Population of Australian Capital Territory 2024

ACT population 2017

Australian Capital Territory also known as ACT has the second smallest population in Australia after Northern Territory. The state’s capital city is Canberra who is also the capital of Australia. Canberra has an estimated population of over 380,000 people. The ACT has a total area of only 2,358 km² which accounts for less than one percent of Australia’s total land mass.

Based on our research Australian Capital Territory population will reach 436,713 by the end of June of 2024. By then, it will be the first time ACT’s population goes beyond 400,000. We use end of June each year due to Australia Bureau of Statistic (ABS) always follow Australia financial year when they push the data. The calculation is based on the average growth rate of 1.33% over last 12 years since 2011. We believe using the recent years’ figures (see the table in next section) will make the estimation more accurate.

Population Growth of Australian Capital Territory

Looking back last twelve years, ACT’s population growth rate is fairly consistent ranging from 0.93% to 2.01%, adding around 3,600 to 7,400 people each year to the overall population. The reasons contribute to the population growth is interstate migration. It doesn’t look like a lot of people, but the growth in percentage wise is pretty much in line with the Australian population growth.

Year Population Growth Rate
2011 367,800 n/a
2012 375,200 2.01%
2013 381,500 1.68%
2014 387,100 1.47%
2015 390,700 0.93%
2016 395,200 1.15%
2017 401,737 1.65%
2018 406,692 1.23%
2019 412,576 1.45%
2020 417,002 1.07%
2021 421,780 1.15%
2022 426,270 1.06%
2023 430,980 1.10%

 

Demography of Australian Capital Territory

According to census, approximately 49.5 percent of people in the ACT are male and 50.5 percent are female. The top five ancestries for people in the ACT are: Australian, English, Irish, Scottish and German. The top five languages (other than English) spoken in the ACT are: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Italian and Spanish. The top six countries of birth for people in the ACT are: Australia, England, China, India, New Zealand and Vietnam.

The religious makeup of Australian Capital Territory is: No religion (28.9%), Catholic (26.1%), Anglican (14.7%), Religious affiliation not stated (7.6%), Uniting Church (3.3%), Buddhism (2.6%), Presbyterian and Reformed (2.4%), Christian (2.1%), Islam (2.1%), Eastern Orthodox(1.9%).

Population Density of Australian Capital Territory

ACT’s population density is 151.49 people per kilometer, which is ranking the most populated state in Australia. ACT’s population density is almost 7 times of Victoria due to her smallest population but also smallest area in Australia.

Position State Population Density
1 Australian Capital Territory 151.49
2 Victoria 23.54
3 New South Wales 8.64
4 Tasmania 7.24
5 Queensland 2.50
6 South Australia 1.62
7 Western Australia 0.89
8 Northern Territory 0.16

 

Occupations and Industries

According to ABS, The main occupations of people living in Australian Capital Territory are  Professionals (29.6%), Clerical & administrative workers(19.1%), Managers(15.8%), Technicians & trades workers(10.2%), Community & personal service workers(9.3%), Sales workers(6.8%), Labourers (4.7%),  Machinery operators & drivers(2.4%), Occupation inadequately described/ Not stated(2.0%).

The main industries people from Australian Capital Territory work in are 32.7% Public administration and safety, 9.8% Professional, scientific and technical services, 9.2% Health care and social assistance, 8.8% Education and training, 7.6% Retail trade, 6.1% Construction, 5.8% Accommodation and food services, 3.2% Other services, 2.4% Administrative and support services.

Facts About Australian Capital Territory

  1. The ACT is often called the ‘Nation’s Capital’ or the ‘Bush Capital’.
  2. The Lodge is the name of the Australian Prime Minister’s official residence in Canberra.
  3. Advertising billboards along the roadside are banned in the ACT, with the exception of bus shelters.
  4. The ACT has the highest participation rate in sport of any state or territory.
  5. Canberra has a higher percentage of volunteers than other Australian cities.
  6. A higher percentage of people use a bicycle as the main form of transport than anywhere else in Australia
  7. ACT median age (34) is younger than the rest of Country (37).
  8. Over 70 per cent of the ACT is open space.

References

The following links provide data source for this topic: