2024 Edition Primary

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

note

note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

total

7,741,220 sq km

water

58,920 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 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 bordersnote 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 southnote 3: Australia is the only continent without glaciers; it is the driest inhabited continent on earth; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent winds in the world; Australia is home to 10% of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world

Irrigated land

15,210 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

46.65% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.03% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.04% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 42.58% (2018 est.)

forest

17.42% (2018 est.)

other

33.42% (2018 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 firesvolcanism: 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

note

note 1: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 26.5% of global coal exports in 2021; coal is the country’s most abundant energy resource, and coal ranks as the second-largest export commodity from Australia in terms of revenue; in 2020, Australia held the third-largest recoverable coal reserves in the world behind the United States and Russianote 2: Australia is by far the world's largest supplier of opalsnote 3: Australia holds the largest uranium reserves in the world and was the second-largest global uranium producer behind Kazakhstan in 2020note 4: Australia was the largest exporter of LNG in the world in 2020

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

12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.9% (2015/16)

note

note: percent of women aged 18-44

Current health expenditure

10.7% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

55.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

25.5

potential support ratio

3.9 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.7

youth dependency ratio

28.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2020 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.)

note

note: data represent self-identified ancestry, with the option of reporting two ancestries

Gross reproduction rate

0.84 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

note

note: data represent language spoken at home

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.7 years

male

81.3 years

total population

83.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

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

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

39.2 years

male

36.9 years

total

38.1 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Australian

noun

Australian(s)

Net migration rate

5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

29% (2016)

Physician density

4.13 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

13,463,488 (2024 est.)

male

13,305,110

total

26,768,598

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

Population growth rate

1.13% (2024 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: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

22 years (2020)

male

20 years

total

21 years

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

11.5% (2020 est.)

male

15.6% (2020 est.)

total

13.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island

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 is claimed to derive from either Kambera or Camberry, which are names corrupted from the original native designation for the area "Nganbra" or "Nganbira"

geographic coordinates

35 16 S, 149 08 E

name

Canberra

time difference

UTC+10 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Australia has four time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+10:30)

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 1977

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, Norfolk Island (6)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Caroline KENNEDY (since 25 July 2022)

consulate(s) general

Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

email address and website

AskEmbassyCanberra@state.govhttps://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.auhttps://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)

elections/appointments

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 flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

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); note - each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state and territory supreme courts

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

description

bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 each from the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years)House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%; seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3; composition - 33 men, 42 women; percentage women 56%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%; seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1, vacant 1; composition- 92 men, 59 women; percentage women 39.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 44.7%

elections

Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Peter Dodds McCORMICK

name

Advance Australia Fair

note

note 1: adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem was not used for all official occasions until 1984; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)note 2: the well-known and much-loved bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda" is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; the original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo PATERSON, and were first published as sheet music in 1903; since 2012, a Waltzing Matilda Day has been held annually on 6 April, the anniversary of the first performance of the song in 1895

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)

total World Heritage Sites

20 (4 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed); note - includes one site on Heard Island and McDonald Islands

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; national colors: green, gold

Political parties

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

note

note: the Labor Party is Australia’s oldest political party, established federally in 1901; the present Liberal Party was formed in 1944; the Country Party was formed in 1920, renamed the National Country Party in 1975, the National Party of Australia in 1982, and since 2003 has been known as the Nationals; since the general election of 1949, the Liberal Party and the Nationals (under various names) when forming government have done so as a coalition

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

wheat, sugarcane, barley, milk, rapeseed, cotton, sorghum, beef, oats, chicken (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

10.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$447.119 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$431.371 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (2011)

Moody's rating

Aaa (2002)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (2003)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$49.092 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$17.741 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$21.384 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

highly developed, diversified, regionally and globally integrated economy; strong mining, manufacturing, and service sectors; net exporter driven by commodities to East Asian trade partners; “Future Made in Australia” program focused on green energy investments

Exchange rates

Currency

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.439 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$389.158 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$464.688 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$447.508 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

26.7% (2023 est.)

government consumption

21.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

49.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-21.4% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.4% (2023 est.)

industry

27.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

64.2% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.724 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

34.3 (2018 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.6% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

2.7% (2018 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$299.549 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$367.488 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$363.573 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

1.34% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.86% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.59% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

14.501 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

13.4% (2020 est.)

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

57.97% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.475 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.537 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.584 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.11% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.27% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.02% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$57,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$59,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$59,500 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.06% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.08% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$57.878 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$56.702 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$61.703 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.12% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.67% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.5% (2023 est.)

male

9.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

8.6% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

173.542 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

96.069 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

145.566 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

415.177 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

107.624 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

364.589 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

657,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

465.865 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

150.227 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

250.005 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

101.35 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

11.481 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

65.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

6.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

15.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

12% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

236.653 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

50.188 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

106.072 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

2.925 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

153.783 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

3.228 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.446 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.123 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2020 est.)

total

9,099,619 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as ABC Australia, a TV service that broadcasts in the Asia-Pacific region and is the main public broadcaster; Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a second large public broadcaster, operates radio and TV networks broadcasting in multiple languages; several large national commercial TV networks, a large number of local commercial TV stations, and hundreds of commercial radio stations are accessible; cable and satellite systems are available (2022)

