313,842 ▲ +13.7%
Higher than 72% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 275,983
- 2016: 293,494
- 2021: 313,842
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Illawarra · Region (SA4)
Demographics & Identity in Illawarra
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
More than 37,000 people moved into Illawarra since 2011, causing the population to grow by 14%. This growth has come alongside a shift toward an older community, with the typical resident now 40 years old.
313,842
▲ +13.7%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 0 areas
- 4–7: 0 areas
- 7–11: 1 area
- 11–19: 1 area
- 19–30: 1 area
- 30–50: 1 area
- 50–81: 0 areas
- 81–132: 1 area
- 132–214: 1 area
- 214–349: 0 areas
- 349–569: 1 area
- 569–927: 1 area
- 927–1,511: 1 area
- 1,511–2,461: 0 areas
- 2,461–4,010: 2 areas
- 4,010–6,532: 1 area
- 6,532–10,641: 2 areas
- 10,641–17,336: 2 areas
- 17,336–28,242: 0 areas
- 28,242–46,009: 1 area
- 46,009–74,953: 0 areas
- 74,953–122,107: 9 areas
- 122,107–198,924: 21 areas
- 198,924–324,066: 28 areas
- 324,066–527,936: 21 areas
- 527,936–860,060: 8 areas
All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Illawarra — higher than 72% of areas.
| Illawarra | 313,842 |
|---|---|
| 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 total population reached 313,842 people in 2021, making it larger than about 73% of similar areas. The typical resident is now 40, which is a little older than the national figure of 38.
40 yrs ▲ +5.3%
Older than 50% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 38 yrs
- 2016: 39 yrs
- 2021: 40 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 19.2% of the population, which is higher than most areas and a little above the national figure. This group rose by 3 points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 fell slightly to 17.9%.
19.2% ▲ +18.7%
Higher than 61% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 16.2%
- 2016: 17.9%
- 2021: 19.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.9% ▼ -6.4%
Higher than 53% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 19.1%
- 2016: 18.3%
- 2021: 17.9%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Illawarra splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (25%) and Older adults (45–64) (25%), with Seniors (65+) at 19%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.6% of the population, which is about the same as the state and national figures. Most residents are married (46.1%), while those in de facto relationships (11.3%) are fewer than in most areas.
3.6% ▲ +54.0%
Higher than 53% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 2.3%
- 2016: 2.8%
- 2021: 3.6%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.3% ▲ +40.8%
Lower than 73% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 8.0%
- 2016: 9.3%
- 2021: 11.3%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Illawarra, the largest group is Married at 46%, 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 Illawarra
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Illawarra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/107/illawarra/topic/demographics-identity