382,903 ▲ +261.3%
Higher than 86% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 105,984
- 2016: 130,722
- 2021: 382,903
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Sunshine Coast · Urban Area
Demographics & Identity in Sunshine Coast
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A typical resident of Sunshine Coast is 44, making the area noticeably older than both Queensland and Australia. This shift is part of a huge population boom, with the region growing 261% since 2011 to reach 382,903 people. The local community is now leaning heavily towards older adults and seniors.
382,903
▲ +261.3%
- 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 Sunshine Coast — higher than 86% of areas.
| Sunshine Coast | 382,903 |
|---|---|
| 4565, QLD | 15,033 |
| Queensland | 5,156,138 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population has surged by about 276,919 people since 2011, making it larger than about 90% of similar areas. This rapid growth has happened alongside a clear aging trend, as the typical age rose 8 years over the last decade.
44 yrs ▲ +22.2%
Older than 71% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 36 yrs
- 2016: 37 yrs
- 2021: 44 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors make up 22.2% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 17.2%. This helps explain why children under 15 make up a smaller share of the community than in most other areas, falling to 17.2% since 2011.
22.2% ▲ +42.8%
Higher than 64% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 15.5%
- 2016: 17.0%
- 2021: 22.2%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.2% ▼ -18.0%
Lower than 71% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 20.9%
- 2016: 20.4%
- 2021: 17.2%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Sunshine Coast splits fairly evenly between Older adults (45–64) (27%) and Young adults (25–44) (23%), with Seniors (65+) at 22%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 2.3% of the population, which is much lower than most areas and a little below the Queensland average. Nearly half of residents are married, while 12.4% are in de facto relationships.
2.3% ▼ -36.9%
Lower than 83% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 3.7%
- 2016: 4.0%
- 2021: 2.3%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
12.4% ▲ +36.0%
Lower than 59% of urban area areas.
- 2011: 9.1%
- 2016: 9.7%
- 2021: 12.4%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Sunshine Coast, the largest group is Married at 49%, followed by Never married (31%) and Divorced (11%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Sunshine Coast
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Sunshine Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3015/sunshine-coast/topic/demographics-identity