2020 Edition

Background

Aboriginal Australians arrived on the continent at least 60,000 years ago and developed complex hunter-gatherer societies and oral histories. Dutch navigators led by Abel TASMAN were the first Europeans to land in Australia in 1606, and they mapped the western and northern coasts. They named the continent New Holland but made no attempts to permanently settle it. In 1770, Englishman James COOK sailed to the east coast of Australia, named it New South Wales, and claimed it for Great Britain. In 1788 and 1825 respectively, Great Britain established New South Wales and then Tasmania as penal colonies. Great Britain and Ireland sent more than 150,000 convicts to Australia before ending the practice in 1868. As Europeans began settling areas away from the coasts, they came into more direct contact with Aboriginal Australians. Europeans also cleared land for agriculture, impacting Aboriginal Australians’ ways of life. These issues, along with disease and a policy in the 1900s that forcefully removed Aboriginal children from their parents, reduced the Aboriginal Australian population from more than 700,000 pre-European contact to a low of 74,000 in 1933. Four additional colonies were established in Australia in the mid-1800s: Western Australia (1829), South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851), and Queensland (1859). Gold rushes beginning in the 1850s brought thousands of new immigrants to New South Wales and Victoria, helping to reorient Australia away from its penal colony roots. In the second half of the 1800s, the colonies were all gradually granted self-government, and in 1901, they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia contributed more than 400,000 troops to Allied efforts during World War I, and Australian troops played a large role in the defeat of Japanese troops in the Pacific in World War II. Australia severed most constitutional links with the UK in 1942 but remained part of the British Commonwealth. Australia’s post-war economy boomed and by the 1970s, racial policies that prevented most non-Whites from immigrating to Australia were removed, greatly increasing Asian immigration to the country. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its proximity to East and Southeast Asia.  In the early 2000s, Australian politics became unstable with frequent attempts to oust party leaders, including five changes of prime minister between 2010 and 2018. As a result, both major parties instituted rules to make it harder to remove a party leader.

Area

land

7,682,300 sq km

total

7,741,220 sq km

water

58,920 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous US states

Climate

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Coastline

25,760 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m

lowest point

Lake Eyre -15 m

mean elevation

330 m

Geographic coordinates

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Geography - note

note 1: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land borders note 2: the Great Dividing Range that runs along eastern Australia is that continent’s longest mountain range and the third-longest land-based range in the world; the term "Great Dividing Range" refers to the fact that the mountains form a watershed crest from which all of the rivers of eastern Australia flow – east, west, north, and south note 3: Australia is the only continent without glaciers; it is the driest inhabited continent on earth; Perth on the west coast is home to the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor," one of the most consistent winds in the world; Australia hosts 10% of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world

Irrigated land

19,450 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

47.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 43.1% (2023 est.)

forest

17.3% (2023 est.)

other

35.4% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Major aquifers

Great Artesian Basin, Canning Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Alexandrina - 570 sq km

salt water lake(s)

Lake Eyre - 9,690 sq km; Lake Torrens (ephemeral) - 5,780 sq km; Lake Gairdner - 4,470 sq km; Lake Mackay (ephemeral) - 3,494 sq km; Lake Frome - 2,410 sq km; Lake Amadeus (ephemeral) - 1,032 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

River Murray - 2,508 km; Darling River - 1,545 km; Murrumbidgee River - 1,485 km; Lachlan River - 1,339 km; Cooper Creek - 1,113 km; Flinders River - 1,004 km

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Indian Ocean drainage

(Great Australian Bight) Murray-Darling (1,050,116 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Lake Eyre (1,212,198 sq km)

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands

Natural resources

alumina, coal, iron ore, copper, lithium, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, opals, natural gas, petroleum

Population distribution

population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the states and territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or "outback," has a very sparse population

Terrain

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

18.3% (male 2,526,772/female 2,369,425)

15-64 years

64.7% (male 8,688,023/female 8,640,671)

65 years and over

17% (2024 est.) (male 2,090,315/female 2,453,392)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54% (2021 est.)

Death rate

6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

26.5 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.8 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.3 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12.7% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

English 33%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6%, Chinese 5.5%, Italian 4.4%, German 4%, Indian 3.1%, Australian Aboriginal 2.9%, Greek 1.7%, unspecified 4.7% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.73 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

10.5% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

20.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.7 years

male

81.3 years

total population

83.5 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

5.235 million Melbourne, 5.121 million Sydney, 2.505 million Brisbane, 2.118 million Perth, 1.367 million Adelaide, 472,000 CANBERRA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

39.2 years

male

36.9 years

total

38.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Australian

noun

Australian(s)

Net migration rate

11.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

29% (2016)

