Australia — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Australia, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Australia was 1.53% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.38% in 1971. The lowest was 0.14% in 2021 (about 10.9× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.41% per year.
Australia ranks 69 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 32%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 0.64%, so Australia sits above it. It peaked in 1971 and has fallen 55% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 7%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 4 of 37 economies; Kiribati (1.45%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 815% in 2022. That is 4% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 130th of 216 in 1961 → 124th of 216 in 1970 → 143rd of 216 in 1980 → 130th of 216 in 1990 → 124th of 217 in 2000 → 86th of 217 in 2010 → 95th of 217 in 2020 → 69th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.53% | -0.5 pp |
| 2024 | 1.98% | -0.4 pp |
| 2023 | 2.43% | +1.1 pp |
| 2022 | 1.29% | +1.1 pp |
| 2021 | 0.14% | -1.1 pp |
| 2020 | 1.23% | -0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 1.48% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 1.65% | +0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 1.56% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 1.44% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 1.49% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 1.72% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 1.75% | +0.4 pp |
| 2011 | 1.39% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 1.56% | -0.5 pp |
| 2009 | 2.06% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 2% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 1.82% | +0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 1.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 1.22% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 1.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 1.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 1.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 1.28% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 1.14% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 1.09% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 1% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 1.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 1.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 1.11% | +0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 0.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 0.89% | -0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 1.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 1.27% | -0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 1.48% | -0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 1.69% | +0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 1.64% | +0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 1.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 1.45% | +0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 1.33% | +0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 1.2% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 1.37% | -0.4 pp |
| 1982 | 1.73% | +0.2 pp |
| 1981 | 1.56% | +0.3 pp |
| 1980 | 1.22% | +0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 1.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 1.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 1.13% | +0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 1% | -0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 1.23% | -1.3 pp |
| 1974 | 2.53% | +1.0 pp |
| 1973 | 1.53% | -0.3 pp |
| 1972 | 1.84% | -1.5 pp |
| 1971 | 3.38% | +1.4 pp |
| 1970 | 1.97% | -0.1 pp |
| 1969 | 2.09% | +0.3 pp |
| 1968 | 1.76% | +0.5 pp |
| 1967 | 1.26% | -1.0 pp |
| 1966 | 2.28% | +0.3 pp |
| 1965 | 1.96% | -0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 1.96% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 1.92% | -0.5 pp |
| 1962 | 2.44% | +0.5 pp |
| 1961 | 1.99% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Australia’s Population growth in 1962?
2.44% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Australia’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -23.0% in total — about 0.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 1.53%; 2024: 1.98%; 2023: 2.43%; 2022: 1.29%; 2021: 0.14%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.