Australia · state
Western Australia population 2026
Western Australia has 3,096,222 people on the latest official figure, for 31 March 2026, 64,198 more than a year earlier (+2.12%). It is 4th of Australia’s 8 states and territories by population, home to 11.1% of Australia’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 3.1 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
Western Australia in numbers
- Population
- 3.1 million 31 March 2026
- Change in a year
- +2.12% +64,198 people
- Change since 2020
- +12.24% from 2.7 million
- Share of Australia
- 11.1% 4th of 8 states and territories
- Population density
- 1per km² 2,527,013 km²
That is about as many people as Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.1 million).
Population of Western Australia by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,879,093 |
| 2001 | 1,906,274 |
| 2002 | 1,928,512 |
| 2003 | 1,952,741 |
| 2004 | 1,979,542 |
| 2005 | 2,011,207 |
| 2006 | 2,050,581 |
| 2007 | 2,106,139 |
| 2008 | 2,171,700 |
| 2009 | 2,240,250 |
| 2010 | 2,290,845 |
| 2011 | 2,353,409 |
| 2012 | 2,425,507 |
| 2013 | 2,486,944 |
| 2014 | 2,517,608 |
| 2015 | 2,540,672 |
| 2016 | 2,555,978 |
| 2017 | 2,585,720 |
| 2018 | 2,617,792 |
| 2019 | 2,659,625 |
| 2020 | 2,712,912 |
| 2021 | 2,749,365 |
| 2022 | 2,793,934 |
| 2023 | 2,890,936 |
| 2024 | 2,978,147 |
| 2025 | 3,044,966 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,044,966 | +66,819 | +2.24% |
| 2024 | 2,978,147 | +87,211 | +3.02% |
| 2023 | 2,890,936 | +97,002 | +3.47% |
| 2022 | 2,793,934 | +44,569 | +1.62% |
| 2021 | 2,749,365 | +36,453 | +1.34% |
| 2020 | 2,712,912 | +53,287 | +2.00% |
| 2019 | 2,659,625 | +41,833 | +1.60% |
| 2018 | 2,617,792 | +32,072 | +1.24% |
| 2017 | 2,585,720 | +29,742 | +1.16% |
| 2016 | 2,555,978 | +15,306 | +0.60% |
| 2015 | 2,540,672 | +23,064 | +0.92% |
| 2014 | 2,517,608 | +30,664 | +1.23% |
| 2013 | 2,486,944 | +61,437 | +2.53% |
| 2012 | 2,425,507 | +72,098 | +3.06% |
| 2011 | 2,353,409 | +62,564 | +2.73% |
Yearly figures are for 30 June; the headline is the latest quarter, 31 March 2026, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Western 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 Western Australia
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Perth2,384,371
- Mandurah107,643
- Bunbury76,452
- Geraldton38,595
- Albany35,053
- Kwinana30,433
Air quality in Western Australia today
Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.
Questions
What is the population of Western Australia in 2026?
Is Western Australia’s population growing or shrinking?
How does Western Australia rank in Australia?
What is the population density of Western Australia?
What is the largest city in Western 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: Western Australia population, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 31 March 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/australia/western-australia/
Australia population by state and territory · Australia population · All countries’ states and regions