Physician density

4.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

13,804,986

male

13,685,935

total

27,490,921 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.59% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 18.1% (Anglican 9.8%, Uniting Church 2.6%, Presbyterian and Reformed 1.6%, Baptist 1.4%, Pentecostal 1%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 3.5%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 2.7%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3% (Eastern Orthodox 2.1%, Oriental Orthodox 0.2%), other 2.1%, none 38.4%, unspecified 7.3% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

21 years (2023 est.)

male

20 years (2023 est.)

total

21 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

9.2% (2025 est.)

male

13.6% (2025 est.)

total

11.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

86.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April

etymology

the name may derive from the Aboriginal word nganbirra, meaning "meeting place"

geographic coordinates

35 16 S, 149 08 E

name

Canberra

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Australia has six time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+11)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

4 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Parliament; passage requires approval of a referendum bill by absolute majority vote in both houses of Parliament, approval in a referendum by a majority of voters in at least four states and in the territories, and Royal Assent; proposals that would reduce a state’s representation in either house or change a state’s boundaries require that state’s approval prior to Royal Assent

history

approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Country name

conventional long form

Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form

Australia

etymology

the name Australia derives from the Latin australis meaning "southern;" the Australian landmass was long referred to as "Terra Australis," or the Southern Land

Dependent areas

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island (7)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Erika OLSON (since January 2025)

consulate(s) general

Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

email address and website

AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov https://au.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600

FAX

[61] (02) 9373-9184

mailing address

7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20512-7800

telephone

[61] (02) 6214-5600

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

info.us@dfat.gov.au https://usa.embassy.gov.au/

FAX

[1] (202) 797-3168

telephone

[1] (202) 797-3000

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Samantha (Sam) MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022)

Flag

description: blue, with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower-left quadrant; on the right half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white, with one small five-pointed star and four larger seven-pointed stars meaning: the largest star is known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star and represents the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901; the star has one point for each of the six original states, plus one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories

Government type

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Quad, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice); each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

subordinate courts: at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia;  at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island

Legal system

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

May 2028

most recent election date

5/3/2025

number of seats

150 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Australian Labor Party (ALP) (94); Liberal National coalition (43); Independents (10); Other (3)

percentage of women in chamber

46%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

3 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

May 2028

most recent election date

5/3/2025

number of seats

76 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Australian Labor Party (ALP) (16); Liberal (6); The Greens (6); Liberal/Nationals (4); Pauline Hanson's One Nation (3); Liberal National Party of Queensland (2); Other (3)

percentage of women in chamber

56.6%

scope of elections

partial renewal

term in office

6 years

National anthem(s)

history

royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National coat of arms

King George V of the United Kingdom granted the current Commonwealth Coat of Arms to Australia on 19 September 1912; the center of the shield has the symbols of Australia’s six states; the kangaroo and the emu symbolize a nation moving forward, since neither animal can move backward easily; the gold Commonwealth star sits above the shield, with six points representing the Australian states and the seventh representing the territories; the gold and blue in the wreath under the star are the livery, or identifying, colors for the coat of arms; Australia’s floral emblem, the golden wattle, frames the shield

National color(s)

green, gold

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Great Barrier Reef (n); Greater Blue Mountains Area (n); Fraser Island (n); Gondwana Rainforests (n); Lord Howe Island Group (n); Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (c); Shark Bay (n); Sydney Opera House (c); Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (m); Kakadu National Park (m); Murujuga Cultural Landscape (c)

total World Heritage Sites

21 (5 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed)

National holiday

Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

National symbol(s)

Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (Acacia pycnantha), kangaroo, emu

Political parties

Australian Greens Party or The Greens  Australian Labor Party or ALP  Australia's Voice Centre Alliance (formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team or NXT) Jacqui Lambie Network or JLN  Katter's Australian Party (KAP) Liberal Party of Australia  The Nationals  Pauline Hanson's One Nation or ONP  United Australia Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

wheat, sugarcane, barley, rapeseed, milk, cotton, sorghum, beef, lentils, grapes (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

9.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$453.105 billion (2022 est.)

revenues

$431.27 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$5.707 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$5.186 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$34.402 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income and globally integrated economy; strong mining, manufacturing, and service sectors driving slow but steady growth; net exporter, driven by commodities to East Asian trade partners; weak productivity and aging population straining labor force participation

Exchange rates

Currency

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

1.453 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.331 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.442 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.505 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.515 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$465.99 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$448.507 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$425.16 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, minerals (2023)

Exports - partners

China 37%, Japan 16%, S. Korea 6%, India 5%, Taiwan 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

24.7% (2024 est.)

government consumption

22.2% (2024 est.)

household consumption

51.2% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-22.6% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.3% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

0.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.2% (2024 est.)

industry

26% (2024 est.)

services

65.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.752 trillion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

34.3 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.2% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

2.8% (2018 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$379.981 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$389.211 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$405.336 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)

Imports - partners

China 26%, USA 11%, S. Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

0.5% (2024 est.)

