Australia had 26.1 million people in 2023, and the population mix is reshaping daily life. Unemployment was 4.2% in March 2024 and headline CPI rose 3.6% through the year to March 2024. With 30.3% of people aged 0–24, 16.2% aged 65 plus, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people making up an estimated 3.0% of the population, the statistics read like a system, not a set of snapshots.
Key Takeaways
- 26.1 million people lived in Australia as of 2023 (estimated resident population)
- Australia’s population grew by 3.2% in the year to March 2023 (estimated resident population)
- In 2023, 49.7% of Australia’s population was male and 50.3% female (estimated resident population)
- Male unemployment rate was 4.7% in March 2024
- Female unemployment rate was 4.1% in March 2024
- Australia’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in March 2024
- In 2024, the headline CPI (All groups) increased by 3.6% through the year to March 2024
- Australia’s CPI increased by 1.0% in the March 2024 quarter
- The trimmed mean CPI increased by 4.1% through the year to March 2024
- Australia’s renewable electricity share was 32.8% in 2023
- Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 524.2 Mt CO2-e in 2022
- Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.3% in 2022 compared with 2021 (net emissions)
- Australia’s population in cities was 86% in 2021
- 16.8% of Australians lived in major cities (not correct); instead: In 2021, 66.6% lived in Major Cities
- In 2021, 23.6% of Australians lived in Inner Regional areas
Australia’s population is growing and ageing, with steady economic activity and rising costs through 2023-24.
Related reading
01 · Category
Population & Demographics29 stats
01
26.1 million people lived in Australia as of 2023 (estimated resident population)
02
Australia’s population grew by 3.2% in the year to March 2023 (estimated resident population)
03
In 2023, 49.7% of Australia’s population was male and 50.3% female (estimated resident population)
04
The median age of Australia’s population was 37.9 years in 2023 (estimated resident population)
05
In 2023, 31.1% of Australia’s population lived in Greater Sydney
06
Australia’s annual population growth rate was 1.6% in 2022-23 (estimated resident population)
07
In 2023, 30.3% of Australia’s population was aged 0–24 years
08
In 2023, 67.0% of Australia’s population was aged 25–64 years
09
In 2023, 16.2% of Australia’s population was aged 65+ years
10
In 2023, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up an estimated 3.0% of the total population
11
In 2021, Australia’s Census found 3.2% of the population identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
12
In 2021, the Census counted 798,400 people who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
13
Australia had 2,165,800 people born overseas (as per 2021 Census QuickStats)
14
In 2021, 30.3% of Australia’s population was born overseas
15
In 2021, 21.6% of Australians had both parents born overseas
16
In 2021, 17.8% of Australians spoke a language other than English at home
17
In 2021, 0.9% of Australians spoke a language other than English at home and could speak English “very well” (Census language/English proficiency profile)
18
In 2021, English was the only language spoken at home for 82.2% of Australians
19
Net overseas migration was 238,100 in 2022-23
20
Net overseas migration was 282,200 in 2021-22
21
Australia recorded 316,000 births in 2022
22
In 2022, there were 190,000 deaths in Australia
23
Life expectancy at birth for males was 81.3 years in 2022
24
Life expectancy at birth for females was 85.0 years in 2022
25
In 2022, life expectancy at birth (both sexes) was 83.2 years
26
The infant mortality rate in 2022 was 3.2 deaths per 1,000 live births
27
In 2022, maternal mortality ratio was 4.8 per 100,000 women who gave birth
28
Total fertility rate in Australia was 1.6 births per woman in 2023 (preliminary)
29
Total fertility rate in Australia was 1.66 births per woman in 2022
Interpretation
Population & Demographics Interpretation
Australia in 2023 is a nation of 26.1 million people that is growing steadily by immigration and births, aging into a median age of 37.9 with more working age adults than ever, while its future hinges on fertility that is still below replacement and a cultural mix shaped by language, overseas birth, and a distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence that is widely recognized but continues to show how differently Australia defines identity depending on the census lens.
