Geelong population statistics | How many people? (2026)

Published 2 Sept 2026 · Updated 15 Sept 2026

Geelong population: 314,381; Geelong urban area at 30 June 2025, the twelfth largest in Australia
Growth in 2024-25: +6,360; 2.06% over the financial year, derived from the annual urban-area series
Net internal migration: +3,043; Largest component of the urban area's 2024-25 change, from its 18 small areas; Natural increase added 1,678 and net overseas migration 1,639
Share of Victoria: 4.4%; 314,381 of the state's 7,073,859 people at 30 June 2025

The state pictureVictoria had an estimated resident population of 7,073,859 at 30 June 2025 in the ABS annual series. The state article covers the total, its drivers and the split between Greater Melbourne and the rest of the state.

The state capitalThe Melbourne urban area held 5,328,274 people at 30 June 2025, about 17 times Geelong's total. The Melbourne article covers the capital's growth, its drivers and its growth areas.

Section 01 · The headline number

How many people live in Geelong?

The Geelong Significant Urban Area had an estimated resident population of 314,381 at 30 June 2025. It was the largest urban area in Victoria outside Melbourne. Melbourne's urban area had 5,328,274 people at the same date¹. Geelong accounted for 4.4 per cent of Victoria's estimated 7,073,859 people, and 1.1 per cent of Australia's 27,613,654 people².

The ABS publishes population estimates annually for 30 June. In the 2024-25 release, the estimates are final for 2001 to 2021, revised for 2022 to 2024 and preliminary for 2025³. The next release, covering 30 June 2026, is due on 25 March 2027⁴.

The figure counts an urban area, not a council area

The ABS uses Significant Urban Area boundaries to define and compare urban areas. A Significant Urban Area covers a connected urban centre, or group of centres, of at least 10,000 people, and is built from Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s), the small areas the ABS designs to represent a community, often one or more suburbs³. This page calls them small areas. Small areas nest inside larger SA3 districts, and districts inside SA4 regions. On this page, the Geelong district means the Geelong SA3 and the Geelong region means the Geelong SA4.

The urban area is a different boundary from the City of Greater Geelong council area, which had 295,052 people at 30 June 2025, and from the Geelong region, which had 355,990. The urban area had 19,329 more people than the council area, so the two figures are not interchangeable.

In the ABS data, the urban area's population equals the combined population of 18 small areas in every year from 2001 to 2025: the 13 small areas of the Geelong district plus Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek, Clifton Springs, Ocean Grove, Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff and Torquay².

The count includes everyone who usually lives in the area regardless of citizenship or visa status, so temporary migrants such as international students are included and short-term visitors are not.

Section 02 · The pace

How fast is Geelong's population growing?

The Geelong urban area added 6,360 people, or 2.06 per cent, in 2024-25, growing from 308,021 to 314,381. The increase was smaller than the 6,578 added in 2023-24 and larger than the 6,263 added in 2022-23 and the 5,614 added in 2021-22¹.

Growth over the 24 financial years from 2001-02 to 2024-25 ranged from 0.79 per cent to 2.95 per cent. The population increased in every financial year during this period. The highest rate was 2.95 per cent in 2016-17, when the urban area added 7,506 people. The largest increase was 7,804 people (2.90 per cent) in 2018-19, and the lowest rate was 0.79 per cent in 2004-05, when 1,630 people were added, the smallest increase during the period¹.

Growth exceeded 2.8 per cent in each of the four financial years from 2015-16 to 2018-19, at 2.88, 2.95, 2.85 and 2.90 per cent. Growth then slowed to 2.44 per cent in 2019-20, 2.03 per cent in 2020-21 and 1.94 per cent in 2021-22. It increased to 2.12 per cent in 2022-23 and 2.18 per cent in 2023-24, before easing to 2.06 per cent in 2024-25¹.

Geelong urban area population growth rate by financial year, 2001-02 to 2024-25 — Each year's rate is the change in the estimated resident population between 30 June of consecutive years, divided by the earlier value. Every year's change in the series is positive. The 30 June 2025 estimates are preliminary. Values are shown to two decimal places.

Section 03 · The drivers

What drives Geelong's population growth?

Net internal migration was the largest component of the Geelong urban area's population growth in 2024-25, adding 3,043 people. Natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) added 1,678 people. Net overseas migration (arrivals from overseas less departures) added 1,639⁵. The three components totalled an increase of 6,360 people.

The ABS publishes components of population change for small areas and council areas rather than urban areas, so the urban-area figures are derived by summing the 18 small areas that make up Geelong's urban boundary.

