390,519 ▲ +14.0%
Higher than 81% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 342,605
- 2016: 359,106
- 2021: 390,519
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie · Region (SA4)
Demographics & Identity in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A higher proportion of seniors and Indigenous residents marks Newcastle and Lake Macquarie compared to state and national figures. The region has grown significantly, adding about 47,914 people since 2011 to reach a total population of 390,519. This growth happens alongside a gradual shift toward an older resident profile.
390,519
▲ +14.0%
- 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 Newcastle and Lake Macquarie — higher than 81% of areas.
| Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 390,519 |
|---|---|
| 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 area is larger than about 82% of similar regions, with a population that grew 14% since 2011. The typical resident is now 40, which is a little older than the national figure of 38.
40 yrs ▲ +2.6%
Older than 50% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 39 yrs
- 2016: 40 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 19.9% of the population, a figure that is higher than most areas and rose 2.8 percentage points since 2011. Meanwhile, the share of children under 15 is 17.3%, which is about the same as the rest of the country.
19.9% ▲ +16.4%
Higher than 67% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 17.1%
- 2016: 18.6%
- 2021: 19.9%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.3% ▼ -3.6%
Lower than 58% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 18.0%
- 2016: 17.7%
- 2021: 17.3%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Newcastle and Lake Macquarie splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (26%) and Older adults (45–64) (24%), with Seniors (65+) at 20%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 5.1% of the population, which is a little above the national figure of 3.2%. De facto relationships are also more common here than in most areas, at 12.6%.
5.1% ▲ +77.7%
Higher than 69% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 2.9%
- 2016: 3.9%
- 2021: 5.1%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
12.6% ▲ +33.1%
Higher than 58% of region (sa4) areas.
- 2011: 9.4%
- 2016: 10.7%
- 2021: 12.6%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, the largest group is Married at 44%, followed by Never married (37%) and Divorced (10%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/111/newcastle-and-lake-macquarie/topic/demographics-identity