Population in Australia
Australia: Population was 26.45 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Australia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population in Australia stood at 26.45 million people. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Australia peaked at 26.45 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.18 million people, in 1950.
Australia ranks 54th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 9.12 million people | 8.18 million people | 10.06 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.26 million people | 10.28 million people | 12.27 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.72 million people | 12.60 million people | 14.53 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.76 million people | 14.72 million people | 16.87 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.02 million people | 17.13 million people | 18.91 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.30 million people | 19.13 million people | 21.78 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.79 million people | 22.14 million people | 25.48 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.09 million people | 25.74 million people | 26.45 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More population data for Australia
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.09 million people (2100)
- Population density 5.61 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.48 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 29,511 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.48 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.48 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.5% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.64 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Australia?
- Population in Australia was 26.45 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.45 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.18 million people in 1950.
- How does Australia rank for population?
- Australia ranks 54th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.