Internet country code

.au

Internet users

percent of population

96% (2021 est.)

total

24.96 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

18 per 100 fixed-line telephone subscriptions and 105 per 100 mobile-cellular; more subscribers to mobile services than there are people; 90% of all mobile device sales are now smartphones, growth in mobile traffic brisk (2021)

general assessment

the Australian telecom market since 2020 has been impacted by the pandemic, which forced many people to school and work from home and thus adopt fixed-line broadband services; internet traffic, both fixed and mobile, increased substantially as a result; in the fixed sector, there is an ongoing migration from copper-based platforms to fiber; the extension of fixed wireless access will mean that up to 120,000 premises currently dependent on satellite broadband will be able to access 5G-based fixed services; the fixed-line market has been falling steadily over the past five years; in the Australian fixed broadband market, there is a dynamic shift among customers to fiber networks; the DSL sector is steadily shrinking while subscribers on HFC infrastructure will continue to be provided by existing cable, with a steady migration to full fiber connectivity (2022)

international

country code - 61; landing points for more than 20 submarine cables including: the SeaMeWe-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the INDIGO-Central, INDIGO West and ASC, North West Cable System, Australia-Papua New Guinea cable, CSCS, PPC-1, Gondwana-1, SCCN, Hawaiki, TGA, Basslink, Bass Strait-1, Bass Strait-2, JGA-S, with links to other Australian cities, New Zealand and many countries in southeast Asia, US and Europe; the H2 Cable, AJC, Telstra Endeavor, Southern Cross NEXT with links to Japan, Hong Kong, and other Pacific Ocean countries as well as the US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat, 2 Globalstar, 5 other (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

24 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

6.409 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

28.018 million (2022 est.)

Airports

2,180 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VH

Heliports

368 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

604 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

2,027,640,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

75,667,645 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

583

number of registered air carriers

25 (2020)

Pipelines

637 km condensate/gas, 30,054 km gas, 240 km liquid petroleum gas, 3,609 km oil, 110 km oil/gas/water, 72 km refined products (2013)

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

Roadways

non-urban

727,645 km (2015)

total

873,573 km

urban

145,928 km

Waterways

2,000 km (2011) (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling River systems)

Military - note

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 UKAustralia has long-standing bi-lateral defense and security ties to the UK, including defense and security cooperation treaties in 2024 and 2013; in 2020, Australia and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the building of a next generation of frigates for their respective navies; 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; the first initiative under AUKUS was a commitment to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navythe 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; it regularly participates in bi-lateral and multi-lateral exercises with foreign militaries; in 2024, it established a cyber command (2024)

Military and security forces

Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2024)

note

note: the Australian Federal Police (AFP) is an independent agency of the Attorney-General’s Department; the AFP, state, and territorial police forces are responsible for internal security; the Australian Border Force is under the Department of Home Affairs

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 60,000 active troops (30,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2023)

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 (2024)

note

note: in 2023, the Australian defense ministry announced a new strategic review that called for the acquisition of more long-range deterrence capabilities, including missiles, submarines, and cyber tools; in early 2024, Australia announced a 10-year plan to more than double the number of the Navy's major surface combatant ships

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

2% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

2% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

2% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2% of GDP (2023 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) (2024)

note

note 1: as of July 2024, New Zealanders who are permanent residents and have lived in Australia for at least 12 months could apply to join the ADF; from January 2025, eligible permanent residents from Canada, the UK, and the US will also be able to applynote 2: women have served in all roles, including combat arms, since 2013; in 2024, they comprised slightly more than 20% of the military

Illicit drugs

 amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and cannabis dominate the domestic illicit drug market and shown potential for expansion, with ATS accounting for the preponderance of detected imports; domestic heroin market is small, but also shown some growth; as of 2020, Malaysia was the primary embarkation point for heroin and ATS imports other than MDMA (ecstasy) for which South Korea was the primary embarkation point although MDMA is increasingly being produced domestically with number of detected labs nearly doubled.  The US is the principal embarkation point for imported cannabis; Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

12,180 (Iran), 8,741 (Afghanistan), 5,042 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2022)

stateless persons

7,649 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020); Defense Space Command (established 2022) (2024)

Space launch site(s)

Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex (commercial site, South Australia); Arnhem Space Center (commercial site, Northern Territory) (2024)

Space program overview

has a long 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), navigational, and scientific/testing/research, often in partnership with other countries; develops other space technologies, including communications, RS capabilities, and telescopes; encouraging growth in domestic commercial space industry sector; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, the European Space Agency/EU and their individual member states, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US; co-leads the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

375.91 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

105.01 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

soil erosion from overgrazing, deforestation, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; limited natural freshwater resources; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; drought, desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; disruption of the fragile ecosystem has resulted in significant floral extinctions; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; overfishing, pollution, and invasive species are also problems

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

46.65% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.03% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.04% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 42.58% (2018 est.)

forest

17.42% (2018 est.)

other

33.42% (2018 est.)

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)

Revenue from coal

0.78% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

492 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

8.57 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2.89 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

2.29 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

86.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

13.345 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

5,618,245 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

42.1% (2015 est.)