Population in the largest city in Australia
Australia: Population in the largest city was 22.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
22.3%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
107th
of 153 countries
All-time high
27.2%
in 1971
All-time low
21.9%
in 2013
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Australia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Australia is 22.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Australia peaked at 27.2% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2013.
That places Australia 107th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 25.5% | — |
| 1961 | 25.4% | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 25.3% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 25.3% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 25.3% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 25.3% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 25.2% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 25.8% | +2.5% |
| 1968 | 26.3% | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 26.7% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 27.1% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 27.2% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 26.9% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 26.7% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 26.2% | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 26.1% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 26.1% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 26.0% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 25.9% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 25.8% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 25.6% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 25.5% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 25.5% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 25.5% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 25.5% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 25.4% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 25.3% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 25.2% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 25.0% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 24.9% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 24.9% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 24.9% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 24.9% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 24.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 24.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 24.8% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 24.4% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 24.1% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 23.7% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 23.3% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 22.9% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 22.8% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 22.7% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 22.6% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 22.4% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 22.3% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 22.2% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 22.1% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 21.9% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 21.9% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 22.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 22.0% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 22.0% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 22.2% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 22.6% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 22.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 22.3% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 22.3% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.6% | 25.2% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.4% | 25.9% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.4% | 25.0% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.6% | 23.7% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 21.9% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.0% | 21.9% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.4% | 22.2% | 22.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 104 El Salvador 23.6% compare
- 105 Philippines 23.4% compare
- 106 Yemen 22.8% compare
- 108 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 22.2% compare
- 109 Mexico 21.5% compare
- 110 Jordan 21.2% compare
More urban development data for Australia
- Population density 3.47 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Australia?
- Population in the largest city in Australia was 22.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.2% in 1971.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2013.
- How does Australia rank for population in the largest city?
- Australia ranks 107th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.