Wagga Wagga is a city of New South Wales. It is also NSW’s largest inland city with an estimated population of over 68,000 people. It is one of the fastest growing inland cities in Australia. The city is located in the Riverina region and 461 kms south west of Sydney. It is an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia.
Based on our research Wagga Wagga population will reach 68,970 by June of 2024. We use end of June each year due to Australia Bureau Statistics ABS always follow Australia financial year when pushed the data. The calculation is based on the average growth rate of 0.85% 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.
Population Growth of Wagga Wagga
Looking back last twelve years of Wagga Wagga’s population, the growth rate varies from 0.59% to 1.23%, adding around 366 to 781 people each year to the overall population. The growth is pretty consistent thanks to the stable employment rate in Wagga Wagga. There are not many people moving to interstate from this region.
Year | Population | Growth rate |
2011 | 61,781 | n/a |
2012 | 61,781 | 0 |
2013 | 62,147 | 0.59% |
2014 | 62,799 | 1.05% |
2015 | 63,491 | 1.10% |
2016 | 64,272 | 1.23% |
2017 | 64,879 | 0.94% |
2018 | 65,510 | 0.97% |
2019 | 66,061 | 0.84% |
2020 | 66,720 | 1.00% |
2021 | 67,320 | 0.90% |
2022 | 67,880 | 0.83% |
2023 | 68,971 | 0.85% |
Demographics of Wagga Wagga
According to Australia census, Wagga Wagga is an extremely diverse city, with a huge number of ethnic and cultural groups living there .The top five languages (other than English) spoken in Wagga Wagga are: Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic and Italian. The top six countries of birth for people in Wagga Wagga are: 81.7% Australia, 1.7% India, 1.6% England, 0.8% New Zealand, 0.7% China and 0.4% Germany.
The religious makeup of Wagga Wagga is: 34.3% Catholic, 20.6% Anglican, 17.1% No religion, 5.9% Presbyterian and Reformed, 4.8% Uniting Church, 1.3% Islam, 1.3% Christian, 1.1% Lutheran, 1.0% Baptist.
Population Density of Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga’s population density is 13 people per square kilometer, which is one of the most populated cities in New South Wales.
Occupations and Industries
According to Australia Bureau of Statistics the main occupations of people living in Wagga Wagga are 24.9% Professionals, 15.5% Technicians & trades workers, 11.9% Community & personal service workers, 11.3% Clerical & administrative workers, 11.2% Managers, 9.6% Sales workers, 9.5% Labourers, 4.8% Machinery operators & drivers, 1.4% Occupation inadequately described/ Not stated.
The main industries people from Wagga Wagga work in are 15.2% Health care and social assistance, 11.4% Education and training, 11.1% Retail trade, 10.3% Accommodation and food services, 7.9% Manufacturing, 7.6% Public administration and safety, 7.3% Construction, 4.8% Professional, scientific and technical services, 3.4% Transport, postal and warehousing.
Facts About Wagga Wagga
- Wagga Wagga is located 450 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD and 460 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD.
- Wagga Wagga has a temperate climate with hot dry summers and cool to cold winters.
- Wagga Wagga is widely recognised as the “City of Good Sports” because many of Australia’s sporting heroes came from this city.
- The name Wagga Wagga is derived from the Aboriginal dialect used by the Wiradjuri tribe, the original inhabitants of the city. Wagga Wagga means “the place of many crows”.
- Wagga Wagga has a long and proud military history that dates back to more than 120 years.
- In 1974, Wagga Wagga was flooded when the Murrumbidgee River reached a massive level of 10.74 metres. It was the highest level recorded in the 20th century.
- Wagga Wagga is considered a regional centre for education. The city has 24 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 25 pre-school and childcare centres.
- Chiko Rolls, the popular Australian hot snack, originated in Wagga Wagga.
References
The following links provide data for this topic:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au
- New South Wales Government: www.nsw.gov.au
- Wagga Wagga City Council: www.wagga.nsw.gov.au