Net internal migration was the largest component in three of the four years from 2021-22 to 2024-25. It added 2,635 people in 2021-22, 2,138 in 2022-23, 2,957 in 2023-24 and 3,043 in 2024-25. Net overseas migration was the largest component in 2022-23, at 2,896, and fell to 2,468 in 2023-24 and 1,639 in 2024-25. Natural increase ranged from 1,153 in 2023-24 to 1,678 in 2024-25⁶.

On council boundaries, the pattern was the same in the City of Greater Geelong, where net internal migration added 3,281 people in 2024-25, natural increase 1,571 and net overseas migration 1,524, for a total increase of 6,376. Net internal migration was also the largest component in Golden Plains, at 211 people, and in Queenscliffe, at 37. Surf Coast was the exception among the four council areas, with net overseas migration, at 162 people, ahead of net internal migration, at 146⁷.

Components of population change in the Geelong urban area, 2021-22 to 2024-25 — Natural increase is births minus deaths. Net internal migration is arrivals from elsewhere in Australia minus departures. Net overseas migration is overseas arrivals minus departures. Each year's three components sum to the urban area's change in the annual series. Components for 2021-22 to 2023-24 were revised in the 2024-25 release.

Council areas ranked by total change. The three components sum to each area's change. Council boundaries differ from the urban-area boundary used elsewhere on this page.
Components of population change by council area, 2024-25
Council area (LGA)	Natural increase	Net internal migration	Net overseas migration	Total change
Greater Geelong	+1,571	+3,281	+1,524	+6,376
Surf Coast	+123	+146	+162	+431
Golden Plains	+162	+211	+30	+403
Queenscliffe	-13	+37	+10	+34

Source · ABS Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025, Table 2

Section 04 · The growth areas

Where in Geelong is the population growing fastest?

Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek recorded both the largest increase and the highest growth rate among the 23 small areas in the Geelong region in 2024-25, growing from 14,374 to 15,749 people, an increase of 1,375 (9.6 per cent). Charlemont added 1,141 people (8.2 per cent), Lara 1,029 (4.5 per cent) and Grovedale - Mount Duneed 863 (3.1 per cent)⁵. All four areas lie within the urban area, and together they accounted for 4,408 of its 6,360 increase, or 69 per cent.

Of the 161 small areas in Victoria outside Greater Melbourne, Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek had the largest increase and the highest growth rate in 2024-25, followed by Charlemont on both measures. Delacombe, in the Ballarat region, was third on both, at 1,037 people and 7.3 per cent⁵.

Net internal migration accounted for most of the increase in each of the four fastest-growing areas. It accounted for 1,116 of the 1,375 increase in Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek, 895 of Charlemont's 1,141, 710 of Lara's 1,029 and 552 of Grovedale - Mount Duneed's 863. Norlane was the only one of the 23 small areas to lose population, falling from 8,906 to 8,833, a decrease of 73 people (0.8 per cent)⁵.

Among the four council areas in and around Geelong, Greater Geelong grew fastest in 2024-25, at 2.2 per cent, followed by Golden Plains at 1.5 per cent, Surf Coast at 1.1 per cent and Queenscliffe at 1.0 per cent⁷.

The eight largest population increases in the Geelong region by small area, 2024-25 — Eight of the 23 small areas in the Geelong region. The other 15 areas each added fewer than 248 people, and Norlane declined by 73. The 30 June 2025 estimates are preliminary.

The four largest 2024-25 increases of the 23 small areas in the Geelong region, ranked by change. Ranked by growth rate, Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff, which grew 3.3% from 5,862, takes fourth place ahead of Grovedale - Mount Duneed. Growth rates as published in the cube.
The four largest population increases in the Geelong region by small area, 2024-25
Small area	District	30 June 2024	30 June 2025	Change	Growth rate %
Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek	Surf Coast - Bellarine Peninsula	14,374	15,749	+1,375	9.6
Charlemont	Geelong	13,969	15,110	+1,141	8.2
Lara	Geelong	22,923	23,952	+1,029	4.5
Grovedale - Mount Duneed	Geelong	27,722	28,585	+863	3.1

Source · ABS Population estimates and components by SA2, 2024 to 2025, Table 2

Section 05 · The state picture

How does Geelong compare with other cities in Victoria?

Geelong was the second largest of the 21 urban areas in Victoria at 30 June 2025, behind Melbourne. Melbourne had 5,328,274 people, compared with 314,381 in Geelong, 120,939 in Ballarat and 106,493 in Bendigo. Geelong's population was 2.6 times Ballarat's. Shepparton - Mooroopna and Mildura - Buronga were the next largest, with 55,332 and 54,379 people respectively¹. Albury - Wodonga had 102,435 people and crosses the New South Wales border.

