Australia · state
Queensland population 2026
Queensland has 5,739,461 people on the latest official figure, for 31 March 2026, 90,078 more than a year earlier (+1.59%). It is 3rd of Australia’s 8 states and territories by population, home to 20.6% of Australia’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 5.8 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
Queensland in numbers
- Population
- 5.7 million 31 March 2026
- Change in a year
- +1.59% +90,078 people
- Change since 2020
- +9.77% from 5.2 million
- Share of Australia
- 20.6% 3rd of 8 states and territories
- Population density
- 3per km² 1,729,742 km²
That is about as many people as Central African Republic (5.7 million).
Population of Queensland by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3,509,458 |
| 2001 | 3,571,469 |
| 2002 | 3,653,123 |
| 2003 | 3,743,121 |
| 2004 | 3,829,970 |
| 2005 | 3,918,494 |
| 2006 | 4,007,992 |
| 2007 | 4,111,018 |
| 2008 | 4,219,505 |
| 2009 | 4,328,771 |
| 2010 | 4,404,744 |
| 2011 | 4,476,778 |
| 2012 | 4,568,687 |
| 2013 | 4,652,824 |
| 2014 | 4,719,653 |
| 2015 | 4,777,692 |
| 2016 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 5,670,203 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,670,203 | +98,313 | +1.76% |
| 2024 | 5,571,890 | +121,655 | +2.23% |
| 2023 | 5,450,235 | +139,330 | +2.62% |
| 2022 | 5,310,905 | +95,091 | +1.82% |
| 2021 | 5,215,814 | +50,201 | +0.97% |
| 2020 | 5,165,613 | +76,766 | +1.51% |
| 2019 | 5,088,847 | +82,224 | +1.64% |
| 2018 | 5,006,623 | +80,243 | +1.63% |
| 2017 | 4,926,380 | +81,228 | +1.68% |
| 2016 | 4,845,152 | +67,460 | +1.41% |
| 2015 | 4,777,692 | +58,039 | +1.23% |
| 2014 | 4,719,653 | +66,829 | +1.44% |
| 2013 | 4,652,824 | +84,137 | +1.84% |
| 2012 | 4,568,687 | +91,909 | +2.05% |
| 2011 | 4,476,778 | +72,034 | +1.64% |
Yearly figures are for 30 June; the headline is the latest quarter, 31 March 2026, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Queensland 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 Queensland
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Brisbane2,780,063
- Gold Coast640,778
- Sunshine Coast398,840
- Logan City345,098
- Townsville201,313
- Cairns153,075
Air quality in Queensland today
Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.
Questions
What is the population of Queensland in 2026?
Is Queensland’s population growing or shrinking?
How does Queensland rank in Australia?
What is the population density of Queensland?
What is the largest city in Queensland?
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: Queensland population, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 31 March 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/australia/queensland/
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