Population · New South Wales · 2026

Updated 4 min read

NSW population: size, growth and where people live

People walk along a tree-lined Sydney street past apartments, outdoor cafes and parked cars.

New South Wales had 8,670,105 residents at 31 March 2026, making up 31.1 per cent of Australia's 27,921,150 people. The state's population grew by 96,971 people, or 1.1 per cent, over the year to 31 March 2026. At 30 June 2025, Greater Sydney held 5,638,830 of the 8,592,524 residents counted in the ABS regional estimates, or 65.6 per cent.

Updated

NSW population
8,670,105
At 31 March 2026, the largest of any state or territory
Annual growth
+96,971
1.1% in the year to 31 March 2026
Share of Australia
31.1%
8,670,105 of 27,921,150 people at 31 March 2026
Living in Greater Sydney
65.6%
5,638,830 of 8,592,524 people at 30 June 2025
Where interstate migrants goWhere interstate migrants goIn 2025, New South Wales had the largest net interstate migration loss of any state or territory. The interstate migration article covers the flows between all eight states and territories, and how they shifted from 2020 onwards.The national picture in fullThe national picture in fullNSW held just under a third of Australia's people at 31 December 2025. The national population article covers the 27.8 million total, how fast it is changing, and the births, deaths and migration behind it.

Section 01 · The headline number

How many people live in New South Wales?

New South Wales had an estimated resident population of 8,670,105 at 31 March 2026, the most recent quarter in the ABS series1.

That was 31.1 per cent of Australia's 27,921,150 people.1 NSW had the largest population of any state or territory, followed by Victoria with 7,154,221.

The ABS updates the estimate each quarter. The next release, covering the June quarter 2026, is due on 17 December 20261.

Section 02 · The pace

How fast is the NSW population growing?

New South Wales grew by 96,971 people, or 1.1 per cent, in the year to 31 March 2026, the slowest rate of the four most populous states1.

Over the same year, Western Australia grew by 2.1 per cent, and Queensland and Victoria by 1.6 per cent each1.

The years since 2020 include both the slowest and the fastest calendar years since 1982. Of the 44 calendar years from 1982 to 2025, the slowest was 2020, when the state added 5,939 people or 0.07 per cent, and the fastest was 2023, when it added 173,286 or 2.10 per cent1. Growth then slowed to 101,343 people, or 1.20 per cent, in 2024, and to 96,523, or 1.13 per cent, in 2025.2

Within those calendar years, year-ending growth, measured over the 12 months to each quarter rather than from December to December, briefly turned negative. Annual growth was negative in three consecutive year-ending readings in 2021, and the largest fall was 18,986 people, or 0.23 per cent, in the year to March 2021. Growth peaked at 182,430 people, or 2.22 per cent, in the year to September 20231.

NSW population growth rate by calendar year, 1982 to 2025Growth in the estimated resident population over each calendar year, per cent, derived from theDecember-to-December changes in the quarterly series.Source: ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Table 4 (released 17 September2026).0.5%1%1.5%2%2.5%Annual growth rate2.10% in 2023198219851988199119941997200020032006200920122015201820212024Calendar year
Each year's rate is the change in the estimated resident population between 31 December of the previous year and 31 December of that year, divided by the earlier value. The chart therefore shows calendar-year growth rather than the year-ending quarterly growth figures discussed above.

Section 03 · The drivers

What drives population growth in New South Wales?

Three components made up the state's growth. In the year to 31 March 2026, net overseas migration added 84,573 people, natural increase (births minus deaths) added 33,216, and net interstate migration subtracted 20,8181. The components totalled 96,971, matching the change in the quarterly population series.

The interstate outflow was the largest in the country. New South Wales lost a net 20,818 people to the other states and territories in the year to 31 March 2026. A total of 85,880 people arrived from other states and territories, while 106,698 left. The next largest net outflow was the Northern Territory's 1,589, while Queensland gained 14,718 and Western Australia 10,3141.

Based on calendar-year totals from the quarterly interstate migration series, NSW recorded a net interstate loss in every one of the 44 years from 1982 to 2025. The largest loss was 42,475 people in 1989 and the smallest was 5,582 in 2014. The 2025 loss of 21,465 was the smallest since 20171.

