Regions of Australia: population and official figures
Australia is divided into 8 regions. The largest by population is New South Wales with 8,592,524 people (31.1% of the total); the smallest is Northern Territory with 264,556. Population from the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated resident population at 30 June 2025. Jobs, economy, health, school and state budget figures are from ABS publications; Census figures are from 2021.
Who governs Australia's regions?
States (6) and self-governing territories (2): Elected parliaments; premier or chief minister from the majority. Create, merge and supervise local councils through their own Local Government Acts.
How local power works in Australia · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 8 regions, largest first
| # | Region | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South Wales | 8,592,524 | 30 June 2025 | +1.2% |
| 2 | Victoria | 7,073,859 | 30 June 2025 | +1.8% |
| 3 | Queensland | 5,669,764 | 30 June 2025 | +1.8% |
| 4 | Western Australia | 3,044,382 | 30 June 2025 | +2.2% |
| 5 | South Australia | 1,902,665 | 30 June 2025 | +1.1% |
| 6 | Tasmania | 576,261 | 30 June 2025 | +0.3% |
| 7 | Australian Capital Territory | 484,630 | 30 June 2025 | +1.3% |
| 8 | Northern Territory | 264,556 | 30 June 2025 | +1.4% |
Cities: the largest cities of Australia.
More on Australia: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Data by region 2011-2025, states and territories (ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2021): population, births and deaths, personal income, house prices, businesses, building approvals, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7f6d87de31d5…)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Labour Force, Australia, September 2026: trend and seasonally adjusted state and territory series, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 72befbbd1b24…)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian National Accounts: State Accounts, 2024-25, Table 1: Gross state product, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 193fa6f8752b…)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Life expectancy 2022-2024: life tables by state and territory of usual residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b8ed69c08132…)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Schools, 2025: Table 90a key information by state, Table 53a student-teacher ratios, Table 64a retention rates, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3ecf57c8e83…)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Government Finance Statistics, Australia, 2024-25: state general government operating statement, balance sheet and expenses by purpose, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a22f46e52d4e…)
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