State / Territory · Area profile
South Australia
984,231 km²
Spanning over 984,000 square kilometres, South Australia is a broad region with a population of 1,781,516 that grew by 12% since 2011. The community is noticeably older than the national average, with one in five residents now aged 65 or over. It is a place where people tend to stay put, showing lower movement rates than most other areas. This stability is reflected in a high rate of outright home ownership and a population that is increasingly unaffiliated with any religion.
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The typical resident is 41, making the state noticeably older than the Australian average of 38. This is driven by a rise in seniors, who now make up 20% of the population, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 17%.
English and Australian are the most common ancestries. About 24.1% of people were born overseas, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%.
Most people use only English at home, though there has been a rise in the use of other languages to 17.8% since 2011. This is still well below the national average of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report no religion, accounting for 45.8% of the population. This is well above the national figure and represents a significant increase of 18 points since 2011.
More people have finished school and university since 2011, with 54.6% completing Year 12 and 22.7% holding a bachelor degree or higher, though both figures remain well below national levels.
Typical weekly household income is $1,455, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. Those earning $3,000 or more a week make up 16.5% of households, which is lower than most other areas.
Health needs are high here, with 31% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national average, and 6.7% of residents require help with daily activities.
Community spirit is evident in the 17% of people who volunteer, which is a little above the national average. The state also has one of the highest rates of people providing unpaid care at 13.1%.
About 42,562 First Nations people live here, and 13.4% speak a First Nations language, which is a little above the national figure. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 15.6%, well above the national average.
Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.4 people per home. A higher than usual number of people live alone, accounting for 28.5% of households.
Separate houses are very common, making up 78% of all dwellings. 32.8% of homes are owned outright, and typical weekly rent is $300, which is well below the national figure of $375.
Most people drive to work, but 4.1% use public transport, which is higher than in most other areas. Only 9.6% of people work from home, far below the national figure of 21%.
The population is relatively stable, as only 36.9% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%.
About 60% of adults are working or looking for work. Full-time employment stands at 57.2%, which is a little below the national average, while the unemployment rate is 5.4%.
The population has grown by 5.6% since 2021, though this growth is lower than in most other similar areas.
The region is quite dry and warm, with an average annual rainfall of 143mm, which is much lower than most other areas.
The state is somewhat walkable, with 67% of homes within a 15-minute-city walkshed. Most people live within a short walk of a park (84.9%) or public transport (76.1%).