Gold Coast Population 2024

Gold Coast's 2024 population is now estimated at 742,600In 1950, the population of Gold Coast was 29,034Gold Coast has grown by 10,276 in the last year, which represents a 1.4% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Gold Coast, which typically includes Gold Coast's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

The City of Gold Coast is Australia's sixth largest city, with an estimated population of over 560,000 people. As of 2017, the population estimate increased to 591,356, making it the largest non-capital cities in Australia. The city has seen significant population growth since the 1920s and is one of the top tourist destinations, luring in residents and tourists alike with its beautiful coasts, thriving nightlife, and natural beauty. Gold Coast is located 66km south-southeast of Brisbane and is positioned in the Queensland state.

The city is famous for its 57 kilometers of beaches and is one of the country's premier tourist destinations. The Gold Coast is a magnet for Chinese visitors in particular, with 295,000 visiting in 2016, a 38% increase on the preceding 12 months. China is the most significant source of international visitors to the Gold Coast, and on average accounted for as much as 23% of foreign visitor spending in the region. In 2014 there were 3.5 million overnight domestic visitors and 7,819,000 international visitors.

City Size and Population Density

The city of Gold Coast takes up an area of approximately 414 square kilometers (160 square miles). The population density comes to some 1,428 persons living per square kilometer (3,695 per square mile).

Demographics of Gold Coast

According to the most recent Australian census, the Gold Coast is a very diverse city, with many different ethical and cultural groups residing there. Nearly two-thirds of foreign-born residents of the city come from English-speaking countries (including New Zealand, UK, and South Africa). However, there are increasing numbers of people moving to the city from Asia, including China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and India. Nationally, there has been a shift from European to Asian migration, mainly from southern Asia and China. The top five birth countries of foreign-born residents are New Zealand (9.2%), UK (7.1%), South Africa (1.3%), Japan (0.8%), and China (excluding SARs and Taiwan) (0.7%).

The top five languages spoken (at home) in Gold Coast other than English are Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Cantonese and Italian.

As of 2016, the most practiced religion on the Gold Coast is Western Catholicism (20.8%), followed by Anglican (16.1%). 32.1% of the population indicated that they are not affiliated with any religion.

Gold Coast Demographics

The population of the Gold Coast is 51.4% female, according to the 2016 Census. The median age in the city is 39 years old. English is the most common ancestry in the city, with 29.3% of inhabitants being of English descent. 64% of the population was born in Australia, with 7.9% of residents originating from New Zealand and 5.2% being born in England. Over 17% of the population hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. 45.8% of residents were born to parents that were born in Australia.

31.8% of residents reported that they do not have a religion. The top religion in the city is Catholicism, of which over 20% reported following per the 2016 Census. Over 80% of households speak English only, while the second top language spoken within the city is Mandarin, which is spoken by 1.6% of the population.

Gold Coast History

Though the Gold Coast area had its first recorded sighting in the 1700s, it was uninhabited until 1823. It was originally known as the South Coast because of its location in relation to Brisbane. The city received its name because of over inflation of goods and housing. Though this name was thought by some to be derogatory, over the years, the area became known for its beautiful beaches and nightlife, and by the 1950s, tourism was booming, leading many to integrate “Gold Coast” into the names of their businesses. The city was renamed as the Town of Gold Coast, followed up one year later as the City of Gold Coast.

The city continues to be a thriving tourism spot because of its beaches that are known for surfing, pristine rainforests, stunning skyline, and activities including shopping and theme parks. Its movie, TV, and music industries have earned it the nickname “Australia's Hollywood,” and it is now the most populous non-capital city in Australia.

Gold Coast Population Growth

Gold Coast is one of Australia's fastest growing regions, with its population expected to reach as many as 820,000 by 2035. Between 2011 and 2016, the annual growth rate was between 1.28% and 2.25%, which added approximately 2,098 to 11,614 to the overall population every year. The region's booming tourism industry means that there are lots of job opportunities, and so many people move here for work, which contributes to population growth. Even before the city was known as the Gold Coast (1958), it had experienced strong population growth. This growth continued throughout the 20th century, welcoming people from all over the world.

Country
Australia
Growth Rate
1.4%

Gold Coast Population 2024

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Growth
195029,034
195130,6255.48%1,591
195232,3055.49%1,680
195334,0735.47%1,768
195435,9405.48%1,867
195537,9095.48%1,969
195639,9895.49%2,080
195742,1775.47%2,188
195844,4885.48%2,311
195946,9255.48%2,437
196049,5005.49%2,575
196152,2085.47%2,708
196255,0685.48%2,860
196358,0855.48%3,017
196461,2725.49%3,187
196564,6255.47%3,353
196668,1655.48%3,540
196771,9005.48%3,735
196875,8455.49%3,945
196979,9945.47%4,149
197084,3775.48%4,383
197189,0005.48%4,623
197293,8835.49%4,883
197399,0205.47%5,137
1974104,4455.48%5,425
1975110,1675.48%5,722
1976116,2125.49%6,045
1977122,5705.47%6,358
1978129,2865.48%6,716
1979136,3695.48%7,083
1980143,8515.49%7,482
1981151,7225.47%7,871
1982160,1535.56%8,431
1983169,0525.56%8,899
1984178,4595.56%9,407
1985188,3625.55%9,903
1986198,8295.56%10,467
1987209,9165.58%11,087
1988221,6385.58%11,722
1989233,9795.57%12,341
1990247,0265.58%13,047
1991260,7955.57%13,769
1992273,2264.77%12,431
1993286,2124.75%12,986
1994299,8354.76%13,623
1995314,1064.76%14,271
1996329,0854.77%14,979
1997347,6775.65%18,592
1998367,3475.66%19,670
1999388,1305.66%20,783
2000410,1205.67%21,990
2001433,2635.64%23,143
2002447,6293.32%14,366
2003462,4713.32%14,842
2004477,8273.32%15,356
2005493,6493.31%15,822
2006510,0083.31%16,359
2007523,4902.64%13,482
2008537,3482.65%13,858
2009551,5332.64%14,185
2010566,1122.64%14,579
2011581,0702.64%14,958
2012593,7132.18%12,643
2013606,5962.17%12,883
2014619,7762.17%13,180
2015633,2432.17%13,467
2016647,0212.18%13,778
2017661,0992.18%14,078
2018675,4832.18%14,384
2019687,4601.77%11,977
2020699,2261.71%11,766
2021710,6501.63%11,424
2022721,6871.55%11,037
2023732,3241.47%10,637
2024742,6001.4%10,276
2025752,5701.34%9,970
2026762,2901.29%9,720
2027771,8051.25%9,515
2028781,1541.21%9,349
2029790,3661.18%9,212
2030799,4611.15%9,095
2031808,4601.13%8,999
2032817,3881.1%8,928
2033826,2651.09%8,877
2034835,1071.07%8,842
2035843,9271.06%8,820
showing: 86 rows

Gold Coast Population Data (Urban Area)

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