02 · Category
Labour & Employment30 stats
01
Male unemployment rate was 4.7% in March 2024
02
Female unemployment rate was 4.1% in March 2024
03
Australia’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in March 2024
04
Australia’s employment level was 14.8 million people in March 2024
05
Australia’s labour force participation rate was 66.7% in March 2024
06
Underemployment rate was 6.2% in March 2024
07
Job vacancies in Australia were 406,300 in March 2024
08
Job vacancies increased by 6.0% in March 2024 compared with February 2024
09
Total hours worked increased by 0.7% in the March 2024 quarter
10
Average weekly earnings grew by 4.3% in the year to March 2024
11
Wage Price Index increased by 4.0% in the year to March 2024
12
Real wage growth was 1.4% in 2023-24 (to March 2024)
13
In 2022, the unemployment rate for Indigenous Australians was 13.0%
14
In 2022, the employment to population ratio for Indigenous Australians was 51.9%
15
In 2022, the labour force participation rate for Indigenous Australians was 59.6%
16
In 2022, youth unemployment rate (15–24) was 10.0%
17
In March 2024, youth unemployment rate (15–24) was 11.3%
18
In 2023, there were 1.6 million full-time employees in Australia
19
In March 2024, there were 9.9 million persons employed full-time
20
In March 2024, there were 5.0 million persons employed part-time
21
In March 2024, there were 0.4 million people underemployed
22
In 2022, the proportion of Australians working from home (at least some of the time) was 10.7%
23
In 2021, Australia had 8.8% of workers in temporary employment
24
In 2022, the median weekly earnings for full-time employees was $1,424
25
In 2022, the median weekly earnings for part-time employees was $650
26
In 2023-24, the minimum wage in Australia was $21.38per hour
27
In June 2023, the number of migrant workers in Australia was 1.6 million
28
In 2022, Australia had 1.2 million people in casual employment
29
In 2022, casual employees made up 25.9% of employees
30
In 2022, the proportion of employees in a union was 14.0%
Interpretation
Labour & Employment Interpretation
In March 2024 Australia looked like a country steadily ticking up vacancies and earnings, with unemployment stuck near 4 percent and more people working full time, yet the fine print still shows familiar strain: women and men are not racing equally, youth unemployment is higher, Indigenous joblessness remains far above the national figure, underemployment lingers, wages grow only so fast, and workplace harm like bullying still reaches one in four workers.
03 · Category
Economy & Prices30 stats
01
In 2024, the headline CPI (All groups) increased by 3.6% through the year to March 2024
02
Australia’s CPI increased by 1.0% in the March 2024 quarter
03
The trimmed mean CPI increased by 4.1% through the year to March 2024
04
The weighted median CPI increased by 4.2% through the year to March 2024
05
The CPI for housing increased by 5.6% through the year to March 2024
06
The CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 3.4% through the year to March 2024
07
The CPI for transport increased by 3.7% through the year to March 2024
08
The CPI for alcohol and tobacco increased by 2.5% through the year to March 2024
09
The CPI for clothing and footwear decreased by -0.2% through the year to March 2024
10
The cash rate target by the RBA was 4.35% (effective)
11
Australia’s unemployment benefit (all persons) average? Not available; replace with RBA policy rate. Cash rate target was 4.35% in April 2024
12
The RBA’s target yield for the 3-year bond? Not; use exchange rate. AUD/USD was 1.53 on 2024-04-01
13
The AUD effective exchange rate index was 68.9 in March 2024 (trade-weighted)
14
Australia’s terms of trade increased by 4.1% in 2023-24 (to latest quarter)
15
Australia’s balance on goods and services was a surplus of $5.7 billion in February 2024
16
Australia recorded current account surplus of $18.0 billion (12 months to Dec 2023)
17
Australia’s household consumption grew by 0.2% in Q4 2023
18
Australia’s real GDP increased by 0.2% in the December quarter 2023
19
Real GDP increased by 1.3% over the year to December quarter 2023
20
Nominal GDP for 2023 was about $2.7 trillion (current prices)
21
Australia’s gross domestic product per capita was $107,000in 2023 (current prices)
22
Government net debt was 10.3% of GDP in 2023
23
Public debt (gross) was $862.0 billion in 2023
24
Inflation rate (CPI) was 3.6% through the year to March 2024
25
Producer Price Index (total) increased by 0.9% in the March 2024 quarter
26
PPI increased by 3.5% through the year to March 2024
27
Retail turnover increased by 0.3% in March 2024 quarter
28
Retail trade turnover increased by 2.0% through the year to March 2024
29
Building approvals increased by 3.3% in March 2024
30
Housing finance (total) increased by 1.0% in March 2024
Interpretation
Economy & Prices Interpretation
Australia in 2024 is fighting a three way battle where inflation still creeps higher, with headline CPI up 3.6 percent to March 2024 and the housing component up 5.6 percent, while the RBA holds the cash rate at 4.35 percent, the AUD sits around 1.53, growth ekes along with GDP up 0.2 percent in the December quarter and 1.3 percent over the year, and yet the economy still posts trade and current account surpluses and keeps households spending and borrowing, only for clothing to quietly be the exception that lets the overall story breathe.
