Australia · state
South Australia population 2026
South Australia has 1,916,836 people on the latest official figure, for 31 March 2026, 18,387 more than a year earlier (+0.97%). It is 5th of Australia’s 8 states and territories by population, home to 6.9% of Australia’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 1.9 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
South Australia in numbers
- Population
- 1.9 million 31 March 2026
- Change in a year
- +0.97% +18,387 people
- Change since 2020
- +6.22% from 1.8 million
- Share of Australia
- 6.9% 5th of 8 states and territories
- Population density
- 2per km² 984,321 km²
That is about as many people as Equatorial Guinea (2 million).
Population of South Australia by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,497,503 |
| 2001 | 1,503,461 |
| 2002 | 1,511,567 |
| 2003 | 1,520,399 |
| 2004 | 1,528,189 |
| 2005 | 1,538,804 |
| 2006 | 1,552,529 |
| 2007 | 1,570,619 |
| 2008 | 1,588,665 |
| 2009 | 1,608,902 |
| 2010 | 1,627,322 |
| 2011 | 1,639,614 |
| 2012 | 1,656,725 |
| 2013 | 1,671,488 |
| 2014 | 1,686,945 |
| 2015 | 1,700,668 |
| 2016 | 1,712,843 |
| 2017 | 1,728,673 |
| 2018 | 1,746,137 |
| 2019 | 1,767,395 |
| 2020 | 1,790,355 |
| 2021 | 1,802,601 |
| 2022 | 1,824,969 |
| 2023 | 1,857,646 |
| 2024 | 1,882,164 |
| 2025 | 1,901,652 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,901,652 | +19,488 | +1.04% |
| 2024 | 1,882,164 | +24,518 | +1.32% |
| 2023 | 1,857,646 | +32,677 | +1.79% |
| 2022 | 1,824,969 | +22,368 | +1.24% |
| 2021 | 1,802,601 | +12,246 | +0.68% |
| 2020 | 1,790,355 | +22,960 | +1.30% |
| 2019 | 1,767,395 | +21,258 | +1.22% |
| 2018 | 1,746,137 | +17,464 | +1.01% |
| 2017 | 1,728,673 | +15,830 | +0.92% |
| 2016 | 1,712,843 | +12,175 | +0.72% |
| 2015 | 1,700,668 | +13,723 | +0.81% |
| 2014 | 1,686,945 | +15,457 | +0.92% |
| 2013 | 1,671,488 | +14,763 | +0.89% |
| 2012 | 1,656,725 | +17,111 | +1.04% |
| 2011 | 1,639,614 | +12,292 | +0.76% |
Yearly figures are for 30 June; the headline is the latest quarter, 31 March 2026, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
South Australia 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 South Australia
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Adelaide1,469,163
- Adelaide Hills72,260
- Mount Gambier25,591
- Mount Barker21,554
- Whyalla20,880
- Gawler20,006
Air quality in South Australia today
Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.
Questions
What is the population of South Australia in 2026?
Is South Australia’s population growing or shrinking?
How does South Australia rank in Australia?
What is the population density of South Australia?
What is the largest city in South Australia?
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: South Australia population, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 31 March 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/australia/south-australia/
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