Australia Population Demographics 2025 | Statistics & Facts

Population of Australia Demographics 2025

Understanding Australia’s population demographics in 2025 provides crucial insights into the nation’s evolving social, economic, and cultural landscape. The demographic profile of Australia reflects a dynamic interplay between natural population increase, sustained overseas migration, and an aging population structure. As one of the most urbanized and culturally diverse nations globally, Australia continues to experience significant demographic transformations that shape policy decisions, infrastructure planning, and social services delivery across all levels of government.

The population demographics of Australia in 2025 reveal a nation at a demographic crossroads. With a total population of 27,536,874 people as of March 31, 2025, Australia maintains its position as a migration-driven society while grappling with record-low fertility rates and an increasingly aged population. These demographic trends have profound implications for workforce participation, healthcare systems, housing markets, and the broader economy. The latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirm that overseas migration remains the primary driver of population growth, contributing approximately 74.6% of total population increase, while natural increase accounts for the remaining 25.4%. This demographic reality underscores Australia’s continued reliance on immigration to offset declining birth rates and support economic growth.

Interesting Facts About Australia Population Demographics 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – National, state and territory population, March 2025; Births, Australia 2024; Life expectancy 2022-2024; Australia’s population by country of birth, June 2024

Understanding the Latest Population Statistics

The demographic statistics presented in the table above paint a comprehensive picture of Australia’s population dynamics in 2025. The fact that March 28 emerged as the most popular birth date with 946 births represents more than mere statistical curiosity; it reflects broader patterns in family planning and seasonal reproductive trends that demographers track to understand societal behaviors. This specific date, falling approximately nine months after June, suggests conception patterns potentially linked to winter months when people spend more time indoors.

The overseas-born population reaching 31.5% represents a historic milestone, marking the highest proportion since 1892 when Australia was still emerging from its colonial origins. This statistic encompasses 8.6 million people from diverse nations, with India, China, England, and New Zealand representing the largest source countries. The composition of this overseas-born population has shifted dramatically over recent decades, with Asian-born residents now outnumbering European-born migrants, reflecting the long-term impacts of dismantling the White Australia Policy and subsequent multicultural immigration policies. The urban concentration of 86.75% reveals Australia’s paradoxical nature as both one of the world’s largest countries by landmass and one of its most urbanized nations. Despite having a population density of only 3.4 people per square kilometer, making it the third least densely populated country globally after Namibia and Mongolia, the vast majority of Australians cluster in coastal urban centers, particularly along the eastern and southeastern seaboards.

The Indigenous population of 983,700 people representing 3.8% of the total Australian population marks an important demographic segment with distinct characteristics. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a significantly younger age structure than the non-Indigenous population, with a median age of 24 years compared to the national median of 38.3 years. Projections indicate this population will reach between 1,171,700 and 1,193,600 people by 2031, growing at an average annual rate of 1.8% to 2.0%, outpacing the broader population growth rate. The dominance of capital cities housing 68% of Australia’s population reflects decades of urbanization trends driven by economic opportunities, educational institutions, and service availability. Melbourne and Sydney together contain 40% of the national population, creating both opportunities through economic concentration and challenges through housing affordability, infrastructure strain, and service delivery pressures.

The record-low fertility rate of 1.481 births per woman in 2024 represents a continuation of a long-term decline that has profound implications for Australia’s demographic future. This rate sits well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman necessary to maintain population stability without migration. The decline from 1.795 in 2014 to 1.481 in 2024 represents a 17.5% decrease over just one decade, accelerated by factors including delayed childbearing, increased educational attainment among women, rising housing costs, childcare affordability challenges, and changing lifestyle preferences. The median age of 38.3 years reflects Australia’s transition toward an older population structure, with implications for workforce composition, healthcare demands, aged care services, and pension sustainability. This represents an increase of 4.9 years since 1994, with projections indicating continued aging. The life expectancy figures of 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females position Australia among the world’s longest-living populations, though these rates remained unchanged from the 2021-2023 period following slight declines attributed to COVID-19 impacts.

The net overseas migration of 315,900 people in the year to March 2025 represents a significant 36.0% decline from the previous year’s figure of 493,800, marking a normalization following the post-pandemic surge. This decline reflects policy adjustments, including tightened visa requirements for international students and temporary residents, alongside natural moderation after border reopening. Despite this decline, overseas migration remains well above pre-pandemic levels and continues as the primary driver of population growth, contributing approximately 74.6% of total increase. Western Australia’s growth rate of 2.3% makes it the fastest-growing state, driven by net overseas migration of 41,395 people and net interstate migration of 11,675 people. This growth reflects the state’s strong resources sector, employment opportunities, and relatively affordable housing compared to Sydney and Melbourne.