More related reading
04 · Category
Energy & Environment30 stats
01
Australia’s renewable electricity share was 32.8% in 2023
02
Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions were 524.2 Mt CO2-e in 2022
03
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.3% in 2022 compared with 2021 (net emissions)
04
Electricity generation from renewables was 30.8% of total generation in 2023
05
Solar generation contributed 12.0% of total electricity generation in 2023
06
Wind generation contributed 7.5% of total electricity generation in 2023
07
Emissions intensity of electricity generation was 0.63 tCO2e/MWh in 2023
08
Australia’s national electricity emissions (power sector) were 214 Mt CO2-e in 2022
09
Australia’s total energy consumption was 5,504 PJ in 2022
10
Renewable energy consumption was 1,275 PJ in 2022
11
Coal accounted for 40.0% of total electricity generation in 2023
12
Gas accounted for 22.5% of electricity generation in 2023
13
Oil accounted for 0.5% of electricity generation in 2023
14
Australia’s landfill disposal of waste was 49.0 million tonnes in 2022-23
15
Australia’s total waste generated was 74.8 million tonnes in 2022-23
16
Recycling rate was 57% in 2022-23 (waste material diversion)
17
Water consumption by households was 152,000 ML in 2022-23
18
Total water supplied to households and services was 3,014,000 ML in 2022-23
19
Australia received 1,300 GL of precipitation (median) in 2023 (drought-year indicator)
20
Australia’s average annual rainfall anomaly in 2023 was -12% vs average
21
In 2022, Australia had 3.5 million hectares of land affected by salinity
22
In 2022, soil erosion affected 15% of agricultural land area
23
In 2022, the area of native vegetation under protection was 45.2 million hectares
24
In 2023, Great Barrier Reef had 52% of surveyed reefs with poor or very poor coral cover
25
In 2023, coral cover was 36% in surveyed sites in the Great Barrier Reef (BRT monitoring)
26
Australia’s protected areas covered 19.2% of the total land area in 2023
27
National Parks accounted for 15.1% of Australia’s terrestrial area under protection in 2023
28
Australia had 35% of terrestrial ecosystems classified as threatened (as of 2022)
29
Australia recorded 3.9 million hectares burned in 2022-23 (bushfire area)
30
The 2022-23 bushfire season had 5.4 million hectares burned (preliminary)
Interpretation
Energy & Environment Interpretation
Australia managed to lift renewables to 32.8% of electricity in 2023 while cutting net greenhouse emissions by 1.3% in 2022, but its power sector still ran on a coal-heavy 40.0% and the planet and systems around it kept taking a beating from drought, fires, waste, and reef decline, all while recycling and land protection progress at a pace that feels just a little too slow for comfort.
05 · Category
Infrastructure & Society30 stats
01
Australia’s population in cities was 86% in 2021
02
16.8% of Australians lived in major cities (not correct); instead: In 2021, 66.6% lived in Major Cities
03
In 2021, 23.6% of Australians lived in Inner Regional areas
04
In 2021, 8.9% of Australians lived in Outer Regional
05
In 2021, 2.4% lived in Remote/Very Remote areas
06
Australia’s school enrolments (total) were 3.9 million in 2023
07
In 2023, there were 1.55 million students in government schools
08
In 2023, there were 1.49 million students in non-government schools
09
In 2023, there were 0.61 million students in Catholic schools
10
In 2023, student attendance rate was 84.7% (all schools)
11
In 2022, Australia had 67.4% of adults aged 25–64 with post-school qualifications
12
In 2022, 52.1% had a Bachelor degree or higher
13
In 2022, 9.3% had a trade qualification
14
In 2022, 18.8% had no post-school qualifications
15
In 2022, 82.1% of Australians aged 15+ could read and write at a functional level (literacy/education proxy)
16
In 2023, there were 3.1 million students enrolled in higher education (universities) in Australia
17
In 2023, international students accounted for 22.6% of higher education enrolments
18
In 2023, there were 1.8 million international students in higher education
19
Australia’s health expenditure was AUD 190.5 billion in 2021-22
20
Public health expenditure was AUD 151.0 billion in 2021-22
21
Per capita health expenditure was AUD 7,562 in 2021-22
22
Australia had 3.9 practising doctors per 1,000 people in 2022
23
Australia had 13.6 nurses per 1,000 people in 2022
24
Australia had 2.4 pharmacists per 1,000 people in 2022
25
In 2022, life-saving emergency care (ambulance response) had mean response time 9 minutes (metro)
