199,964 ▲ +63.6%
Higher than 96% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 122,205
- 2016: 137,535
- 2021: 199,964
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Melbourne · Federal Electorate
Demographics & Identity in Melbourne
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A typical age of just 31 makes Melbourne one of the youngest areas at this level. This shift is a major change for the city, with the population growing by 64% to reach 199,964 people since 2011. The area is now dominated by young adults, who make up nearly half of all residents.
199,964
▲ +63.6%
- 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 Melbourne — higher than 96% of areas.
| Melbourne | 199,964 |
|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne | 4,917,750 |
| Victoria | 6,503,491 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population has grown significantly since 2011, adding about 77,759 people. This growth has coincided with a sharp drop in age; the typical resident is now 11 years younger than they were in 2011.
31 yrs ▼ -26.2%
Younger than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 42 yrs
- 2016: 43 yrs
- 2021: 31 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Young adults aged 25 to 44 make up 49.3% of the population. This explains why children under 15 (8.1%) and seniors aged 65 and over (8.7%) are both far below the national figures.
8.7% ▼ -53.3%
Lower than 98% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 18.5%
- 2016: 20.0%
- 2021: 8.7%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
8.1% ▼ -52.1%
Lower than 93% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 16.8%
- 2016: 16.6%
- 2021: 8.1%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 49%, followed by Youth (15–24) (18%) and Older adults (45–64) (16%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
De facto relationships are very common here at 20.4%, which is well above the national figure of 11.5%. Most residents have never been married (65.3%), while the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is small at 0.6%.
0.6% ▲ +277.3%
Lower than 88% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 0.1%
- 2016: 0.2%
- 2021: 0.6%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
20.4% ▲ +397.6%
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 4.1%
- 2016: 5.3%
- 2021: 20.4%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Melbourne, Never married is the majority at 65%; Married is next at 24%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED233/melbourne/topic/demographics-identity