Total Population in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – National, state and territory population, March 2025; Centre for Population analysis

Population Growth Dynamics in Australia 2025

Australia’s total population of 27,536,874 people as of March 31, 2025, represents a net increase of 423,400 people over the preceding twelve months, translating to an annual growth rate of 1.6%. This growth rate marks a deceleration from the 2.3% recorded in March 2024 and the peak of 2.5% in September 2023, signaling a normalization of population trends following the extraordinary post-pandemic surge. The quarterly growth of 144,238 people or 0.5% demonstrates that population expansion continues at a healthy pace, though moderated from the exceptional levels observed in 2023.

The composition of this population growth reveals the critical role of overseas migration in sustaining Australia’s demographic expansion. Natural increase contributed 107,400 people or 25.4% of total growth, while net overseas migration added 315,900 people or 74.6%. This distribution underscores Australia’s structural dependence on immigration to maintain population growth, given fertility rates well below replacement level. The natural increase of 107,400 people represents the difference between 296,000 births and 188,000 deaths, with both births and deaths increasing by 2.1% compared to the previous year. While births reached their highest annual figure since December 2022, the increase remains modest and insufficient to offset the long-term fertility decline.

Net overseas migration of 315,900 people reflects a substantial 36.0% decline from the 493,800 recorded in the previous year, driven primarily by decreased arrivals (down 131,000 or 18.5% to 578,000) and increased departures (up 46,000 or 21.5% to 262,000). This moderation follows the peak of 556,000 in September 2023 and represents the lowest level of annual net overseas migration since June 2022. The decline aligns with government policy adjustments aimed at managing population growth pressures, particularly through tightened visa requirements for international students and temporary skilled workers. Population projections indicate Australia will reach between 29.2 and 30.8 million people by 2032, with medium-series projections suggesting continued growth toward 34.3 to 45.9 million by 2071. These projections depend heavily on assumed levels of net overseas migration, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics modeling scenarios ranging from 175,000 to 275,000 annual net migrants over the long term.

Birth and Fertility Rates in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Births, Australia 2024

Analyzing Australia’s Fertility Crisis in 2025

Australia’s total fertility rate of 1.481 births per woman in 2024 represents an all-time record low since records began in 1929, marking the second consecutive year below 1.5 births per woman. This rate sits 30.1% below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman, indicating that without sustained immigration, Australia’s population would eventually decline. The registered 292,318 births in 2024 represents a modest 1.9% increase or 5,320 additional births compared to 2023, but this uptick masks the underlying structural decline in fertility preferences and reproductive behaviors.

The median age of mothers at 32.1 years and fathers at 33.9 years both reached record highs, reflecting a long-term trend toward delayed childbearing driven by multiple factors. Women are spending more years in education, establishing careers, and facing housing affordability challenges that postpone family formation. The crude birth rate of 11.6 births per 1,000 population demonstrates that relative to Australia’s total population size, births are occurring at historically low rates. The sex ratio at birth of 105.8 males per 100 females remains within the biologically normal range of 103-107 males per 100 females, indicating no unusual gender imbalances in births.

Age-specific fertility patterns reveal significant shifts in reproductive timing. Women aged 30-34 years have the highest fertility rate at 105.2 births per 1,000 women, representing a fundamental change from historical patterns when women in their twenties dominated childbearing. The fertility rate for women aged 15-19 declined by approximately 67% over 30 years to just 6.2 births per 1,000 women, reflecting improved access to education, contraception, and changing social norms around teenage pregnancy. Conversely, fertility rates for women aged 40-44 almost doubled to 15.1 per 1,000 women, indicating that delayed childbearing extends into later reproductive years, though often with reduced success rates and increased medical interventions.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander total fertility rate of 2.17 births per woman remains above replacement level, contrasting sharply with the broader Australian population. This higher fertility reflects younger age structures, cultural factors, and different family formation patterns within Indigenous communities. The 24,737 births registered where at least one parent was Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander represents 8.6% of all births, despite Indigenous people comprising only 3.8% of the population, highlighting their younger demographic profile. The completed cohort fertility rate of 2.03 births per woman for women born in 1975 who completed childbearing in 2024 provides retrospective insight into lifetime fertility achievements, showing these women averaged just over two children during their reproductive years, down from 2.08 for the 1965 birth cohort.

