Sydney Flag

Sydney

Country:
Australia
Continent:
Oceania

Sydney's 2025 population is now estimated at 5,248,790. In 1950, the population of Sydney was 1,689,940. Sydney has grown by 63,890 in the last year, which represents a 1.23% annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects . These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Sydney, which typically includes Sydney's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

5.2M
Total Population
63.9K 1.23%
Growth
No
Capital of Australia?

Sydney Population

Sydney Overview

Sydney is the largest city in Australia and, as host to the Olympic Games in 2000, is probably the country’s most well known city. Although not the capital of Australia, it is the capital of New South Wales. In 2016, the population was estimated to be 4.92 million.

The results of the 2011 census, released in June 2012, showed that that the official population of Sydney was 4,391,674. In the five years since the last census, in 2006, it has grown by 6.6 percent. Estimates in 2016 place the population at 4.92 million, and this number is expected to exceed 5 million by the end of 2016.

Australia’s population in 2016 is just under 22 million so, to put this into some perspective, it might help to think that roughly one in every five Australians lives in Sydney.

Growth in Sydney

Sydney is growing quickly - so quickly in fact that it might have as many as 7 million residents by 2060 - not much smaller than the population of London today. Rival Melbourne, however, is growing at a faster rate and is tipped by many to become Australia’s largest city within the next 25 years. Read more in our article about the population of Melbourne.

Sydney is widely recognized as being one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world - almost 45% of the people who live in Sydney today were born outside of Australia. The largest country of origin for Sydney residents in the United Kingdom (4.3% of Sydney residents, or about 175,000 people, are from the UK originally), closely followed by China (3.5% of residents).

Population Ancestry in Sydney

Looking at the ancestry of Sydney’s residents gives plenty of clues about how the city’s diverse identity has developed and changed over time. Although 25.7% of Sydney’s inhabitants claim Australian ancestry (which is different from their country of birth), over 40% claim ancestry that is either English, Scottish or Irish, a legacy of Australia’s colonial past. However, reflecting more recent waves of immigration into Australia, 8.2% of people in Sydney have Chinese ancenstry, 4.2% Italian ancestry, 2.5% have German ancenstry, and 2.6% have Greek ancestry.

Religious Demographics of Sydney

In terms of religion, Sydney is largely a Christian dominated city. According to 2011 figures, Roman Catholics comprise the single largest religious groups in Sydney (28.3%), follwed by Anglicans (16.1%), Eastern Orthodox (4.8%) and Islam (4.4%). A further 17.6% reported that they had no religion.

History of Sydney Population Growth

The area that is today’s Sydney was home to many aboriginal people - perhaps as many as 8,000 - at the time of Sydney’s founding as a penal colony in 1788, although with no kind of reliable data available it is difficult to be certain. It is believed, though, that within a year or two of the founding of Sydney an outbreak of smallpox decimated the local population, leaving under a thousand aboriginal residents and paving the way for the city to expand without any serious restriction.

By 1800, the new colony had become firmly established and had grown to around 3,000 people — not just convicts and jailers but also emancipated convicts who had served their time and had been freed to live in Australia. The town soon began to develop like any other and banks, churches and other public institutions were soon being established. The population of the town of Sydney grew steadily, and by 1851, it had reached an estimated 39,000.

The advent of the Sydney Gold Rush in the 1850s saw the population rocket upwards, and by 1871 the population of Sydney was around 200,000. The increasingly confident city soon began lobbying against its great rival Melbourne to become Australia’s capital city, although ultimately their dispute was settled by the decision to develop a neutrally located capital in Canberra instead.

By the early 1920s, Sydney had grown to over 1 million residents, and it has continued to grow steadily through the 20th century and into the 21st centuries as it attracted wave after wave of immigrants - firstly from England, then from other European countries and more recently from countries around the globe - to create the modern, multicultural population of Sydney that we see today.

