Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Australia
Australia: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 3.54 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.54 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
214th
of 216 countries
All-time high
3.54 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
1.36 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Australia, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, population density in Australia stood at 3.54 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Australia peaked at 3.54 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.36 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Australia 214th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Australia, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.36 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 1.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 1.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 1.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 1.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 1.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 1.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 1.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 1.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 1.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 1.68 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 1.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 1.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 1.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 1.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 1.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 1.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 1.87 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 1.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 1.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 1.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 2.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 2.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 2.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 2.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 2.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 2.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 2.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 2.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 2.32 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 2.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 2.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 2.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.42 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 2.45 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 2.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 2.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 2.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 2.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 2.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 2.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 2.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 2.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 2.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 2.87 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 2.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 2.96 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 3.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 3.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 3.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 3.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 3.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 3.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 3.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 3.34 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 3.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 3.47 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 3.54 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 3.54 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 2% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Australia's 3.54 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 140.28 people per sq. km of land area, 3% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.48 people per sq. km of land area | 1.36 people per sq. km of land area | 1.6 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.78 people per sq. km of land area | 1.63 people per sq. km of land area | 1.89 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.05 people per sq. km of land area | 1.91 people per sq. km of land area | 2.19 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.33 people per sq. km of land area | 2.22 people per sq. km of land area | 2.45 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.63 people per sq. km of land area | 2.48 people per sq. km of land area | 2.82 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.08 people per sq. km of land area | 2.87 people per sq. km of land area | 3.29 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.41 people per sq. km of land area | 3.33 people per sq. km of land area | 3.54 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More urban development data for Australia
- Population in the largest city 22.3% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.6073 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 16.77 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 2.13 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 5.39 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 5.43 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 931 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Australia?
- Population density in Australia was 3.54 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.54 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.36 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Australia rank for population density?
- Australia ranks 214th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.