and the most common estimate was 8 billion. Advocates of reduced population often put forward much lower numbers. Paul R. Ehrlich stated in 2018 that the optimum population is between 1.5 and 2 billion.
The UN estimates that the world's population will top out at 10.3 billion by 2080 before it enters a slow descent, ending 100 million lower by 2100.
The world's population is projected to continue growing for the next 50 to 60 years, peaking at approximately 10.3 billion by the mid-2080. After reaching this peak, it is expected to gradually decline to around 10.2 billion by the century's end.