The gap between Geelong and Ballarat widened from 118,958 people at 30 June 2001 to 193,442 at 30 June 2025. Bendigo grew from 76,312 to 106,493 over the same period and remained the fourth largest of Victoria's listed urban areas throughout¹.

Geelong also grew faster than the state's other three urban areas with 100,000 or more people in 2024-25. Its growth rate was 2.06 per cent, compared with 1.97 per cent for Melbourne, 1.77 per cent for Ballarat and 0.84 per cent for Bendigo¹. Among Victoria's 21 urban areas, only Gisborne, at 2.61 per cent, and Bacchus Marsh, at 2.45 per cent, grew faster. Across Victoria outside Greater Melbourne, the population grew from 1,620,401 to 1,638,269 over 2024-25, an increase of 17,868, or 1.10 per cent. The ABS rounds this increase to 17,900 people, or 1.1 per cent⁴. The Geelong urban area is entirely within this region and accounted for 6,360 of the 17,868 increase, or 35.6 per cent.

Population of the three largest Victorian urban areas outside Melbourne at 30 June, 2001 to 2025 — The chart uses Significant Urban Area boundaries. The Geelong urban area differs from the City of Greater Geelong council area and from the Geelong region. The 30 June 2025 estimates are preliminary.

Section 06 · The national rank

Where does Geelong rank among Australia's largest cities?

Geelong was Australia's twelfth-largest urban area at 30 June 2025, with 314,381 people. The Central Coast was tenth, with 354,189 people, and Wollongong was eleventh, with 322,343¹. Geelong ranked ahead of the Hobart urban area, at 233,736, and Darwin, at 145,019.

These figures use urban-area boundaries, which differ from the broader boundaries used for capital-city population figures. Greater Melbourne, for example, had 5,435,590 people at the same date², against 5,328,274 for the Melbourne urban area¹.

Among the urban areas without a capital city, Geelong was the sixth largest, behind Gold Coast - Tweed Heads, Newcastle - Maitland, the Sunshine Coast, the Central Coast and Wollongong. Geelong's 2024-25 growth rate of 2.06 per cent was the third highest among the 20 urban areas with at least 100,000 people, behind Perth at 2.40 per cent and Brisbane at 2.08 per cent, and its increase of 6,360 people was the ninth largest among all 102 urban areas¹.

The gap between Wollongong and Geelong narrowed from 60,923 people at 30 June 2001 to 7,962 at 30 June 2025. It narrowed in every year except 2007-08. In 2024-25, Geelong added 6,360 people (2.06 per cent) against Wollongong's 3,642 (1.14 per cent)¹.

Wollongong's population data is covered in the Wollongong population article.

Australia's twelve largest urban areas at 30 June 2025 — Significant Urban Area boundaries, which differ from the Greater Capital City areas used for capital-city reporting. Gold Coast - Tweed Heads and Canberra - Queanbeyan cross state or territory borders.

Significant Urban Area boundaries. Capital-city urban areas differ from the Greater Capital City figures in the same release. Changes and growth rates derived from the 30 June 2024 values in the same cube, with rates shown to two decimal places.
Australia's twelve largest urban areas, as at 30 June 2025
Urban area (SUA)	Population	Change over 2024-25	Growth rate %
Melbourne	5,328,274	+102,910	1.97
Sydney	5,219,674	+70,670	1.37
Brisbane	2,745,086	+56,017	2.08
Perth	2,430,757	+56,991	2.40
Adelaide	1,470,938	+18,417	1.27
Gold Coast - Tweed Heads	761,634	+12,279	1.64
Newcastle - Maitland	541,634	+6,953	1.30
Canberra - Queanbeyan	521,049	+5,894	1.14
Sunshine Coast	424,741	+8,018	1.92
Central Coast	354,189	+2,401	0.68
Wollongong	322,343	+3,642	1.14
Geelong	314,381	+6,360	2.06

Source · ABS Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area and electoral division, 2001 to 2025, Table 2

Section 07 · The long run

How has Geelong's population changed since 2001?

The Geelong urban area added 114,649 people from 30 June 2001 to 30 June 2025, growing from 199,732 to 314,381. The 2025 population was 57.4 per cent higher than in 2001¹.

The population first passed 200,000 at 30 June 2002, 225,000 at 30 June 2011, 250,000 at 30 June 2016, 275,000 at 30 June 2019 and 300,000 at 30 June 2023¹. The intervals between milestones were nine years, then five, then three, then four.

