8,072,163 ▲ +16.7%
- 2011: 6,917,658
- 2016: 7,480,228
- 2021: 8,072,163
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
New South Wales · State / Territory
Demographics & Identity in New South Wales
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Over 8 million people live across New South Wales, making it one of the most populous states in the country. The population is growing and ageing, with the typical resident now 39 years old. This shift is seen in the rising number of seniors and a general trend toward an older population compared to a decade ago.
8,072,163
▲ +16.7%
- 4,788–6,243: 1 area
- 6,243–8,140: 0 areas
- 8,140–10,614: 0 areas
- 10,614–13,840: 0 areas
- 13,840–18,046: 0 areas
- 18,046–23,530: 0 areas
- 23,530–30,681: 0 areas
- 30,681–40,004: 0 areas
- 40,004–52,162: 0 areas
- 52,162–68,014: 0 areas
- 68,014–88,683: 0 areas
- 88,683–115,634: 0 areas
- 115,634–150,775: 0 areas
- 150,775–196,595: 0 areas
- 196,595–256,340: 1 area
- 256,340–334,241: 0 areas
- 334,241–435,817: 0 areas
- 435,817–568,262: 2 areas
- 568,262–740,956: 0 areas
- 740,956–966,133: 0 areas
- 966,133–1,259,740: 0 areas
- 1,259,740–1,642,575: 0 areas
- 1,642,575–2,141,752: 1 area
- 2,141,752–2,792,630: 1 area
- 2,792,630–3,641,309: 0 areas
- 3,641,309–4,747,901: 0 areas
- 4,747,901–6,190,786: 1 area
- 6,190,786–8,072,163: 2 areas
All state / territory areas, 2021. The marker is New South Wales.
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
New South Wales has a total population of 8,072,163, which is among the highest for any state. This number grew by 17% since 2011, adding about 1,154,505 people.
39 yrs ▲ +2.6%
- 2011: 38 yrs
- 2016: 38 yrs
- 2021: 39 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 now make up 17.6% of the population, a figure that rose 2.9 percentage points since 2011. In contrast, the share of children under 15 fell to 18.2%, which is about the same as the national figure.
17.6% ▲ +19.9%
- 2011: 14.7%
- 2016: 16.3%
- 2021: 17.6%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
18.2% ▼ -5.5%
- 2011: 19.3%
- 2016: 18.5%
- 2021: 18.2%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →New South Wales splits fairly evenly between Young adults (25–44) (28%) and Older adults (45–64) (25%), with Children (0–14) at 18%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
About 3.4% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is around the middle for similar areas. Those in de facto relationships make up 10.6% of the population, a figure that is much lower than most other states.
3.4% ▲ +38.0%
- 2011: 2.5%
- 2016: 2.9%
- 2021: 3.4%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
10.6% ▲ +27.2%
- 2011: 8.3%
- 2016: 9.4%
- 2021: 10.6%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In New South Wales, the largest group is Married at 47%, 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 New South Wales
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in New South Wales [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ste/1/new-south-wales/topic/demographics-identity