Australian States and Territories By Population

5. South Australia - 1,659,800

South Australia is the fifth-most populous state in Australia, accounting for about 7% of the country's population. It is also the fourth-largest state in total land area, accounting for about 12% of the country's total area. South Australia only has one of Australia's fifty most populous cities, but it is the fifth largest city in the country. Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and is home to about 5% of the country's total population.

According to the 2011 census, 73.3% of people in the state were born in Australia, while the remaining 26.7% were born elsewhere, with 7.7% from the United Kingdom, 1.3% from Italy, 1.2% from India and 1.0% from China. There is no majority religion in the state, with the five highest being those that do not identify with any religion (28.1%), Catholic (19.9%), Anglican (12.6%), Uniting Church (8.9%), and those that did not state a religious affiliation (8.9%). In South Australia, 32.8% of homes are fully owned by people, 35.3% are in the process of being purchased using a home loan mortgage, and the remaining 27.9% of homes are rented. The five major industries that people in the state work in are health care and social assistance (13.6%), retail (11.2%), manufacturing (10.5%), education (7.5%), and construction (7.1%).

4. Western Australia - 2,366,900

Western Australia is the fourth-most populous state in Australia, accounting for about 10% of the country's population. It is also the largest state in total land area, accounting for about 33% of the country's total area. Western Australia is home to six of the fifty most populous cities in Australia. Western Australia is also home to the country's fourth-largest city, Perth, which also serves as the state's capital city. Perth is the fourth largest city in Australia, as it accounts for about 8% of the country's total population.

According to the 2011 census, 62.9% of people in the state were born in Australia, while the remaining 37.1% were born elsewhere, with 10.3% of that being from the United Kingdom, 3.2% from New Zealand, 1.6% from South Africa, 1.3% from India, and 1.1% from Malaysia. There is no majority religion in the state, with the five highest being those with no religion (25.5%), Catholic (23.6%), Anglican (18.8%), those who did not state a religious affiliation (9.7%), and Uniting Church (3.3%). In Western Australia, 29.5% of homes are fully owned, 37.8% are in the process of being purchased using a home loan mortgage, and the remaining 29.2% of homes are rented. The five major industries that people in the state work in are health care and social assistance (10.4%), construction (10.2%), retail (10.1%), manufacturing (8.2%), and education (8.0%).

3. Queensland - 4,599,400

Queensland is the third-most populous state in Australia, accounting for about 20% of the country's population. It is also the second-largest state in terms of total land area, accounting for about 22% of the country's total area. Queensland is home to ten of the fifty most populous cities in Australia, including two of the top ten. Queensland is also home to the country's third largest city, Brisbane, which also serves as the state's capital city. Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia, as it accounts for about 9% of the country's total population.

According to the 2011 census, 73.7% of people in the state were born in Australia, while the remaining 26.3% were born elsewhere, with people from the United Kingdom (4.9%) being the only ones to make up more than one percent. There is no majority religion in the state, with the five highest being Catholic (23.8%), those with no religion (22.1%), Anglican (18.9%), those who did not state a religious affiliation (9.1%), and Uniting Church (6.4%). In Queensland 29.0% of homes are fully owned by people, 34.5% are in the process of being purchased using a home loan mortgage, and the remaining 33.2% of homes are rented by people. The five major industries that people in the state work in are health care and social assistance (11.9%), retail (10.7%), construction (9.0%), manufacturing (8.4%), and education (7.9%).

2. Victoria - 5,640,900

Victoria is the second-most populous state in Australia, accounting for about 24% of the country's population. It is also the sixth-largest state in total land area, accounting for only about 3% of the country's total area. Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia in total land area. Victoria is home to eight of the 50 most populous cities in Australia. Victoria is also home to the country's second-largest city, Melbourne, which also serves as the state's capital city. Melbourne accounts for about 17% of the country's total population.

According to the 2011 census, 68.6% of people in the state were born in Australia. The remaining 31.4% were born elsewhere, with 4.0% of that being from the United Kingdom, 2.1% from India, 1.8% from China, 1.5% from New Zealand, 1.4% from Italy, and 1.3% from Vietnam. There is no majority religion in the state, with the five highest being Catholic (26.7%), those with no religion (24.0%), Anglican (12.3%), those who did not state a religious affiliation (4.7%), and Uniting Church (4.3%). In Victoria, 34.2% of homes are fully owned, 35.9% are in the process of being purchased using a home loan mortgage, and the remaining 26.5% of homes are rented by people. The five major industries that people in the state work in are health care and social assistance (11.6%), retail (10.8%), manufacturing (10.7%), construction (8.3%), and education (8.0%).

1. New South Wales - 7,317,500

New South Wales is the biggest state in Australia by population. The state accounts for about 32% of the country's population. It is also the fifth-largest state in terms of total land area, accounting for about 10% of the country's total area. New South Wales is home to twelve of the fifty most populous cities in Australia, including three of the top ten. The state capital, Sydney, is the most populous city in the country as the home to around 20% of the country's total population.

According to the 2011 census, 68.6% of people in the state were born in Australia, while the remaining 31.4% were born elsewhere. Among those belonging to the latter category, 4.0% were from the United Kingdom, 2.3% from China, 1.7% from New Zealand, 1.4% from India, 1.0% from Vietnam, and 1.0% from the Philippines. There is no majority religion in the state, with the five highest being those with Catholic (27.5%), Anglican (19.9%), no religion (17.9%), those who did not state a religious affiliation (7.7%), and Uniting Church (3.9%). In New South Wales 33.2% of homes are fully owned, 33.4% are in the process of being purchased using a home loan mortgage, and the remaining 30.1% of homes are rented by people. The five major industries that people in the state work in are health care and social assistance (11.6%), retail (10.3%), manufacturing (8.4%), education (7.9%), and those in the professional, scientific, or technical services (7.9%). New South Wales is considered to be the richest state in Australia. 

Australia in 2040

Based on population projections, by 2040 the population of South Australia is expected to go up 26% to around 2.1 million people. Western Australia is projected to have its population almost double to about 4.7 million people. Queensland's population is projected to go up to 7.3 million people. Victoria's population is expected to increase by 51% to about 8.4 million people, and New South Wales is projected to have its population go up by 35% to about 9.9 million people. By 2040, the average age of Australians is expected to increase from 37 to 40.5 years old, the number of people of 65 is expected to double, and the number of people over 85 is expected to triple.