Perth's 2026 population is now estimated at 2,218,366.In 1996, the population of Perth was 1,208,648.Perth has grown by 34,921 in the last year, which represents a 1.6% annual change.These population values and projections come from Australia urban centers over 10k series 1996-2021 via CityPopulation official attribution and World Population Review Internal Projections.
Perth is an Australian boom town. The capital of Western Australia is the fourth largest city in the country, but also the most rapidly growing of all Australia’s major cities.
With an official 2011 population of 1,728,867, Perth has grown a staggering 14.3% in just five years — the Perth population in 2006 was only 1,512,105.
In 2012, the population of Perth was pushed further to 1.9 million. Given the city’s rapid growth, it’s estimated that the 2013 population of Perth has now exceeded the 2 million mark.
The most recent estimation of the population in Perth, Western Australia in 2016 shows a population of 2,022,044.
Perth is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia. Western Australia’s wealth boom has been driving people to the region lately, and Perth itself is now home to 4 of the 5 most advantaged suburbs in the country. It’s population growth is truly staggering, growing from 1.72 million in 2011 to 2 million in 2013.
Perth’s population grew just 1.8% from 1991 to 1996, and just less than that between 2001 and 2006. Since then, the city’s growth has averaged 3.1% and it has grown to 3.4% from 2011 to 2012. The population of Perth is divided into 6 planning subregions (Central, Peel, North-East, North-West, South-West and South-East), and Peel has had the largest growth recently of 4.7%.
The population density of Perth, as of 2011, was 295.5 people per square kilometer (739.4/square mile). The densest areas of Perth are found in the inner Statistical Areas like Subiaco and Vincent, which have traditionally been very densely populated. In 2011, the densest suburb of Perth was Highgate, with 5,004 people per square kilometer. Most of the densely packed suburbs of the city are north of the river.
Because of the speed of its growth, Perth is, in many ways, very different to other Australian cities.
The influx of residents into the growing city means that only 59.6% of people living in Perth were born in Australia, compared to a national average of 69.8%. Almost one in ten (9.5% to be exact) of Perth residents were born in England, all the way across the world, compared with an Australian average of just 4.2%. Other major groups are New Zealanders (3.1%), South Africans (1.8%), Indians (1.6%) and Malays (1.4%), all of whom make up a higher percentage of the population of Perth than they do in the rest of the country.
Perth has a long history of ethnic complexity, with an influx of European immigrants from Italy, Greece, Germany and other areas moving here during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Perth also has a small Jewish community. One of the most recent changes to its ethnic makeup is the wave of people arriving from Southern Africa, including white minorities. In 2001, South Africans overtook Italians as the 4th largest foreign group, with 1.3% of the city’s population born in South Africa by 2007.
Perth is one of a growing number of Australian cities where non-religious people are the largest single “religious” group. A quarter (25.1%) of people were recorded in the census as not religious, followed closely by Catholics (24.5%).
You can find out more about the demographics of Perth and Greater Perth by visiting the Australian Census Bureau’s website. We also recommend this article on the BBC website, which explains the human impact of rapid population growth in Perth.
Perth’s rapid population growth has not necessarily been a good thing, as the divide between the upper- and lower-income residents has widened. Perth is now more expensive than New York and London, and weekly rent has risen by about 80% in the last 5 years alone, with mortgage payments doubling. This housing crunch has made it much harder for the so-called working poor of Perth, and pressure is felt in other areas with residents now complaining of crowded trains, airport delays, difficulty accessing health care and more.
1,000 people are moving to the state of Western Australia every week, following the wealth boom. Given that Perth is now facing unprecedented growth, the Committee for Perth is now concerned that adequate planning is necessary to accommodate a population of 3.5 million by 2050.
If you’re looking for information about the population of Perth, Scotland, as located in the United Kingdom then the latest data comes from 2008, when 44,800 people lived in the Scottish city.
We don’t have an article specifically about Perth, Scotland at this time. Check back for updates often. We also recommend taking a look at the Perth wikipedia page.
City | 2026 Pop.↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 4,976,762 | 1.13% |
| Melbourne | 4,928,443 | 1.41% |
| Brisbane | 2,484,138 | 1.61% |
| Perth | 2,218,366 | 1.6% |
| Adelaide | 1,299,185 | 0.84% |
| Gold Coast | 741,661 | 1.93% |
| Canberra | 523,285 | 1.28% |
| Newcastle | 361,877 | 0.74% |
| Central Coast | 343,965 | 1.1% |
| Sunshine Coast | 313,811 | 1.93% |
| Wollongong | 292,054 | 0.82% |
| Hobart | 205,884 | 0.83% |
| Geelong | 190,619 | 1.1% |
| Townsville | 186,562 | 1.4% |
| Cairns | 163,376 | 1.26% |
| Darwin | 130,746 | 1.32% |
| Ballarat | 113,156 | 1.4% |
| Toowoomba | 112,978 | 0.82% |
| Bendigo | 108,707 | 1.51% |
| Maitland | 97,446 | 1.64% |
