174,420 ▲ +25.4%
Higher than 69% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 139,138
- 2016: 156,796
- 2021: 174,420
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Hunter · Federal Electorate
Demographics & Identity in Hunter
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Higher proportions of seniors and Indigenous residents than most similar areas define the Hunter. This region has grown significantly, adding about 35,282 people since 2011. While the population is generally older than the national average, it remains a diverse community with a strong presence of families and elders.
174,420
▲ +25.4%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–2: 0 areas
- 2–4: 0 areas
- 4–6: 0 areas
- 6–9: 0 areas
- 9–14: 2 areas
- 14–21: 1 area
- 21–33: 0 areas
- 33–51: 1 area
- 51–79: 0 areas
- 79–122: 1 area
- 122–189: 1 area
- 189–293: 0 areas
- 293–453: 0 areas
- 453–702: 2 areas
- 702–1,086: 0 areas
- 1,086–1,681: 1 area
- 1,681–2,602: 0 areas
- 2,602–4,028: 2 areas
- 4,028–6,235: 0 areas
- 6,235–9,652: 2 areas
- 9,652–14,940: 2 areas
- 14,940–23,126: 0 areas
- 23,126–35,796: 0 areas
- 35,796–55,409: 0 areas
- 55,409–85,768: 0 areas
- 85,768–132,761: 7 areas
- 132,761–205,501: 144 areas
All federal electorate areas, 2021. The marker is Hunter — higher than 69% of areas.
| Hunter | 174,420 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NSW | 2,829,637 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population of the Hunter grew by 25% since 2011 to reach 174,420 people. Residents are a little older than the national typical age of 38, with the typical person here being 40.
40 yrs ▼ -2.4%
Older than 57% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 41 yrs
- 2016: 40 yrs
- 2021: 40 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 19.8% of the community, which is a little above the national figure and has risen since 2011. Children under 15 account for 19.0% of the population, which is about the same as the state and national figures.
19.8% ▲ +19.6%
Higher than 71% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 16.5%
- 2016: 18.2%
- 2021: 19.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
19.0% ▼ -8.4%
Higher than 67% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 20.7%
- 2016: 19.6%
- 2021: 19.0%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Hunter splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (25%) and Older adults (45–64) (25%), with Seniors (65+) at 20%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 8.0% of the population, which is well above the 3.2% national average. De facto relationships are also more common here than in most areas, accounting for 12.7% of residents.
8.0% ▲ +178.4%
Higher than 87% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 2.9%
- 2016: 5.9%
- 2021: 8.0%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
12.7% ▲ +34.3%
Higher than 65% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 9.5%
- 2016: 11.4%
- 2021: 12.7%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Hunter, the largest group is Married at 46%, followed by Never married (35%) and Divorced (10%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Hunter
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Hunter [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED121/hunter/topic/demographics-identity