Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia
Australia: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 16.77 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
16.77 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
25th
of 121 countries
All-time high
16.77 million
in 2025
All-time low
5.57 million
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia is 16.77 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia peaked at 16.77 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.57 million, in 1960.
Australia ranks 25th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.57 million | — |
| 1961 | 5.73 million | +2.8% |
| 1962 | 5.87 million | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 6.02 million | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 6.18 million | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 6.34 million | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 6.50 million | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 6.81 million | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 7.13 million | +4.8% |
| 1969 | 7.48 million | +4.8% |
| 1970 | 7.83 million | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 8.21 million | +4.8% |
| 1972 | 8.32 million | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 8.42 million | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 8.53 million | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 8.64 million | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 8.75 million | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 8.84 million | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 8.93 million | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 9.03 million | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 9.12 million | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 9.21 million | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 9.34 million | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 9.46 million | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 9.59 million | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 9.71 million | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 9.84 million | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 9.99 million | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 10.14 million | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 10.29 million | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 10.44 million | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 10.60 million | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 10.71 million | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 10.83 million | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 10.94 million | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 11.06 million | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 11.18 million | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 11.21 million | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 11.23 million | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 11.26 million | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 11.28 million | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 11.31 million | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 11.45 million | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 11.60 million | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 11.75 million | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 11.90 million | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 12.05 million | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 12.29 million | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 12.54 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 12.79 million | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 13.05 million | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 13.31 million | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 13.57 million | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 13.83 million | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 14.09 million | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 14.37 million | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 14.64 million | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 14.92 million | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 15.21 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 15.45 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 15.68 million | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 15.91 million | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 16.13 million | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 16.35 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 16.56 million | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 16.77 million | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.36 million | 5.57 million | 7.48 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.55 million | 7.83 million | 9.03 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.67 million | 9.12 million | 10.29 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.95 million | 10.44 million | 11.26 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.90 million | 11.28 million | 12.79 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.24 million | 13.05 million | 15.45 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.23 million | 15.68 million | 16.77 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More urban development data for Australia
- Population in the largest city 22.3% (2025)
- 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, 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 urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Australia was 16.77 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.77 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.57 million in 1960.
- How does Australia rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Australia ranks 25th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.