Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth largest Australian capital city. South Australia has population of over 1.7 million. Over 75% of the population (over 1.3 million) lives within the metropolitan capital of Adelaide, which is also 5.5% of national population. 25% of South Australian residents were born outside of Australia. The city of Adelaide is surrounded by the hills on the east, and over 70 kilometres of coastline on the west.
Based on our research Adelaide population will reach 1.539 million by June 2024. The calculation is based on the average growth rate of 1.95% over last 12 years since 2011. We believe using the recent years’ figures (see the table in next section) will make the estimation more accurate. The figures are based on Australian Bureau of Statistics who published the data on June each year.
Population Growth of Adelaide
Looking back last twelve years, Adelaide’s population growth rate is very consistent and positive ranging from 0.78% to 4.42%, adding around 10,000 to 53,000 people each year to the overall population. In 2012 in particular, Adelaide recorded a very high population growth thanks to immigration policies which encourage people come to Adelaide. Mining industry also plays an important part in the population growth.
Of the Local Government Areas within the Greater Adelaide Planning Region, Onkaparinga had the highest population, followed by Salisbury and Port Adelaide Enfield. Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Port Pirie had the highest populations of the Regional Local Government Areas.
Year | Population | Growth rate |
2011 | 1.198 million | n/a |
2012 | 1.251 million | 4.42% |
2013 | 1.29 million | 3.12% |
2014 | 1.3 million | 0.78% |
2015 | 1.316 million | 1.23% |
2016 | 1.34 million | 1.82% |
2017 | 1.36 million | 1.49% |
2018 | 1.38 million | 1.47% |
2019 | 1.408 million | 2.03% |
2020 | 1.429 million | 1.49% |
2021 | 1.450 million | 1.47% |
2022 | 1.48 million | 2.07% |
2023 | 1.51 million | 2.03% |
Demography of Adelaide
According to Australia census, the top five ancestries for people in Adelaide are: English, Australian, Scottish, German and Irish. The top five languages (other than English) spoken in Adelaide are: Italian, Greek, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese. The top six countries of birth for people in Adelaide are: Australia, England, Italy, India, China and Scotland.
The religious makeup of Adelaide is: 28.0% No religion, 21.5% Catholic, 12.6% Anglican, 8.5% Religious affiliation not stated, 7.5% Uniting Church, 3.5% Eastern Orthodox, 3.1% Lutheran, 2.3% Christian, 2.2% Buddhism, 1.8% Baptist.
Population Density of Adelaide
Adelaide’s population density ranks second in Australia just after Melbourne with 404.205 people per square kilometers. Sydney’s population density is just after Adelaide, which is a bit surprise to a lot of people considering how busy Sydney is.
Position | City | Population Density |
1 | Melbourne | 453/km2 |
2 | Adelaide | 404.205/km2 |
3 | Sydney | 400/km2 |
4 | Perth | 317.736/km2 |
5 | Canberra | 173.3/km² |
6 | Brisbane | 145/km2 |
7 | Hobart | 124.8/km2 |
8 | Darwin | 44.976/km2 |
Occupations and Industries
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the main occupations of people living in Adelaide are 21.8% Professionals, 15.5% Clerical & administrative workers, 13.9% Technicians & trades workers, 11.0% Managers, 10.7% Community & personal service workers, 9.9% Sales workers, 9.8% Labourers, 5.7% Machinery operators & drivers, 1.6% Occupation inadequately described/ Not stated.
The main industries people from Adelaide work in are 14.3% Health care and social assistance, 11.4% Retail trade, 10.3% Manufacturing, 8.2% Education and training, 7.7% Public administration and safety, 7.5% Construction, 6.4% Professional, scientific and technical services, 6.1% Accommodation and food services, 4.1% Transport, postal and warehousing.
Facts About Adelaide
- Adelaide offers more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, and without the humidity of other Australian cities.
- Australian most famous cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, lived in Adelaide with his family.
- Adelaide is a city in park. Over 760 hectares of Park Lands ring the city and North Adelaide.
- Adelaide is a university town. It has five university campuses in the city square mile – and almost 30,000 students coming from all over the world to attend them.
- It is nicknamed the City of Churches. In spite of the fact that it is not known in the matter of who initially began utilizing this nickname, one just needs to investigate to uncover the reason behind such a nickname.
- It was on the Lonely Planet list of top 10 cities to visit in 2014.
- Australia is divided into three time zones, with Adelaide coming under Australian Central Standard Time (ACST). The local time in Adelaide is GMT + 9.5 hours.
- South Australia has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers (25⁰C to 35⁰C) and cool to cold, snowless winters (10⁰C to 15⁰C).
References
The following links provide data for this topic:
- State Library of South Australia: www.slsa.sa.gov.au
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au
- South Australia: www.southaustralia.com