Australia · territory
Australian Capital Territory population 2026
Australian Capital Territory has 489,668 people on the latest official figure, for 31 March 2026, 6,206 more than a year earlier (+1.28%). It is 7th of Australia’s 8 states and territories by population, home to 1.8% of Australia’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 492 thousand by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
Australian Capital Territory in numbers
- Population
- 490 thousand 31 March 2026
- Change in a year
- +1.28% +6,206 people
- Change since 2020
- +8.94% from 445 thousand
- Share of Australia
- 1.8% 7th of 8 states and territories
- Population density
- 208per km² 2,358 km²
That is about as many people as Brunei (470 thousand).
Population of Australian Capital Territory by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 317,235 |
| 2001 | 321,538 |
| 2002 | 324,627 |
| 2003 | 327,357 |
| 2004 | 328,940 |
| 2005 | 331,399 |
| 2006 | 335,170 |
| 2007 | 342,644 |
| 2008 | 348,368 |
| 2009 | 354,785 |
| 2010 | 361,766 |
| 2011 | 367,985 |
| 2012 | 376,539 |
| 2013 | 383,257 |
| 2014 | 388,799 |
| 2015 | 395,813 |
| 2016 | 403,104 |
| 2017 | 415,046 |
| 2018 | 426,081 |
| 2019 | 435,730 |
| 2020 | 444,903 |
| 2021 | 452,508 |
| 2022 | 461,262 |
| 2023 | 471,340 |
| 2024 | 478,430 |
| 2025 | 484,681 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 484,681 | +6,251 | +1.31% |
| 2024 | 478,430 | +7,090 | +1.50% |
| 2023 | 471,340 | +10,078 | +2.18% |
| 2022 | 461,262 | +8,754 | +1.93% |
| 2021 | 452,508 | +7,605 | +1.71% |
| 2020 | 444,903 | +9,173 | +2.11% |
| 2019 | 435,730 | +9,649 | +2.26% |
| 2018 | 426,081 | +11,035 | +2.66% |
| 2017 | 415,046 | +11,942 | +2.96% |
| 2016 | 403,104 | +7,291 | +1.84% |
| 2015 | 395,813 | +7,014 | +1.80% |
| 2014 | 388,799 | +5,542 | +1.45% |
| 2013 | 383,257 | +6,718 | +1.78% |
| 2012 | 376,539 | +8,554 | +2.32% |
| 2011 | 367,985 | +6,219 | +1.72% |
Yearly figures are for 30 June; the headline is the latest quarter, 31 March 2026, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Australian Capital Territory among Australia’s states and territories
Full ranking →| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South Wales | 8,670,105 | +1.13% | 31.1% | 11 |
| 2 | Victoria | 7,154,221 | +1.55% | 25.6% | 32 |
| 3 | Queensland | 5,739,461 | +1.59% | 20.6% | 3 |
| 4 | Western Australia | 3,096,222 | +2.12% | 11.1% | 1 |
| 5 | South Australia | 1,916,836 | +0.97% | 6.9% | 2 |
| 6 | Tasmania | 580,691 | +0.59% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 7 | Australian Capital Territory | 489,668 | +1.28% | 1.8% | 208 |
| 8 | Northern Territory | 268,899 | +1.50% | 1.0% | 0 |
Largest cities in Australian Capital Territory
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Canberra367,752
- Tuggeranong89,461
Air quality in Australian Capital Territory today
Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.
Questions
What is the population of Australian Capital Territory in 2026?
Is Australian Capital Territory’s population growing or shrinking?
How does Australian Capital Territory rank in Australia?
What is the population density of Australian Capital Territory?
What is the largest city in Australian Capital Territory?
Source and method
Australian Bureau of Statistics, National, state and territory population. CC BY 4.0. Total area, Wikidata. The ABS updates these estimates every quarter. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Australia, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.
Cite this page: Australian Capital Territory population, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 31 March 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/australia/australian-capital-territory/
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