134,762 ▲ +11.8%
Higher than 86% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 120,524
- 2016: 128,301
- 2021: 134,762
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Wollongong · Sub-region (SA3)
Demographics & Identity in Wollongong
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
More than 14,000 people have moved to Wollongong since 2011, bringing the total population to 134,762. This growth has happened alongside a shift toward an older population, with the typical resident now 39 years old. It is a diverse area where nearly 45% of adults are married.
134,762
▲ +11.8%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–2: 0 areas
- 2–4: 0 areas
- 4–6: 0 areas
- 6–9: 2 areas
- 9–15: 2 areas
- 15–23: 1 area
- 23–37: 0 areas
- 37–57: 1 area
- 57–90: 0 areas
- 90–141: 1 area
- 141–221: 1 area
- 221–347: 1 area
- 347–545: 2 areas
- 545–854: 3 areas
- 854–1,340: 0 areas
- 1,340–2,101: 3 areas
- 2,101–3,296: 1 area
- 3,296–5,169: 2 areas
- 5,169–8,107: 3 areas
- 8,107–12,714: 7 areas
- 12,714–19,940: 16 areas
- 19,940–31,273: 30 areas
- 31,273–49,048: 61 areas
- 49,048–76,924: 90 areas
- 76,924–120,643: 70 areas
- 120,643–189,211: 46 areas
- 189,211–296,748: 12 areas
All sub-region (sa3) areas, 2021. The marker is Wollongong — higher than 86% of areas.
| Wollongong | 134,762 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NSW | 2,829,637 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population is larger than about 87% of similar areas. Since 2011, the community has grown by 12% and the typical resident has become two years older.
39 yrs ▲ +5.4%
Younger than 57% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 37 yrs
- 2016: 38 yrs
- 2021: 39 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Older residents are increasing, with those aged 65 and over rising to 18.2% since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 now make up 16.7% of the population, which is a little below the national figure.
18.2% ▲ +15.2%
Higher than 53% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 15.8%
- 2016: 17.0%
- 2021: 18.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
16.7% ▼ -6.1%
Lower than 66% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 17.8%
- 2016: 17.3%
- 2021: 16.7%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Wollongong splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (26%) and Older adults (45–64) (25%), with Seniors (65+) at 18%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
About 2.5% of the population identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure that has barely changed since 2011. People in de facto relationships make up 11.2% of the area, which is lower than most similar places.
2.5% ▲ +43.5%
Lower than 52% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 1.7%
- 2016: 2.1%
- 2021: 2.5%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.2% ▲ +35.8%
Lower than 69% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 8.3%
- 2016: 9.4%
- 2021: 11.2%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Wollongong, the largest group is Married at 44%, followed by Never married (39%) and Divorced (9%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Wollongong
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Wollongong [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/10704/wollongong/topic/demographics-identity