State / Territory · Area profile
New South Wales
800,798 km²
A significantly larger population than any other state, New South Wales is home to over 8 million people. It is a highly educated and relatively affluent community, with more people holding degrees and earning high incomes than the national figure. The state has grown by 17% since 2011, attracting many overseas arrivals and professional workers. This has created a diverse, urbanised population where many people now work from home.
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The typical resident is 39, making the population a little older than the national figure. While the number of children under 15 has fallen slightly since 2011, the proportion of seniors aged 65 and over has risen to 17.6%.
Overseas birth is common here, with 29.3% of people born outside Australia. This is a little above the national figure and has risen by 3.6 points since 2011.
Language diversity is well above the national average, with 26.6% of people using a language other than English at home. This increase is consistent with the high number of overseas-born residents.
People with no religion make up 33.2% of the population, which is well below the national figure. However, this group has grown significantly, rising by 15 points since 2011.
Education levels are much higher than in most other areas. Roughly 27.8% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, and 58.9% have completed Year 12.
Incomes are generally high, with a typical weekly household earning $1,829. The proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen sharply by 14 points since 2011.
Health patterns are around the middle for similar areas, with 27% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is about the same as the national figure.
Volunteer rates have fallen to 13%, which is a little below the national figure. Meanwhile, about 21.2% of people do 15 or more hours of unpaid housework weekly.
The state has the highest number of First Nations people among its peers. Local First Nations households earn a typical $1,558 weekly, which is about the same as the national figure.
Homes here are slightly larger than usual, with 2.6 people per home. This is a little higher than the national figure of 2.5.
Housing costs are high, with typical weekly rents at $420 and typical monthly mortgage payments at $2,167, both of which are above the national figures.
Working from home has surged to 31%, well above the national figure. The state also has the highest number of public transport routes and stops in the country.
Movement is steady, with 39.9% of people having moved in the last five years. This is about the same as the national figure.
Health care and social assistance are the biggest employers. The unemployment rate is 4.9%, which is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.
With a population of over 8.5 million, the state is the largest in the country and has grown by 6.1% since 2021.
The environment is characterised by an average annual rainfall of 515mm, which is much higher than most other similar areas.
The area is very walkable, with 85.7% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport. Most residents also live within 15 minutes of a park or school.