South Australia has a population of approximately 1.8 million people. This makes it the 5th-most populous Australian state. South Australia's population has increased by around 500,000 from just over 1.3 million people in 1980.
South Australia has a demographic makeup that is similar to that of most other Australian states. The most common stated ancestry is English, with over 40% of South Australians identifying with this group. A large percentage of people (over 35%) consider themselves to have primarily Australian heritage. Scottish, Irish, and German ancestries are also prevalent, with over 8% of people identifying with each group. South Australia is home to a relatively small percentage of residents who identify as Indigenous Australians. This group includes both those who identify as Aboriginal Australians and those who identify as Torres Strait Islanders. Only 2% of South Australia's residents consider themselves to be members of these groups.
Nearly 30% of South Australia's population was born overseas. The largest group of South Australians born overseas were born in England. Many of these English expats are pensioners who've moved to South Australia for its warm weather.
South Australia is one of several Australian states in which the vast majority of its population is concentrated in only one urban area. This urban area is the state capital of Adelaide, which is home to roughly 1.3 million of the state's 1.8 million inhabitants. The difference between Adelaide and the next-largest city, Mount Gambier, is remarkable. Mount Gambier is home to fewer than 30,000 people. Other notable cities in South Australia include Victor Harbor-Goolwa and Whyalla, which are both home to over 20,000 people. In general, South Australia is extremely sparsely populated outside of coastal areas. Many of the residents of interior South Australia live in small mining camps or the tiny towns that support these camps.
South Australia's population, like the population of Australia as a whole, is expected to grow for the foreseeable future. It is expected to reach 2 million by 2037. It should be noted that this is a relatively slow growth rate for Australia. In fact, the population of South Australia grew by only 0.17% in the 12-month period that ended in June 2021. This was the lowest annual growth rate since 1995. This rate is much lower than the roughly 1% annual population growth rate seen in Australia as a whole.