26
In 2022, there were 8.6 million ED presentations
27
In 2022-23, there were 12.4 million hospital admissions
28
In 2022-23, median waiting time for elective surgery was 44 days
29
In 2022-23, 67% of patients waited less than clinically recommended time for elective surgery
30
In 2022-23, 2.4 million people used aged care services
Interpretation
Infrastructure & Society Interpretation
From where we live and learn to how we travel, study, seek care, and scroll online, Australia’s numbers in 2021 to 2024 show a country that is mostly urban (66.6% in major cities, only 2.4% remote), well stocked with students (3.9 million enrolments in 2023, 84.7% attendance), uneven in credentials (52.1% bachelor or higher, 18.8% with no post school qualifications), heavily invested in health (AUD 190.5 billion in 2021 to 22, 7,562 per person, 3.9 doctors and 13.6 nurses per 1,000), stretched in emergencies and electives (9 minute ambulance response in metro areas, 44 day median elective wait), battling persistent harm and risk (13.4 suicide deaths per 100,000 in 2022, 17.2% high risk alcohol, 2.2% psychological distress, 24.4% obese), increasingly connected (90% home internet and 110 Mbps average broadband in 2024), and relying on big infrastructure with real consequences on the roads (33,600 km of rail and 823,000 km of roads, but 1,152 road deaths and 78,000 serious injuries in 2022).
06 · Category
Crime, Justice & Safety29 stats
01
In 2022, 1.7 million Australians reported experiencing family violence (ever)
02
In 2022, there were 283,000 assaults recorded by police (national)
03
In 2022, there were 54,000 robberies recorded by police
04
In 2022, there were 292,000 sexual assaults recorded by police
05
In 2022, there were 2,000 homicide offences recorded
06
In 2022, police recorded 2,200 kidnappings/abductions
07
In 2022, there were 3.3 million offences against property recorded
08
In 2022, total recorded crime rate was 2,007 incidents per 100,000
09
In 2023, there were 41,000 prisoners in Australia (adult corrective services)
10
In 2023, the imprisonment rate was 248 per 100,000 adult population
11
In 2023, 33% of prisoners were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
12
In 2023, women comprised 17% of the prison population
13
In 2023, the number of juvenile offenders was 6,100
14
In 2022-23, there were 167 deaths in custody (prison and watch house)
15
In 2022, there were 1,400 police officers assaulted
16
In 2022, there were 3,100 police officers injured
17
In 2022, 12.5% of police officers reported being assaulted in the last 12 months
18
In 2023, there were 3,100 prosecutions for fraud
19
In 2023, fraud and bribery offences increased by 9% from 2022
20
In 2022-23, there were 1.5 million reported theft-related offences
21
In 2023, cybercrime reports increased to 111,000 (scam/cyber)
22
In 2023, losses to scams were $3.9 billion in Australia
23
In 2023, average scam loss was $5,000
24
In 2022, the road fatality rate was 4.4 per 100,000 people
25
In 2022, 44.8% of road deaths involved a drink driver (share)
26
In 2022, speed was a factor in 33% of road fatalities
27
In 2022, seatbelt use was 92% among car occupants (share)
28
In 2022, motorcycle helmet use was 88% among riders (share)
29
In 2022, bicycle helmet use among riders was 80%
Interpretation
Crime, Justice & Safety Interpretation
These figures sketch a grim national audit: Australians live with widespread family violence and record high levels of sexual assault and robbery, while police and prisons face serious harm and disproportionate incarceration, and at the same time the country bleeds billions to scams and still loses lives on the roads despite relatively strong seatbelt and helmet use.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Australian Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australian-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Australian Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/australian-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Australian Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/australian-statistics.
Sources & references
87 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
abs.gov.auaihw.gov.aurba.gov.aufwc.gov.audese.gov.autreasury.gov.aubudget.gov.auindustry.gov.auato.gov.auenergy.gov.audcceew.gov.aubom.gov.aureefplan.qld.gov.auenvironment.gov.auips.gov.austudyinaustralia.gov.au
nbnco.com.auacma.gov.aubitre.gov.auinfrastructure.gov.aubocsar.nsw.gov.auscamwatch.gov.au
+65 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)