28,418 ▼ -14.8%
Lower than 53% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 33,338
- 2016: 35,795
- 2021: 28,418
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Nelson Bay · Urban Area
Demographics & Identity in Nelson Bay
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A far older population than the national average defines daily life in Nelson Bay, where the typical resident is now 54. This shift is striking, as the area has aged by 15 years since 2011 while its total population shrank by 15% to 28,418 people.
28,418
▼ -14.8%
- 1,666–2,215: 1 area
- 2,215–2,944: 0 areas
- 2,944–3,914: 0 areas
- 3,914–5,203: 1 area
- 5,203–6,917: 0 areas
- 6,917–9,196: 0 areas
- 9,196–12,225: 6 areas
- 12,225–16,252: 16 areas
- 16,252–21,605: 17 areas
- 21,605–28,721: 14 areas
- 28,721–38,182: 7 areas
- 38,182–50,758: 12 areas
- 50,758–67,478: 4 areas
- 67,478–89,704: 6 areas
- 89,704–119,252: 4 areas
- 119,252–158,533: 3 areas
- 158,533–210,752: 2 areas
- 210,752–280,172: 2 areas
- 280,172–372,458: 4 areas
- 372,458–495,142: 2 areas
- 495,142–658,237: 1 area
- 658,237–875,054: 3 areas
- 875,054–1,163,289: 1 area
- 1,163,289–1,546,466: 1 area
- 1,546,466–2,055,858: 0 areas
- 2,055,858–2,733,039: 2 areas
- 2,733,039–3,633,278: 0 areas
- 3,633,278–4,830,047: 2 areas
All urban area areas, 2021. The marker is Nelson Bay — lower than 53% of areas.
| Nelson Bay | 28,418 |
|---|---|
| 2316, NSW | 6,577 |
| New South Wales | 8,072,163 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident in Nelson Bay is 54, which is far older than the New South Wales figure of 39. This reflects a significant change over the last decade, with the average age climbing from 39 in 2011.
54 yrs ▲ +38.5%
Older than 96% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 39 yrs
- 2016: 40 yrs
- 2021: 54 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 make up 33.9% of the population, a figure far above the 17.2% national average. This helps explain why children under 15 are among the lowest at this level, at just 13.4%.
33.9% ▲ +96.4%
Higher than 96% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 17.3%
- 2016: 19.5%
- 2021: 33.9%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
13.4% ▼ -33.0%
Lower than 98% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 20.0%
- 2016: 19.2%
- 2021: 13.4%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Nelson Bay, the largest group is Seniors (65+) at 34%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (28%) and Young adults (25–44) (16%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.7% of the population, which is about the same as the national figure. Most residents are married (52.0%), while those in de facto relationships (9.9%) are among the lowest in similar areas.
3.7% ▼ -47.7%
Lower than 71% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 7.0%
- 2016: 8.0%
- 2021: 3.7%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
9.9% ▲ +1.3%
Lower than 99% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 9.8%
- 2016: 11.2%
- 2021: 9.9%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Nelson Bay, Married is the majority at 52%; Never married is next at 25%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Nelson Bay
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Nelson Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/1024/nelson-bay/topic/demographics-identity