4,917,750 —
Higher than 99% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 4,485,211
- 2021: 4,917,750
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Greater Melbourne · Capital City
Demographics & Identity in Greater Melbourne
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Nearly 5 million people live in Greater Melbourne, making it one of the most populous areas in the country. The region is slightly younger than the national average, with a typical resident aged 37. This growth is significant, with the population increasing by about 432,539 people since 2016.
4,917,750
—
- 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 Melbourne — higher than 99% of areas.
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population reached 4,917,750 in 2021, which is among the highest for similar areas. The typical age is 37, which is a little younger than both the Victorian and Australian figures of 38.
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 18.1% of the population, a figure that is higher than most similar areas and about the same as the national average. Seniors aged 65 and over account for 15.0%, which is a little below the national figure of 17.2%.
15.0% —
Higher than 57% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 14.0%
- 2021: 15.0%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
18.1% —
Higher than 71% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 18.3%
- 2021: 18.1%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Greater Melbourne, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 31%, 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 0.7% of the population, which is much lower than most similar areas. People in de facto relationships account for 10.7%, a figure that is about the same as the national average but much lower than in most similar areas.
0.7% —
Lower than 94% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 0.5%
- 2021: 0.7%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
10.7% —
Lower than 89% of capital city areas.
- 2016: 9.5%
- 2021: 10.7%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Greater Melbourne, the largest group is Married at 47%, followed by Never married (38%) and Divorced (8%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Greater Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Greater Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/gccsa/2GMEL/greater-melbourne/topic/demographics-identity