Other Cities in Australia

City
2025 Pop. ↓
Growth
Melbourne5,391,890
Brisbane2,568,170
Perth2,169,190
Adelaide1,392,940
Gold Coast752,570
Canberra482,986
Newcastle469,794
Wollongong318,535
Logan City282,673
Geelong137,220
Townsville128,808
Hobart128,557
Rockingham108,022
Cairns98,349
Toowoomba95,265
Darwin89,905
Mandurah83,294
Ballarat78,221
Bendigo76,051
Launceston71,395
Mackay66,874
Armadale62,296
Maitland61,431
Rockhampton60,827
Adelaide Hills60,394
South Brisbane60,000
Bunbury54,482
Reservoir47,637
Bundaberg46,961
Wagga Wagga46,735
Berwick44,779
Hervey Bay41,225
Port Macquarie39,219
Blacktown39,000
Shepparton38,773
Caloundra38,706
Hoppers Crossing38,108
Werribee37,737
Melton35,490
Castle Hill35,389
Saint Albans35,091
Nowra34,479
Frankston East34,457
Frankston34,457
Rowville34,145
Baulkham Hills33,945
Mount Waverley33,611
St Albans33,511
Tamworth33,475
Auburn33,122
Pakenham South32,911
Point Cook32,413
Epping32,200
Orange31,544
Kalgoorlie31,107
Dubbo30,574
Bankstown30,572
Mill Park30,517
Kwinana30,433
Preston29,925
Hurstville29,822
Sunbury29,566
Bathurst28,992
Gladstone28,808
Narre Warren South28,594
Noble Park28,377
Southport28,315
Kellyville27,971
Port Stephens27,531
Geraldton27,420
Banora Point27,368
Lismore27,069
Doncaster East27,047
Croydon26,946
Maroubra26,538
Coffs Harbour26,353
Mosman26,236
Richmond26,121
Narre Warren25,882
Randwick25,819
Strathfield25,813
Bundoora25,709
Albany25,196
Alice Springs25,186
Quakers Hill25,017
Palmerston25,000
Endeavour Hills25,000
Coburg24,977
Dandenong24,919
Fremantle24,835
Ferntree Gully24,724
Campsie24,541
Kew23,876
Hampton Park23,767
Canning Vale23,289
Glen Iris23,270
Mount Gambier23,209
Marrickville23,161
Northcote22,920
Granville22,889
Mount Isa22,785
Keysborough22,700
Armidale22,673
Morphett Vale22,602
Dianella22,521
Forest Lake22,426
Mornington22,421
Thornlie22,265
Ashfield22,000
Traralgon21,960
Dandenong North21,910
Busselton21,898
Cabramatta21,783
Greystanes21,703
Tarneit21,690
Maryborough21,501
Caboolture21,478
Kirwan21,416
Langwarrin21,371
Carlingford21,364
Liverpool21,317
Caringbah21,283
Brighton21,257
Hawthorn South21,177
Hawthorn21,177
Glenferrie21,177
Goulburn20,940
Boronia20,825
Woodridge20,650
Booval20,540
Thomastown20,331
Cheltenham20,292
Punchbowl20,236
Prospect20,217
Greensborough20,214
Gawler20,006
Burnie19,972
Balwyn North19,968
Lalor19,873
Brunswick19,867
Hornsby19,863
St Clair19,837
Springvale19,771
Wheelers Hill19,753
Craigieburn19,728
Whyalla19,645
Glenroy19,644
Camberwell19,637
Malvern East19,593
Murray Bridge19,577
Echuca19,457
Devonport19,317
Roxburgh Park19,235
Glenmore Park19,200
Epping18,969
Ballajura18,952
Essendon18,852
Cherrybrook18,778
Altona Meadows18,746
Cranbourne18,622
Katoomba18,593
Surfers Paradise18,501
Parramatta18,448
Broken Hill18,430
Doncaster18,359
Eltham18,162
Fairfield18,081
Morayfield18,020
Engadine17,937
Eastwood17,865
Saint Kilda17,795
Highton17,793
Mulgrave17,647
Forster17,591
Wantirna South17,477
Dee Why17,463
Thornbury17,434
Wahroonga17,371
Frankston South17,360
Wyndham Vale17,304
Gosnells17,277
Mount Eliza17,248
Willetton17,243
Carrum Downs17,213
North Ryde17,208
Mount Martha17,087
Wangaratta16,845
Sunnybank Hills16,830
Cronulla16,754
Sunshine West16,743
Taree16,621
Earlwood16,564
Sunnybank16,442
South Grafton16,399
Cessnock16,393
Hillside16,326
Westmead16,309
Carnegie16,299
