11,548 ▲ +23.9%
Higher than 88% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 9,317
- 2016: 10,920
- 2021: 11,548
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
South Melbourne · Suburb / Locality
Demographics & Identity in South Melbourne
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Nearly 40% of South Melbourne residents are young adults aged 25 to 44, making it a primary hub for this age group. The area has a total population of 11,548 people. This creates a community that is generally younger than the typical Australian suburb, with a high proportion of people in de facto relationships.
11,548
▲ +23.9%
- 1–1: 689 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 119 areas
- 3–5: 108 areas
- 5–7: 243 areas
- 7–11: 241 areas
- 11–16: 514 areas
- 16–24: 579 areas
- 24–36: 898 areas
- 36–53: 1059 areas
- 53–79: 1168 areas
- 79–117: 1203 areas
- 117–174: 1171 areas
- 174–258: 1010 areas
- 258–384: 856 areas
- 384–571: 670 areas
- 571–850: 616 areas
- 850–1,263: 567 areas
- 1,263–1,879: 520 areas
- 1,879–2,794: 590 areas
- 2,794–4,154: 679 areas
- 4,154–6,177: 585 areas
- 6,177–9,186: 528 areas
- 9,186–13,659: 405 areas
- 13,659–20,311: 195 areas
- 20,311–30,202: 96 areas
- 30,202–44,910: 33 areas
- 44,910–66,781: 10 areas
All suburb / locality areas, 2021. The marker is South Melbourne — higher than 88% of areas.
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident in South Melbourne is 39 years old, which is a little older than the national figure of 38.
39 yrs ▲ +5.4%
Younger than 74% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 37 yrs
- 2016: 36 yrs
- 2021: 39 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Families with children are much less common here than in most areas, with children under 15 making up only 11.6% of the population. This is well below the 18.2% national average.
14.8% ▲ +15.9%
Lower than 68% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 12.7%
- 2016: 13.7%
- 2021: 14.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
11.6% ▼ -0.8%
Lower than 79% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 11.7%
- 2016: 11.6%
- 2021: 11.6%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In South Melbourne, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 39%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (26%) and Seniors (65+) (15%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
A high number of people live in de facto relationships, at 19.1%, which is well above the 11.5% seen across Australia. Meanwhile, 0.6% of the population identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is a little below the national figure.
0.6% ▲ +24.8%
Lower than 65% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 0.5%
- 2016: 0.5%
- 2021: 0.6%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
19.1% ▲ +19.2%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 16.0%
- 2016: 17.5%
- 2021: 19.1%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In South Melbourne, the largest group is Never married at 49%, followed by Married (33%) and Divorced (11%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for South Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in South Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL22310/south-melbourne/topic/demographics-identity