On council-area boundaries, the City of Greater Geelong grew from 191,534 at 30 June 2001 to 295,052 at 30 June 2025, and it first reached 250,000 at 30 June 2018 and 275,000 at 30 June 2022. It was the third largest of Victoria's 79 council areas at 30 June 2025, behind Casey at 414,929 and Wyndham at 347,830¹.

Charlemont and Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek, two of the four small areas with the largest population increases in 2024-25, were the smallest and the third smallest of the 23 small areas in the Geelong region at 30 June 2001. Charlemont grew from 1,177 people at 30 June 2001 to 15,110 at 30 June 2025, or 12.8 times its 2001 population. Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek grew from 3,388 to 15,749 over the same period, or 4.6 times its 2001 population².

Geelong urban area estimated resident population at 30 June, 2001 to 2025 — The population increased in every year of the series. The 30 June 2025 estimate is preliminary.

Derived milestones: the first 30 June at which the annual estimated resident population of the Geelong urban area was at or above each threshold. The first year in the series is 30 June 2001, when the urban area had 199,732 people.
Geelong urban area population milestones in the annual series
Milestone	First 30 June at or above	Population that year
200,000	30 June 2002	203,222
225,000	30 June 2011	227,957
250,000	30 June 2016	254,296
275,000	30 June 2019	277,059
300,000	30 June 2023	301,443

Source · ABS Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area and electoral division, 2001 to 2025, Table 2

Section 08

Geelong population: quick answers

How many people live in Geelong?

The Geelong Significant Urban Area had an estimated resident population of 314,381 at 30 June 2025. It was the largest urban area in Victoria outside Melbourne and the twelfth largest in Australia. The 30 June 2025 estimates are preliminary. The next release, covering 30 June 2026, is due on 25 March 2027.

Is Geelong the second largest city in Victoria?

Yes. Geelong was the second largest of Victoria's 21 listed urban areas at 30 June 2025, with 314,381 residents, behind Melbourne's urban area at 5,328,274. Ballarat, at 120,939, and Bendigo, at 106,493, were the next largest. Albury - Wodonga, at 102,435, crosses the border and is listed under New South Wales in the ABS data.

How fast is Geelong's population growing?

The Geelong urban area added 6,360 people, or 2.06 per cent, in 2024-25. The population increased in every year from 2001-02. The highest growth rate was 2.95 per cent in 2016-17 and the largest increase was 7,804 people in 2018-19. The 2024-25 rate was the third highest among the 20 Australian urban areas with 100,000 or more people.

What is the difference between the Geelong urban area and the City of Greater Geelong?

The Geelong urban area is an ABS-defined urban boundary and had 314,381 people at 30 June 2025. The City of Greater Geelong is a local government area with a different boundary, and it had 295,052 people on the same date. The population figures for the two areas are not interchangeable.

Is Geelong bigger than Wollongong?

No. Wollongong's urban area had 322,343 people at 30 June 2025 and Geelong's had 314,381, a gap of 7,962 people. The gap was 60,923 at 30 June 2001 and narrowed in every year except 2007-08. In 2024-25, Geelong added 6,360 people and Wollongong 3,642.

When did Geelong's population pass 300,000?

The Geelong urban area first reached 300,000 people at 30 June 2023, when the population was 301,443 residents. It first reached 250,000 at 30 June 2016 and 275,000 at 30 June 2019. The City of Greater Geelong council area, which uses a different boundary, had 295,052 at 30 June 2025 and had not reached 300,000.

Methodology

The figures come from five data cubes in the ABS Regional population release for 2024-25. Population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area and electoral division provides the annual urban-area and council-area series from 2001. Population estimates by SA2 and above provides the state, regional and small-area series over the same years. Population estimates and components by SA2 and Population estimates and components by LGA contain the 2024-25 changes and their components for small areas and council areas. Population components by SA2 and above contains the components for 2021-22 to 2024-25. In every year from 2001 to 2025, the urban area's population in the cubes equals the combined population of 18 small areas in the Geelong region, and this page derives the urban area's components of change by summing those 18 areas. Council areas and statistical regions are named where they are used. Changes, growth rates, shares, ranks and milestone years are derived from the cubes by subtraction and division, with the method shown at the point of use.

Section 09

Australia population statistics

References

ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates by LGA and Significant Urban Area, 2001 to 2025 (datacube 32180DS0004) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025 (datacube 32180DS0003) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c d
ABS Regional population methodology, 2024-25 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b
ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates and components by SA2, 2024 to 2025 (datacube 32180DS0001) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c d
ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population components by SA2 and above, 2021-22 to 2024-25 (datacube 32180DS0005) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑
ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025 (datacube 32180DS0002) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b