The national birth and death series behind natural increase is covered in the births and deaths article.

NSW population growth by component, year to 31 March 2026
ComponentPeopleDerivation
Net overseas migration+84,573177,015 arrivals minus 92,442 departures
Natural increase+33,21694,743 births minus 61,527 deaths
Net interstate migration-20,81885,880 arrivals minus 106,698 departures
Total growth+96,971Derived sum; the release's summary rounds it to 97,000

Source · ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026.

NSW net interstate migration by calendar year, 1982 to 2025Net gain or loss from moves between New South Wales and the other states and territories each calendar year,persons, derived by summing the four quarters of the arrivals and departures series.Source: ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Tables 16A and 16B (released 17September 2026).-50K-40K-30K-20K-10K0Net interstate migration-42,475 in 1989198219851988199119941997200020032006200920122015201820212024Calendar year
Values below zero are net losses to the other states and territories. Every value in the series is negative; overseas migration and natural increase, not shown here, more than offset the loss in most years.

Section 04 · Sydney and the regions

How much of the NSW population lives in Sydney?

Greater Sydney had 5,638,830 people at 30 June 2025, or 65.6 per cent of the 8,592,524 people across Greater Sydney and the rest of the state in the ABS regional estimates.3

The rest of the state had 2,953,694 residents3. Greater Sydney's share has increased from 62.8 per cent at 30 June 2001, when it had 4,102,580 of the 6,530,349 people counted on the same boundaries.

The capital also grew faster than the rest of the state in 2024-25. Over the financial year, Greater Sydney grew by 75,230 people (1.4 per cent) and the rest of the state by 25,244 (0.9 per cent), derived from the same series4. The ABS reports Greater Sydney's 2024-25 growth, rounded to the nearest hundred, as natural increase of 30,100 people and net overseas migration of 78,400, less a net internal migration loss of 33,300. It states that Sydney and Melbourne had the largest net internal migration losses.

The fastest-growing areas in the state in 2024-25 were on Sydney's fringe. Box Hill - Nelson in the outer north-west grew by 3,900 people (17 per cent), Marsden Park - Shanes Park by 3,200 and Austral - Greendale in the outer south-west by 3,100 (16 per cent)4.

The capital's own long-run series is covered in the Sydney population article.

Changes and growth rates derived from the 30 June 2024 values in the same cube; shares derived by division. The 30 June reference date differs from the 31 March 2026 and 31 December state population figures used elsewhere in the article.
Greater Capital City Statistical Area boundaries, at 30 June 2025
RegionPopulationChange over 2024-25Growth rate %Share of state %
Greater Sydney5,638,830+75,2301.465.6
Rest of NSW2,953,694+25,2440.934.4
Two regions combined8,592,524+100,4741.2100.0

Source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25, Population estimates by SA2 and above data cube.

Section 05 · The national picture

How does NSW compare with other states and territories?

New South Wales was the most populous of the eight states and territories at 31 March 2026, with 1,515,884 more people than Victoria.2 Its population grew by 1.1 per cent in the year to 31 March 2026, ranking sixth of the eight.

NSW has remained the most populous jurisdiction throughout the ABS quarterly series, covering 180 quarters from June 1981 to March 20261.

Its exact growth rate for the year was 1.13 per cent, ahead of South Australia's 0.97 per cent and Tasmania's 0.59 per cent1. The ABS reports that net overseas migration was the major contributor to population change in all states and territories in the year to 31 March 2026.

Population growth rate by state and territory, Australia, year to 31 March2026Growth in the estimated resident population over the year to 31 March 2026, per cent, derived from the exactquarterly series and ranked highest to lowest.Source: ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Table 4.Western Australia2.1%Queensland1.6%Victoria1.6%Northern Territory1.5%Australian Capital Territory1.3%New South Wales1.1%South Australia1%Tasmania0.6%Annual growth rate
Rates derived by dividing each jurisdiction's change in estimated resident population over the year to 31 March 2026 by its 31 March 2025 value; the release's summary table rounds the same rates to one decimal place.
Exact estimated resident population from the quarterly series; changes and growth rates derived from the 31 March 2025 values. The Australia row includes the other territories of Jervis Bay, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island, so the state and territory rows do not sum exactly to it.
Population by state and territory, Australia, as at 31 March 2026
State or territoryPopulationChange over the yearGrowth rate %
New South Wales8,670,105+96,9711.13
Victoria7,154,221+109,4911.55
Queensland5,739,461+90,0781.59
Western Australia3,096,222+64,1982.12
South Australia1,916,836+18,3870.97
Tasmania580,691+3,3940.59
Australian Capital Territory489,668+6,2061.28
Northern Territory268,899+3,9651.50
Australia27,921,150+392,7281.43

Source · ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Table 4.

