1 million or more · Section of State Range

Demographics & Identity in 1 million or more

Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.

A typical resident in 1 million or more is just 36 years old, making it a much younger area than most of its kind. This region has seen massive growth recently, adding about 790,000 people since 2011 to reach a total population of nearly 4.7 million.

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📍 1 million or more, Section of State Range

Where 1 million or more sits — Total population

4,698,656 ▲ +20.2%
  • 1–2: 3 areas
  • 2–3: 0 areas
  • 3–5: 0 areas
  • 5–9: 0 areas
  • 9–16: 2 areas
  • 16–27: 1 area
  • 27–47: 1 area
  • 47–81: 0 areas
  • 81–139: 1 area
  • 139–241: 1 area
  • 241–418: 0 areas
  • 418–723: 5 areas
  • 723–1,252: 1 area
  • 1,252–2,168: 3 areas
  • 2,168–3,752: 2 areas
  • 3,752–6,495: 1 area
  • 6,495–11,242: 3 areas
  • 11,242–19,459: 8 areas
  • 19,459–33,683: 7 areas
  • 33,683–58,304: 5 areas
  • 58,304–100,921: 11 areas
  • 100,921–174,689: 10 areas
  • 174,689–302,378: 9 areas
  • 302,378–523,401: 6 areas
  • 523,401–905,982: 3 areas
  • 905,982–1,568,210: 2 areas
  • 1,568,210–2,714,494: 2 areas
  • 2,714,494–4,698,656: 2 areas

All section of state range areas, 2021. The marker is 1 million or more — higher than 99% of areas.

Total population compared with the state and national average
1 million or more4,698,656
Australia 25,422,788

Population

How many people, and the typical age.

The population has grown 20% over the last decade. While the typical resident is a little younger than the national figure, the age of people here has risen slightly since 2011.

4,698,656 ▲ +20.2%

Higher than 99% of section of state range areas.

  • 2011: 3,908,642
  • 2016: 4,321,535
  • 2021: 4,698,656

The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.

36 yrs ▲ +2.9%

Younger than 86% of section of state range 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.

Children under 15 make up 18.4% of the population, which is higher than in most similar areas. Meanwhile, seniors aged 65 and over account for 14.5%, a figure that is a little below the national average but has risen since 2011.

14.5% ▲ +17.8%

Lower than 71% of section of state range areas.

  • 2011: 12.3%
  • 2016: 13.3%
  • 2021: 14.5%

Share of the population aged 65 years and over.

18.4% ▼ -3.6%

Higher than 62% of section of state range areas.

  • 2011: 19.1%
  • 2016: 18.6%
  • 2021: 18.4%

Share of the population aged under 15 years.

Age structure

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In 1 million or more, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 31%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (24%) and Children (0–14) (18%).

Identity & relationships

First Nations identity and marital status.

Indigenous Australians make up 1.4% of the population, which is among the lowest for areas at this level. People in de facto relationships account for 9.5%, a little below the national figure, though this has risen by 2.1 points since 2011.

1.4% ▲ +32.1%

Lower than 90% of section of state range areas.

  • 2011: 1.1%
  • 2016: 1.2%
  • 2021: 1.4%

Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

9.5% ▲ +28.8%

Lower than 99% of section of state range areas.

  • 2011: 7.4%
  • 2016: 8.4%
  • 2021: 9.5%

Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).

Marital status

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In 1 million or more, the largest group is Married at 48%, followed by Never married (37%) and Divorced (8%).

Age & sex structure

  • 85+: 85+: 35,566 males; 85+: 56,499 females
  • 80–84: 80–84: 39,328 males; 80–84: 48,463 females
  • 75–79: 75–79: 59,028 males; 75–79: 66,252 females
  • 70–74: 70–74: 83,423 males; 70–74: 91,508 females
  • 65–69: 65–69: 96,205 males; 65–69: 106,656 females
  • 60–64: 60–64: 116,630 males; 60–64: 124,266 females
  • 55–59: 55–59: 132,341 males; 55–59: 135,778 females
  • 50–54: 50–54: 139,817 males; 50–54: 147,038 females
  • 45–49: 45–49: 152,620 males; 45–49: 157,039 females
  • 40–44: 40–44: 166,256 males; 40–44: 166,470 females
  • 35–39: 35–39: 188,690 males; 35–39: 193,105 females
  • 30–34: 30–34: 189,765 males; 30–34: 198,365 females
  • 25–29: 25–29: 183,013 males; 25–29: 182,506 females
  • 20–24: 20–24: 161,493 males; 20–24: 152,436 females
  • 15–19: 15–19: 135,176 males; 15–19: 126,802 females
  • 10–14: 10–14: 147,526 males; 10–14: 139,573 females
  • 5–9: 5–9: 151,977 males; 5–9: 144,283 females
  • 0–4: 0–4: 145,583 males; 0–4: 137,189 females

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).

More for 1 million or more

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in 1 million or more [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sosr/SOSR101/1-million-or-more/topic/demographics-identity