33,311 ▲ +11.6%
Lower than 76% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 29,848
- 2016: 31,272
- 2021: 33,311
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Great Lakes · Sub-region (SA3)
Demographics & Identity in Great Lakes
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Nearly half of all adults in Great Lakes are married, reflecting a mature population where the typical resident is 56. This is far older than the national figure and represents a significant shift toward an older demographic over the last decade. The area's population has grown by 12% since 2011 to reach 33,311 people.
33,311
▲ +11.6%
- 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 Great Lakes — lower than 76% of areas.
| Great Lakes | 33,311 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NSW | 2,829,637 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
Residents here are far older than those in the rest of the state and country, with the typical age now 56. This age has risen by 5 years since 2011.
56 yrs ▲ +9.8%
Older than 99% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 51 yrs
- 2016: 54 yrs
- 2021: 56 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 35.8% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. This trend explains why children under 15 are well below the state average at only 13.3%.
35.8% ▲ +21.2%
Higher than 99% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 29.6%
- 2016: 33.3%
- 2021: 35.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
13.3% ▼ -14.7%
Lower than 89% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 15.6%
- 2016: 14.2%
- 2021: 13.3%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Great Lakes, the largest group is Seniors (65+) at 36%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (27%) and Young adults (25–44) (16%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.0% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. About 11.0% of residents are in a de facto relationship, a figure about the same as the national average.
6.0% ▲ +53.9%
Higher than 77% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 3.9%
- 2016: 5.2%
- 2021: 6.0%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.0% ▲ +23.9%
Lower than 72% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 8.9%
- 2016: 10.0%
- 2021: 11.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Great Lakes, the largest group is Married at 47%, followed by Never married (26%) and Divorced (13%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Great Lakes
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Great Lakes [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/10801/great-lakes/topic/demographics-identity