Nerang16,256
Narangba16,223
Deer Park16,204
Taylors Lakes16,095
Deception Bay16,090
Umina16,059
Seaford16,033
Burwood16,030
Yagoona16,003
West Pennant Hills15,967
Paralowie15,872
Lilydale15,649
Moe15,582
Clayton15,543
Lara15,520
Griffith15,455
Bracken Ridge15,355
Eight Mile Plains15,322
Parafield Gardens15,317
Prestons15,313
Buderim15,228
Brighton East15,167
Carindale15,135
Port Hedland15,044
Duncraig15,026
Pascoe Vale15,000
Rochedale South14,996
Coorparoo14,944
Meadow Heights14,843
Mitcham14,811
Casula14,696
Bossley Park14,585
Cranbourne North14,570
Caulfield North14,554
Lakemba14,468
Kingston14,371
Grovedale14,308
Horsham14,285
Bentleigh14,271
Ballina14,242
Kingsford14,232
Lidcombe14,161
Carlton14,104
Wantirna13,978
Manly13,949
Ingleburn13,902
Burleigh Waters13,868
Elwood13,785
Cleveland13,776
Victoria Point13,755
Yarraville13,747
Singleton13,665
Bongaree13,649
Raymond Terrace13,606
Mount Druitt13,582
Bacchus Marsh13,575
Newtown13,552
Moonee Ponds13,532
Palm Beach13,494
Ascot Vale13,475
Morwell13,399
Port Melbourne13,293
Yeppoon13,285
Keilor East13,259
Port Augusta13,257
Port Pirie13,206
Williamstown13,203
Footscray13,203
Sale13,186
Coogee13,179
Templestowe Lower13,152
Brunswick West13,148
Surrey Hills13,133
Hawthorn East13,133
Port Lincoln13,044
Doonside13,031
Concord13,008
Toongabbie13,003
Dulwich Hill12,981
Balwyn12,944
Miranda12,903
Toorak12,871
Beaumaris12,829
Port Kennedy12,816
Broome12,766
Fawkner12,596
Scarborough12,593
St Kilda East12,576
Inala12,568
Warwick12,562
Rosebud12,501
Hampton12,482
Como12,425
Ashwood12,420
Chadstone12,357
Marsfield12,347
Kiama12,286
Leichhardt12,248
Mayfield12,248
Springvale South12,184
Goonellabah12,137
Port Augusta West12,133
Geelong West12,121
Lavington12,032
Doreen12,000
Newport11,987
Greenvale11,969
Blackburn11,958
Burwood11,886
West Ryde11,867
Penrith11,813
Kingswood Park11,813
Varsity Lakes11,796
Donvale11,795
Muswellbrook11,791
Taylors Hill11,785
Bateau Bay11,759
North Melbourne11,755
Wynnum West11,745
Karratha11,728
Charlestown11,725
Wynnum11,719
Penshurst11,692
Mentone11,667
Paddington11,661
Caringbah South11,605
Clayton South11,600
Happy Valley11,531
Diamond Creek11,504
Redfern11,482
North Fitzroy11,473
Warnbro11,421
Vermont South11,416
Sandy Bay11,334
East Maitland11,310
South Perth11,301
Lithgow11,298
Bayswater11,240
Manly West11,195
Parkdale11,185
Caulfield South11,113
Gympie11,027
Bairnsdale11,005
Bowen10,983
Nunawading10,947
Wanneroo10,931
Samford Valley10,931
Mount Gravatt East10,891
Altona North10,886
Caroline Springs10,880
Bulleen10,868
Kensington10,847
Gladesville10,835
Menai10,781
Bondi Beach10,748
Wellington Point10,713
Mount Lawley10,703
Annerley10,664
Tewantin10,660
Box Hill North10,649
Sunshine North10,637
Yokine10,613
Batemans Bay10,557
Camp Hill10,533
Marangaroo10,519
Dapto10,478
Maylands10,447
Drummoyne10,385
Melton West10,381
Bondi10,373
Sydenham10,323
Keilor Downs10,307
Neutral Bay10,276
Highett10,263
West Footscray10,222
Nambour10,221
Rutherford10,182
Maribyrnong10,165
Hallam10,162
Hillarys10,160
Burwood East10,141
Blackburn South10,129
Darlinghurst10,128
Hamilton10,104
Dingley Village10,072
Glenorchy10,062
Forest Hill10,052
Kilsyth10,043
Parkes10,026
Nedlands10,020

Sources

  1. World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.

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