4,817,843 ▲ +25.2%
Higher than 99% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 3,847,570
- 2016: 59,887
- 2021: 4,817,843
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Melbourne · Urban Area
Demographics & Identity in Melbourne
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
Almost 5 million people live in Melbourne, making it one of the largest areas in the country. The city is slightly younger than the national average, with a typical resident aged 37. This growth is significant, with the population climbing by 25% since 2011.
4,817,843
▲ +25.2%
- 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 Melbourne — higher than 99% of areas.
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
Melbourne has grown rapidly, adding about 970,273 people since 2011. The typical person here is 37, which is a little younger than the typical person in Victoria and Australia.
37 yrs ▲ +2.8%
Younger than 79% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 36 yrs
- 2016: 33 yrs
- 2021: 37 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Young adults aged 25 to 44 make up the largest group at 31.1%. While children under 15 are at about the same level as the national figure, those aged 65 and over are much lower than in most other areas.
15.0% ▲ +13.6%
Lower than 83% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 13.2%
- 2016: 10.9%
- 2021: 15.0%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
18.1% ▼ -1.3%
Lower than 51% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 18.3%
- 2016: 23.5%
- 2021: 18.1%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is Young adults (25–44) at 31%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (23%) and Children (0–14) (18%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 0.7% of the population, which is among the lowest for this level. Nearly half of residents are married, while those in de facto relationships are much lower than in most areas at 10.7%.
0.7% ▲ +51.7%
Lower than 99% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 0.4%
- 2016: 1.5%
- 2021: 0.7%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
10.7% ▲ +29.5%
Lower than 89% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 8.3%
- 2016: 11.5%
- 2021: 10.7%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Melbourne, the largest group is Married at 47%, followed by Never married (38%) and Divorced (8%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/2011/melbourne/topic/demographics-identity