People, skills and education

With almost one third of the total national population, or 7.2 million residents, New South Wales is Australia's largest domestic market. The State's resident population increased by over 99,000 people in the year to 2010, or 1.4%. Overseas migration continues to play an important role in the State's population growth, as well as deepening the base of skills and languages.

Sydney is Australia's largest city, home to 4.8 million people in 2010, and accounting for 63% of the New South Wales population. Other large cities in New South Wales include Newcastle, 165 kilometres to the north of Sydney, with 546,800 people, and Wollongong with 292,200 people, 85 kilometres to the south. Together with Greater Sydney, these centres account for three-quarters of the New South Wales population. While the western and inner city suburbs of Sydney have been the major contributors to New South Wales growth in recent years, regional areas also recorded strong population growth.

NSW's population grew by 7.1 per cent between 2005 and 2010 – the 4th largest growth rate in the Asia Pacific region – and exceeded population growth of a number of major countries over the same period, such as Germany (-1%), Japan (-0.6%), Korea (1.3%), China (2.5%), Hong Kong SAR (2.8%), France (3.0%) and the United Kingdom (3.1%), according to the US Census Bureau's International Data Base.

Population Estimates - Australian States, Territories and Capital Cities, 2010¹