Australia · Population
How has Australia’s
population changed?
Explore the number of residents, the annual pace of change, and total growth between your chosen dates.
March quarter 2026 · Original data · Published 17 September 2026
Not seasonally adjusted (original) means regular seasonal patterns remain in the figures. It does not mean the first or unrevised edition. Seasonally adjusted figures allow for regular seasonal patterns; the label does not mean more up-to-date.
Australia’s population over time
Annual population change
Change from the selected start
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| Quarter ending | Population (people) | Published annual change (%) | Change from start (%) |
|---|
Annual rate: published ABS A2133256J. Population: A2133251W. Cumulative change is calculated from the selected baseline. Each chart keeps its own published gaps.
Reading the quarterly charts
Population is a stock: the estimated number of usual residents at the end of the quarter. The annual growth rate compares the population with a year earlier. Cumulative growth compares each estimate with the selected start quarter, set to zero. This current quarterly edition begins in June 1981; earlier annual estimates are shown separately below.
Annual resident population, 1971–2021
Modern estimated resident population at 30 June each year. This 2021 historical publication is a separate vintage from the current quarterly estimates above. Overlapping years can differ after revisions. No line or growth calculation joins the two editions.
Population at 30 June
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| Year ending 30 June | Population (people) |
|---|
Source: ABS Historical population, 2021, Table 2, national Persons. Original annual data; publication vintage ends 2021. The source also preserves pre-1901 recorded population, which is excluded from this chart because of incomplete historical coverage.
Earlier population history, 1901–1970
Historical population at 30 June. Before 1971, these figures use an actual-location concept rather than modern estimated resident population. Indigenous population estimates are included from 1961; the chart breaks the line at that boundary. Earlier figures are not a complete count of Australia’s population on today’s definition.
Population at 30 June
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| Year ending 30 June | Population (people) |
|---|
Source: ABS Historical population, 2021, Table 2, national Persons. Original annual data; publication vintage ends 2021. The source also preserves pre-1901 recorded population, which is excluded from this chart because of incomplete historical coverage.
Population sources and methods · March quarter 2026