Adelaide Population 2023

Adelaide's 2023 population is now estimated at 1,366,783In 1950, the population of Adelaide was 429,277Adelaide has grown by 11,261 in the last year, which represents a 0.83% 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 Adelaide, which typically includes Adelaide's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Adelaide is the 5th most populous city in Australia and the capital of South Australia, located on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf of St Vincent and the Mount Lofty Ranges. Named in honor of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the city was founded as a planned capital in the 19th century.

Size and Density of Adelaide

The Adelaide metropolitan area has an estimated population of 1.33 million in 2017 (over a total area of 3,257 square kilometers), while the City of Adelaide has a population of around 23,000 (over an entire area of 15.57 square kilometers).

About three-quarters of the population of South Australia lives in the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Adelaide Demographics

The foreign-born population of the city is about 30%, with large Italian and Greek communities in the east and west suburbs of Fulham, West Lakes, Newton, Payneham, Campbelltown and Torrensville. There are substantial Vietnamese populations in the northwest and northern suburbs of Athol Park, Mansfield Park, Pooraka, Woodville and others. Immigrants from Sri Lanka and India are concentrated in the inner suburbs such as Enfield, Kilburn, and Park Holme.

Recently, suburbs in the north and West have experienced substantial migration from Iran and Afghanistan. Chinese immigrants have settled mainly in the northeastern and eastern communities.

The largest communities of foreign-born residents of Adelaide originate from England (7%), Italy (1.5%), India (1.5%) China (1.4%) and Vietnam (1%).

While Adelaide was founded on religious tolerance, attracting many religious people and earning it the nickname "The City of Churches," about one-third of the population now has no religious affiliation, which makes Adelaide one of the least religious cities in the country.

English is a language often used in Adelaide, as well as Italian and Greek.

Adelaide History

Before becoming a British settlement in 1836, the Adelaide area was inhabited by the indigenous Kaurna Aboriginal people. South Australia was proclaimed a British colony in 1836 with the city's layout based on the Sicilian city of Catania. The city was established as a planned colony of free immigrants with promised freedom of religion and liberties. Based on the ideas of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, the land was sold by the government at a price high enough to be unaffordable to journeymen and laborers, which means Adelaide does not have the convict settlement history of other cities in Australia. Although, Edward Wakefield served time for crimes and it has been found that two officers and a mayor at different points were escaped convicts.

After years of struggle, Adelaide eventually began to prosper and, by 1856, it was a self-governing colony. Electricity was introduced in 1900, and the city had a post-war boom after World War I that was followed by droughts and the Depression. It was slowly transformed from an agriculture-based economy to a modern city with many transformed pre-war factories.

Adelaide Population Growth

Over the past decade, certain areas of Adelaide have grown faster than others, notably Golden Grove and Mawson Lakes. According to a leading demographer of Australia, South Australia's population growth rate has been very rapid. As it stands now, many new migrants initially come to South Australian regions like Adelaide first, eventually leaving for larger cultural communities further into the country.

In 2013, South Australia's population grew 0.9%, which is much faster than many countries although it still lags behind almost every other Australian state, primarily due to geography.

Country
Australia
Growth Rate
0.83%

Adelaide Population 2023

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Growth
1950429,277
1951442,7403.14%13,463
1952455,9632.99%13,223
1953469,5432.98%13,580
1954483,5452.98%14,002
1955497,2462.83%13,701
1956511,3552.84%14,109
1957525,8242.83%14,469
1958540,7232.83%14,899
1959556,0452.83%15,322
1960571,8222.84%15,777
1961588,0252.83%16,203
1962613,5154.33%25,490
1963640,1104.33%26,595
1964667,8974.34%27,787
1965696,8094.33%28,912
1966727,0084.33%30,199
1967755,9993.99%28,991
1968786,1893.99%30,190
1969817,4963.98%31,307
1970850,0953.99%32,599
1971883,9303.98%33,835
1972894,9071.24%10,977
1973905,9901.24%11,083
1974917,2251.24%11,235
1975928,6001.24%11,375
1976940,1211.24%11,521
1977947,9400.83%7,819
1978955,8350.83%7,895
1979963,7960.83%7,961
1980971,8340.83%8,038
1981979,9240.83%8,090
1982990,6981.1%10,774
19831,001,5901.1%10,892
19841,012,6181.1%11,028
19851,023,7361.1%11,118
19861,034,9911.1%11,255
19871,046,4481.11%11,457
19881,058,0481.11%11,600
19891,069,7441.11%11,696
19901,081,5851.11%11,841
19911,093,5371.11%11,952
19921,098,0470.41%4,510
19931,102,5640.41%4,517
19941,107,1050.41%4,541
19951,111,6650.41%4,560
19961,116,2410.41%4,576
19971,117,5700.12%1,329
19981,118,9020.12%1,332
19991,120,2360.12%1,334
20001,121,5730.12%1,337
20011,122,9270.12%1,354
20021,130,8270.7%7,900
20031,138,7830.7%7,956
20041,146,8060.7%8,023
20051,154,8630.7%8,057
20061,163,0050.71%8,142
20071,177,3941.24%14,389
20081,191,9821.24%14,588
20091,206,7091.24%14,727
20101,221,6391.24%14,930
20111,236,7441.24%15,105
20121,248,3610.94%11,617
20131,260,0550.94%11,694
20141,271,8740.94%11,819
20151,283,8050.94%11,931
20161,295,8640.94%12,059
20171,308,0360.94%12,172
20181,320,3230.94%12,287
20191,328,1190.59%7,796
20201,336,4030.62%8,284
20211,345,4450.68%9,042
20221,355,5220.75%10,077
20231,366,7830.83%11,261
20241,379,2800.91%12,497
20251,392,9430.99%13,663
20261,407,5991.05%14,656
20271,423,0111.09%15,412
20281,438,9421.12%15,931
20291,455,1701.13%16,228
20301,471,5251.12%16,355
20311,487,9001.11%16,375
20321,504,2481.1%16,348
20331,520,5501.08%16,302
20341,536,8091.07%16,259
20351,553,0361.06%16,227
showing: 86 rows

Adelaide Population Data (Urban Area)

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Other Cities in Australia

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics - Regional Population Growth, Adelaide, South Australia, Census 2015-16
  2. Sustainable Population Australia - Australia's population overview
  3. .ID The Population Experts - Demographic insights and resources

Sources