2,087,667 ▲ +23.1%
Higher than 89% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 1,695,677
- 2016: 1,916,847
- 2021: 2,087,667
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Major Cities of Australia · Remoteness Area
Demographics & Identity in Major Cities of Australia
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Nearly half of the 2,087,667 people in the Major Cities of Australia are married. This massive urban population has grown by 23% since 2011, creating a diverse age mix where young adults make up the largest group at 28.9%.
2,087,667
▲ +23.1%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–5: 0 areas
- 5–9: 0 areas
- 9–16: 2 areas
- 16–28: 1 area
- 28–50: 1 area
- 50–87: 0 areas
- 87–152: 1 area
- 152–265: 1 area
- 265–463: 1 area
- 463–808: 3 areas
- 808–1,412: 1 area
- 1,412–2,466: 0 areas
- 2,466–4,308: 4 areas
- 4,308–7,525: 2 areas
- 7,525–13,147: 4 areas
- 13,147–22,967: 2 areas
- 22,967–40,122: 1 area
- 40,122–70,092: 5 areas
- 70,092–122,448: 2 areas
- 122,448–213,911: 5 areas
- 213,911–373,695: 3 areas
- 373,695–652,831: 2 areas
- 652,831–1,140,471: 2 areas
- 1,140,471–1,992,358: 3 areas
- 1,992,358–3,480,573: 2 areas
- 3,480,573–6,080,428: 2 areas
All remoteness area areas, 2021. The marker is Major Cities of Australia — higher than 89% of areas.
| Major Cities of Australia | 2,087,667 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population grew by about 391,990 people since 2011. The typical resident is 37, which is a little younger than the national figure and lower than most similar areas.
37 yrs ▲ +2.8%
Younger than 75% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 36 yrs
- 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 19% of the population, a figure much higher than most areas. Meanwhile, the proportion of seniors aged 65 and over rose 3.3 percentage points since 2011 to reach 15.8%.
15.8% ▲ +26.3%
Lower than 53% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 12.5%
- 2016: 13.8%
- 2021: 15.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
19.0% ▼ -1.2%
Higher than 75% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 19.2%
- 2016: 19.1%
- 2021: 19.0%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Major Cities of Australia splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (29%) and Older adults (45–64) (24%), with Children (0–14) at 19%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 2% of the population, which is a little below the national figure. Those in de facto relationships account for 11.5% of residents, a rate much lower than most areas.
2.0% ▲ +26.9%
Lower than 84% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 1.5%
- 2016: 1.6%
- 2021: 2.0%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.5% ▲ +13.3%
Lower than 79% of remoteness area areas.
- 2011: 10.2%
- 2016: 11.0%
- 2021: 11.5%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Major Cities of Australia, the largest group is Married at 48%, followed by Never married (36%) and Divorced (9%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Major Cities of Australia
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Major Cities of Australia [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ra/RA50/major-cities-of-australia/topic/demographics-identity