141,091 ▲ +12.5%
Higher than 87% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 125,426
- 2016: 135,070
- 2021: 141,091
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Canterbury · Sub-region (SA3)
Demographics & Identity in Canterbury
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Noticeably younger residents define Canterbury, where the typical person is 36, compared to 39 in New South Wales. The area has grown significantly, adding about 15,665 people since 2011 to reach a total population of 141,091. It is a diverse age mix where young adults make up the largest group at 30.6%.
141,091
▲ +12.5%
- 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 Canterbury — higher than 87% of areas.
| Canterbury | 141,091 |
|---|---|
| Greater Sydney | 5,231,147 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
Canterbury is larger than about 88% of similar areas. Its population grew by 12% between 2011 and 2021, while the typical age of residents rose slightly from 35 to 36 years.
36 yrs ▲ +2.9%
Younger than 79% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 35 yrs
- 2016: 35 yrs
- 2021: 36 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
The area is younger than the national figure, with 18.6% of people being children under 15. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 14.8% of the population, which is a little below the same figure for Australia.
14.8% ▲ +14.2%
Lower than 69% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 13.0%
- 2016: 13.3%
- 2021: 14.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
18.6% ▼ -9.9%
Higher than 61% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 20.6%
- 2016: 20.0%
- 2021: 18.6%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Canterbury, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 31%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (24%) and Children (0–14) (19%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 0.6% of the population, which is a little below the state and national figures. Those in de facto relationships are at 5.4%, well below the national figure of 11.5%.
0.6% ▲ +26.8%
Lower than 89% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 0.5%
- 2016: 0.6%
- 2021: 0.6%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
5.4% ▲ +47.1%
Lower than 99% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 3.7%
- 2016: 4.8%
- 2021: 5.4%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Canterbury, Married is the majority at 50%; Never married is next at 34%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Canterbury
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Canterbury [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/11902/canterbury/topic/demographics-identity