Australia · territory
Northern Territory population 2026
Northern Territory has 268,899 people on the latest official figure, for 31 March 2026, 3,965 more than a year earlier (+1.50%). It is 8th of Australia’s 8 states and territories by population, home to 1.0% of Australia’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 270 thousand by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
Northern Territory in numbers
- Population
- 269 thousand 31 March 2026
- Change in a year
- +1.50% +3,965 people
- Change since 2020
- +7.50% from 247 thousand
- Share of Australia
- 1.0% 8th of 8 states and territories
- Population density
- 0per km² 1,347,791 km²
That is about as many people as Barbados (283 thousand).
Population of Northern Territory by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 199,149 |
| 2001 | 201,743 |
| 2002 | 202,251 |
| 2003 | 201,725 |
| 2004 | 202,663 |
| 2005 | 205,905 |
| 2006 | 209,057 |
| 2007 | 213,748 |
| 2008 | 219,874 |
| 2009 | 226,027 |
| 2010 | 229,778 |
| 2011 | 231,292 |
| 2012 | 235,915 |
| 2013 | 241,722 |
| 2014 | 242,894 |
| 2015 | 244,692 |
| 2016 | 245,678 |
| 2017 | 247,412 |
| 2018 | 247,095 |
| 2019 | 246,559 |
| 2020 | 247,428 |
| 2021 | 248,151 |
| 2022 | 253,100 |
| 2023 | 257,508 |
| 2024 | 260,884 |
| 2025 | 265,978 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 265,978 | +5,094 | +1.95% |
| 2024 | 260,884 | +3,376 | +1.31% |
| 2023 | 257,508 | +4,408 | +1.74% |
| 2022 | 253,100 | +4,949 | +1.99% |
| 2021 | 248,151 | +723 | +0.29% |
| 2020 | 247,428 | +869 | +0.35% |
| 2019 | 246,559 | −536 | −0.22% |
| 2018 | 247,095 | −317 | −0.13% |
| 2017 | 247,412 | +1,734 | +0.71% |
| 2016 | 245,678 | +986 | +0.40% |
| 2015 | 244,692 | +1,798 | +0.74% |
| 2014 | 242,894 | +1,172 | +0.48% |
| 2013 | 241,722 | +5,807 | +2.46% |
| 2012 | 235,915 | +4,623 | +2.00% |
| 2011 | 231,292 | +1,514 | +0.66% |
Yearly figures are for 30 June; the headline is the latest quarter, 31 March 2026, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Northern 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 Northern Territory
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Darwin139,902
- Palmerston33,695
- Alice Springs25,912
Questions
What is the population of Northern Territory in 2026?
Is Northern Territory’s population growing or shrinking?
How does Northern Territory rank in Australia?
What is the population density of Northern Territory?
What is the largest city in Northern 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: Northern Territory population, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 31 March 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/australia/northern-territory/
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