Death Rates and Life Expectancy in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Life expectancy 2022-2024; National, state and territory population, March 2025

Life Expectancy Trends and Mortality Patterns in Australia 2025

Life expectancy at birth remained stable in the 2022-2024 period at 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females, showing no change from the 2021-2023 period after two consecutive years of decline attributed to COVID-19 impacts. The overall life expectancy of 83.1 years maintains Australia’s position among the world’s longest-living populations, though countries like Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea report slightly higher figures. The 4.0-year gap between male and female life expectancy has narrowed from 5.9 years in 1994, reflecting converging health outcomes and lifestyle factors between genders.

The stabilization of life expectancy following declines in 2020-2022 and 2021-2023 suggests the acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have moderated. During 2022, Australia experienced high excess mortality with nearly 20,000 additional deaths compared to 2021, with over 10,000 attributed to COVID-19. By 2023, COVID-19 deaths declined to approximately 5,000, and in 2024 to around 4,000, indicating the pandemic’s diminishing direct mortality impact. The total of 188,000 deaths in the year to March 2025 represents a 2.1% increase of 4,000 deaths from the previous year, reflecting Australia’s aging population structure and the growing proportion of people reaching advanced ages.

The crude death rate of 6.8 per 1,000 population demonstrates a gradual increase from historical lows, driven primarily by population aging rather than worsening health outcomes. Australia’s death rate remains among the world’s lowest, having declined from approximately 12.2 deaths per 1,000 in 1901. The infant mortality of 957 deaths in 2024, while representing a 46-death increase from 2023, maintains Australia’s excellent record of infant survival with rates among the world’s lowest, reflecting advanced prenatal care, hospital delivery standards, and neonatal medical capabilities.

Regional variations in life expectancy reveal significant disparities across jurisdictions. The Australian Capital Territory records the highest life expectancy at 82.0 years for males and 85.8 years for females, likely reflecting the territory’s high education levels, public sector employment concentration, and access to quality healthcare. The Northern Territory has the lowest life expectancy at 77.0 years for males and 80.7 years for females, approximately 4.7 years lower than the national average. However, the NT showed the largest improvements with males gaining 0.6 years and females 0.3 years, suggesting targeted health interventions and improved service delivery are yielding results. Capital city residents generally enjoy higher life expectancy than those in remote areas, with Sydney’s North Sydney and Hornsby regions recording the highest sub-regional figures.

Age Structure and Median Age in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Regional population by age and sex 2024; Population projections 2022-2071

Understanding Australia’s Aging Population in 2025

Australia’s median age of 38.3 years in 2024 represents a substantial increase from 33.4 years in 1994, marking 4.9 years of aging over three decades. This aging trend accelerates in coming years with projections indicating the median age will reach 43.1 years by 2062-63, representing a further 4.8-year increase. The age structure transformation sees the proportion of people aged 65 and over increasing from 12% in 1994 to 17.1% in 2025, with projections suggesting this will reach 25-27% by 2071. The working-age population (15-64 years) comprising 64.3% faces declining proportions projected to fall to 59-60% by 2071, creating significant challenges for workforce supply and economic productivity.

The children aged 0-14 years representing 16.0% of the population have seen their proportion steadily decline from historical highs, driven by decades of below-replacement fertility. The 85+ age group experiencing the fastest growth reflects improvements in life expectancy and the advancing age of baby boomers. From 2.1% currently, this group is projected to reach 5.2-6.4% by 2071, placing substantial demands on aged care services, healthcare systems, and pension arrangements. The dependency ratio of approximately 52% measures the number of children and seniors relative to working-age adults, with 24% youth dependency and 28% old-age dependency. The increasing old-age dependency ratio represents a fundamental shift from historical patterns when youth dependency dominated, creating fiscal pressures on government budgets.

Geographic variations in median age reveal stark contrasts between capital cities and regional areas. Capital cities at 36.9 years median age remain younger than regional Australia at 42.0 years, driven by concentration of younger workers, international students, and overseas migrants in urban centers. Darwin maintains the youngest capital city median age at 34.8 years, reflecting military presence, young workforce in the resources sector, and Indigenous population demographics. Hobart records the oldest capital city median age at 39.3 years, indicating lower migration inflows and limited economic opportunities for younger people. The Indigenous population median age of 24.0 years stands 14.3 years younger than the national median, reflecting higher fertility rates, younger age structure, and unfortunately, lower life expectancy. This youthful Indigenous demographic creates different policy priorities focused on education, employment pathways, and youth services.