Section 06 · The long run

How has the New South Wales population grown since 1981?

New South Wales grew from 5,266,894 people at 31 December 1981 to 8,635,200 at 31 December 2025, adding 3,368,306 people.2

By the end of 2025, the state's population was 1.64 times its size at the end of 19811.

Each million milestone is a derived figure marking the first quarter in which the series shows the state at or above the threshold. NSW first exceeded 6 million people in the September quarter 1993, 7 million in the December quarter 2008 and 8 million in the December quarter 20181.

Calendar-year growth fell from 84,797 people in 2019 to 5,939 in 2020, then increased to 22,757 in 2021, 146,991 in 2022 and 173,286 in 2023, based on December-to-December changes in the quarterly series1.

NSW estimated resident population at 31 December, 1981 to 2025Estimated resident population at the December quarter of each year, persons.Source: ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Table 4.2M4M6M8M10M8 million: December 2018198119841987199019931996199920022005200820112014201720202023YearEstimated resident population at 31 December
December-quarter values from the quarterly series; the intervening quarters, including the three negative year-ending readings of 2021, sit between these points.
Derived milestones: the first quarter in which the quarterly estimated resident population series shows New South Wales at or above each threshold. The series begins at the June quarter 1981, with the state already above 5 million.
NSW population milestones, 1993 to 2018
MilestoneFirst quarter at or abovePopulation that quarter
6 millionSeptember quarter 19936,009,659
7 millionDecember quarter 20087,001,782
8 millionDecember quarter 20188,003,564

Source · ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026, Table 4.

Section 07 · Common questions

NSW population: quick answers

What is the population of NSW?

New South Wales had an estimated resident population of 8,670,105 at 31 March 2026, the most recent quarter in the ABS series, released on 17 September 2026. That was 31.1 per cent of Australia's 27,921,150 people and the largest population of any state or territory. The next update, covering the June quarter 2026, is due on 17 December 2026.

How fast is the NSW population growing?

New South Wales grew by 96,971 people, or 1.1 per cent, in the year to 31 March 2026. The ABS summary rounds the increase to 97,000 people. NSW had the slowest growth rate of the four most populous states, compared with 2.1 per cent in Western Australia and 1.6 per cent in both Queensland and Victoria.

Is NSW losing people to other states?

Yes. New South Wales lost a net 20,818 people to interstate moves in the year to 31 March 2026. A total of 85,880 people arrived from other states and territories and 106,698 left. NSW recorded a net interstate migration loss in every calendar year from 1982 to 2025. Net overseas migration of 84,573 more than offset the loss over the year.

How much of the NSW population lives in Sydney?

Greater Sydney had 5,638,830 residents at 30 June 2025, or 65.6 per cent of the 8,592,524 people across Greater Sydney and the rest of the state in the ABS regional estimates. The rest of NSW had 2,953,694 residents. The capital's share was 62.8 per cent at 30 June 2001 on the same boundaries.

When did NSW pass 8 million people?

New South Wales first exceeded 8 million people in the December quarter of 2018, when the ABS quarterly series recorded 8,003,564 residents. The state had previously passed 6 million in the September quarter 1993 and 7 million in the December quarter 2008.

Australia population statistics

References

  1. ABS, National, state and territory population (latest release) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c d e f g h i j k l m n o
  2. ABS National, state and territory population, March 2026: Table 4 — Estimated resident population, states and territories · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b c
  3. ABS Regional population, 2024-25: population estimates by SA2 and above, 2001 to 2025 (datacube 32180DS0003) · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b
  4. ABS: Regional Population, 2024–25 · Australian Bureau of Statistics ↑ b
  5. ABS, National, state and territory population methodology, December 2025 · Australian Bureau of Statistics
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