Industries

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.6% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

14.912 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2022

58% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.558 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.611 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.635 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.4% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$59,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$60,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$60,100 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$56.702 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$61.703 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$60.404 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

8.7% (2024 est.)

male

10.2% (2024 est.)

total

9.5% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

95.667 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

348.32 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

630,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

production

445.077 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

149.472 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

267.818 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

108.193 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

11.455 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

64.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

17.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

11.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

223.158 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

48.845 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

105.146 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

521.034 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

151.307 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

3.228 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.446 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.151 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2023 est.)

total

9.63 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

tradition of public broadcasting, but privately owned TV and radio have the biggest audiences; ownership of print and broadcast media is concentrated; Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs national and local public radio and TV; other main public broadcaster is the multilingual Special Broadcasting Service (SBS); national commercial TV is dominated by three big free-to-air networks; broadcasters must carry a minimum percentage of Australian-made programs; pay TV via cable, satellite, and IPTV has a strong foothold (2023)

Internet country code

.au

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

22 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

5.95 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

113 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

30.1 million (2024 est.)

Airports

2,257 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VH

Heliports

392 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 76, oil tanker 6, other 520

total

604 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Brisbane, Dampier, Darwin, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Dalrymple, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Sydney

large

5

medium

8

ports with oil terminals

38

small

24

total ports

66 (2024)

very small

29

Railways

broad gauge

2,685 km (2022) 1.600 mm

narrow gauge

11,914 km (2022) 1.067 mm

standard gauge

18,007 km (2022) 1.435 mm

total

32,606 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified

Military - note

the ADF's missions include protecting Australia’s borders and maritime interests, responding to domestic natural disasters, and deploying overseas for humanitarian, peacekeeping, and other security-related missions; in 2024, it established a cyber command; the ADF regularly participates in bi-lateral and multi-lateral exercises with foreign militaries  Australia has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; Australia is also a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK Australia has long-standing bi-lateral defense and security ties to the UK, including defense and security cooperation treaties in 2024 and 2013; the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) is their premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defense, and security issues  Australia also has a long-standing military relationship with the US; Australian and US forces first fought together in France in 1918 and have fought together in every major US conflict since; Australia and the US signed an agreement in 2014 that allowed for closer bi-lateral defense and security cooperation, including rotations of US military forces and equipment to Australia; Australian military forces train often with US forces; Australia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation  in 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” which would build on existing bilateral ties, including deeper integration of defense and security-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as deeper cooperation on a range of defense and security capabilities (2025)

Military and security forces

Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 60,000 active ADF personnel (2025)

Military deployments

note: the number of Australian military forces varies by mission; since the 1990s, Australia has deployed more than 30,000 personnel on nearly 100 UN peacekeeping and coalition military operations around the World

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems; in recent years, the US has been the largest supplier of arms; the Australian defense industry produces a variety of land and sea weapons platforms; the defense industry also participates in joint development and production ventures with other Western countries, including the US and Canada (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age (with parental consent; 18 years of age to deploy) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 1972) (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

185 (2024 est.)

refugees

120,789 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

6,922 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1960 - built first space-tracking station outside the US 1967 - first domestically built satellite (WRSEA) launched on a US rocket from Australian test range 1981 - commissioned first national satellite system 1996 - first Australian in space on US Space Shuttle 2021 - announced intent to provide a robotic lunar lander for US Artemis project 2022 - launched a US NASA rocket from a commercial launch site; joint Australia-US space surveillance telescope based in Western Australia became operational 2025 - first attempted launch of Australian-designed and -manufactured orbital launch vehicle failed to reach orbit

Space agency/agencies

Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex (commercial site, South Australia); Arnhem Space Center (commercial site, Northern Territory); Bown Orbital Spaceport (commercial site, North Queensland) (2025)

Space program overview

has a history of involvement in space-related activities, including astronomy, rockets, satellites, and space tracking; develops, builds, operates, and tracks satellites, including communications, remote sensing (RS), and navigational, often in partnership with other countries; develops other space technologies, including communications, RS capabilities, and telescopes; encouraging growth in domestic commercial space-industry sector, including satellite launch vehicles; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, the ESA, individual ESA member states, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US; co-leads the Global Earth Observation System of Systems and hosts one of the telescopes for the international Square Kilometer Array radio telescope (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

146.81 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

93.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

154.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

394.653 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

soil erosion from overgrazing, deforestation, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; limited natural freshwater resources; soil salinity from use of poor-quality water, drought, desertification; habitat loss from agricultural clearing; floral extinctions; Great Barrier Reef preservation; overfishing; pollution; invasive species

International environmental agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

2,382.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

2,146 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

144.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

587.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

492 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

11.19 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial

3.11 billion cubic meters (2022)

municipal

2.43 billion cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

13.345 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

52.9% (2022 est.)