145,507 ▼ -22.8%
Lower than 75% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 188,464
- 2016: 202,955
- 2021: 145,507
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Canberra · Federal Electorate
Demographics & Identity in Canberra
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A population drop of 23% since 2011 has shifted the makeup of Canberra, which now has 145,507 residents. The area remains noticeably younger than the national average, with the typical resident aged 35.
145,507
▼ -22.8%
- 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 Canberra — lower than 75% of areas.
| Canberra | 145,507 |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 453,890 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 454,499 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical age of 35 is about the same as the ACT average and much lower than most other areas. However, the population has aged by 3 years since 2011.
35 yrs ▲ +9.4%
Younger than 86% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 32 yrs
- 2016: 33 yrs
- 2021: 35 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Children under 15 make up 14.1% of the population, which is well below the national figure. Meanwhile, the proportion of people aged 65 and over rose by 5.6 percentage points since 2011 to reach 15.0%.
15.0% ▲ +59.3%
Lower than 63% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 9.4%
- 2016: 10.7%
- 2021: 15.0%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
14.1% ▼ -23.6%
Lower than 87% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 18.5%
- 2016: 20.1%
- 2021: 14.1%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Canberra, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 32%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (22%) and Youth (15–24) (17%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
De facto relationships are much more common here than in most areas, at 14.3%. People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent make up 1.4% of the population, which is a little below the national figure.
1.4% ▲ +6.0%
Lower than 64% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 1.3%
- 2016: 1.6%
- 2021: 1.4%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
14.3% ▲ +23.8%
Higher than 86% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 11.5%
- 2016: 11.9%
- 2021: 14.3%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Canberra, the largest group is Never married at 46%, followed by Married (40%) and Divorced (7%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Canberra
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Canberra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED802/canberra/topic/demographics-identity