5,231,147 —
Higher than 99% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 4,823,991
- 2021: 5,231,147
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Greater Sydney · Capital City
Demographics & Identity in Greater Sydney
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Over 407,000 people moved into Greater Sydney between 2016 and 2021, pushing the total population to 5,231,147. This growth has happened alongside a slight ageing of the population, though the typical resident remains a little younger than the national figure at 37.
5,231,147
—
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–5: 0 areas
- 5–9: 0 areas
- 9–16: 2 areas
- 16–28: 1 area
- 28–48: 1 area
- 48–83: 0 areas
- 83–144: 1 area
- 144–251: 1 area
- 251–436: 0 areas
- 436–758: 2 areas
- 758–1,316: 0 areas
- 1,316–2,287: 1 area
- 2,287–3,974: 2 areas
- 3,974–6,906: 1 area
- 6,906–11,999: 3 areas
- 11,999–20,850: 1 area
- 20,850–36,228: 0 areas
- 36,228–62,950: 0 areas
- 62,950–109,382: 1 area
- 109,382–190,063: 1 area
- 190,063–330,254: 2 areas
- 330,254–573,849: 3 areas
- 573,849–997,120: 0 areas
- 997,120–1,732,595: 2 areas
- 1,732,595–3,010,558: 4 areas
- 3,010,558–5,231,147: 2 areas
All capital city areas, 2021. The marker is Greater Sydney — higher than 99% of areas.
| Greater Sydney | 5,231,147 |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
Greater Sydney has one of the highest populations at this level, with 5,231,147 people. The typical resident is 37, which is a little younger than the typical person in Australia.
37 yrs —
Younger than 77% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 36 yrs
- 2021: 37 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 18.4% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. Meanwhile, the proportion of people aged 65 and over rose to 15.2%, though this is still a little below the national figure.
15.2% —
Higher than 58% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 13.9%
- 2021: 15.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
18.4% —
Higher than 76% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 18.7%
- 2021: 18.4%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Greater Sydney, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 30%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (24%) and Children (0–14) (18%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 1.7% of the population, which is much lower than most similar areas. Those in de facto relationships account for 9.7%, a figure that is among the lowest at this level.
1.7% —
Lower than 86% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 1.5%
- 2021: 1.7%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
9.7% —
Lower than 99% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 8.6%
- 2021: 9.7%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Greater Sydney, the largest group is Married at 48%, followed by Never married (36%) and Divorced (8%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Greater Sydney
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Greater Sydney [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/gccsa/1GSYD/greater-sydney/topic/demographics-identity