Migration and Overseas-Born Population in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Overseas Migration 2023-24; Australia’s population by country of birth, June 2024

Immigration’s Central Role in Australia’s Demographics in 2025

Australia’s overseas-born population of 8.6 million people representing 31.5% of the total population as of June 2024 marks a historic milestone, reaching the highest proportion since 1892 when post-gold rush immigration peaked. This statistic has increased from 23.8% in 2004 to 31.5% in 2024, representing an 8 percentage point increase over two decades and confirming Australia’s status as one of the world’s most multicultural nations. The proportion briefly exceeded 30% in 2023 for the first time since 1893, before continuing its upward trajectory.

India-born residents at 845,800 people experienced the largest increase with 133,760 additional people in the two years to June 2023, driven primarily by international students in higher education and skilled migration pathways. India is positioned to overtake England as the largest overseas-born group within the next few years, representing a fundamental shift in Australia’s migration source countries from traditional European origins to Asian dominance. England-born residents at approximately 980,000 remain the largest single country group but are declining in absolute numbers due to aging populations and reduced recent migration. China-born residents at approximately 716,000 recorded the second-largest increase with 71,100 additional people, though growth rates have moderated from peaks in the mid-2010s. Philippines-born residents with 53,620 increase represent the third-largest growth, driven by skilled migration, partner visas, and nursing recruitment programs.

The net overseas migration of 315,900 people in the year to March 2025 reflects substantial moderation from the peak of 556,000 in September 2023 and represents a 36.0% decline from the 493,800 recorded in the previous year. This decline stems from decreased arrivals of 578,000 (down 131,000 or 18.5%) and increased departures of 262,000 (up 46,000 or 21.5%), reflecting policy interventions to manage population pressures, including tightened international student visa requirements and caps on permanent migration intake. The median age of migrants at 37 years and 85% under age 40 demonstrates migration’s crucial role in offsetting Australia’s aging population, with newcomers disproportionately concentrated in prime working ages.

Capital city settlement patterns show that 373,000 of 435,000 migrants in 2023-24 (86%) settled in capital cities, particularly Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. This concentration drives urban growth, housing demand, infrastructure pressures, and multicultural community development. Melbourne recorded 142,600 population increase in 2023-24 with overseas migration as the primary driver, while Sydney added 107,500 people and Perth grew by 73,000 at the highest growth rate of 3.1%. The overseas-born population’s age structure trends older than the overall population with a median age of 43 years in 2024, though this has declined from 46 years in 2002 as younger migrants from Asian countries replace older European-born cohorts.

State and Territory Population Distribution in Australia 2025

Data Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – National, state and territory population, March 2025

Regional Population Dynamics Across Australia in 2025

Western Australia’s 2.3% annual growth rate positions it as Australia’s fastest-growing state, driven by net overseas migration of 41,395 people and net interstate migration of 11,675 people, both reflecting the state’s strong resources sector, mining employment opportunities, and relatively affordable housing compared to Sydney and Melbourne. WA’s natural increase of 14,462 provides additional growth momentum, resulting in the state surpassing 3 million residents in 2024. The growth concentrates in Perth, which recorded a 3.1% growth rate in 2023-24, the highest among capital cities.

Victoria and Queensland at 1.8% growth tie for second-fastest growing states, though with different growth drivers. Victoria’s growth reflects net overseas migration of 93,176 people, the second-highest absolute level nationally, partly offsetting net interstate migration loss of 2,318 people as residents relocate to Queensland and Western Australia seeking affordability. Victoria reached 7 million residents in 2024, with Melbourne adding 142,600 people in 2023-24, the largest absolute increase of any capital. Queensland’s growth shows strong interstate migration of 24,015 people, more than double any other state, as residents from NSW and Victoria relocate seeking lifestyle, climate, and housing affordability benefits. Queensland’s overseas migration of 54,535 and natural increase of 20,086 provide additional momentum.

New South Wales at 1.2% growth trails the national average of 1.6%, reflecting net interstate migration loss of 26,560 people, the largest outflow nationally and a consistent pattern since 1979. NSW’s overseas migration of 96,761 people remains the highest nationally in absolute terms, partially offsetting interstate losses. Sydney added 107,500 people in 2023-24, though this represented a slower growth rate than Melbourne and Perth. South Australia and ACT at 1.1% and 1.3% growth respectively show moderate expansion, with both experiencing small interstate migration losses but sustained by overseas migration. Tasmania at 0.2% growth ranks as the slowest-growing state, with natural increase of only 179 people, net interstate migration loss of 2,217, and modest overseas migration of 3,182. Tasmania’s population has grown below 0.3% since June 2023, indicating minimal expansion.

Northern Territory at 1.3% growth shows improvement from previous periods despite a small population base, with growth driven primarily by reduced interstate departures rather than significant arrivals. The NT’s natural increase of 2,054 from a population of 253,000 reflects a younger age structure and higher Indigenous birth rates.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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