Population Estimates
With almost one third of the total national population, or 7.3 million residents, New South Wales is Australia's largest domestic market. The State's resident population increased by 82,200 people in the year to 2011, or 1.1%. 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 4.6 million people in 2011, 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 552,800 people, and Wollongong with 293,500 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 2006 and 2011 – the 5th 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 (-1.1%), Japan (-0.2%), Korea (1.3%), China (2.5%), Hong Kong SAR (2.6%), France (2.9%), the United Kingdom (3.0%) and the United States (4.2%), according to the US Census Bureau's International Data Base.
Population Estimates - Australian States, Territories and Capital Cities, 20111
| State/Territory | State/Territory population2 | % Aust. population | Capital city | Capital city population2 | % of State/Territory pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 7,302,174 | 32.3 | Sydney | 4,627,345 | 63.4 |
| Victoria | 5,621,210 | 24.9 | Melbourne | 4,137,432 | 73.6 |
| Queensland | 4,580,282 | 20.3 | Brisbane | 2,074,222 | 45.3 |
| Western Australia | 2,349,325 | 10.4 | Perth | 1,738,807 | 74.0 |
| South Australia | 1,656,299 | 7.3 | Adelaide | 1,212,982 | 73.2 |
| Tasmania | 510,519 | 2.3 | Hobart | 216,656 | 42.4 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 365,621 | 1.6 | Canberra | 365,240 | 99.9 |
| Northern Territory | 230,369 | 1.0 | Darwin | 128,073 | 55.6 |
| Australia3 | 22,618,294 | 100.0 | Total | 14,500,757 | 64.1 |
Footnotes:
1. Estimates of resident population are based on Census counts by place of usual residence, with an allowance for Census undercount, to which are added the number of Australian residents estimated to have been temporarily overseas at the time of the Census. Overseas visitors are excluded.
2. Preliminary estimates, as at June 2011
3. Includes Other Territories, i.e. Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Jervis Bay
Source: ABS Cat. No. 3218.0, 2010-11
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Senior Analyst, Strategic Policy and Economics
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Email:competitiveness.statistic competitiveness.statistics@business.nsw.gov.au