Australia

Federal Parliamentary Democracy Under A Constitutional MonarchyPop27.6MGDP (PPP)$1.6TCI83Beta CP−3.2↓Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Australia

⌘K

Overview

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 7,682,300 sq km
Note: note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Water: 58,920 sq km
Total: 7,741,220 sq km

Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Land Use

Other: 35.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 17.3% (2023 est.)
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.)

Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Coastline: 25,760 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m
Mean elevation: 330 m

Irrigated land: 19,450 sq km (2022)
Major aquifers: Great Artesian Basin, Canning Basin
Map references: Oceania

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires

volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands
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
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
Area comparative: slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous US states
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E
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

Major Lakes (Area 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
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Alexandrina - 570 sq 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)

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

People & Society

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

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 10.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 36.9 years
Total: 38.5 years (2025 est.)
Female: 39.2 years

Population

Male: 13,685,935
Total: 27,490,921 (2025 est.)
Female: 13,804,986

Nationality

Noun: Australian(s)
Adjective: Australian

Tobacco Use

Male: 13.6% (2025 est.)
Total: 11.4% (2025 est.)
Female: 9.2% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Note: note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island
Urban population: 86.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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)

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.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 53.3 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 26.7 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.8 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 26.5 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 4.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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.)

Net migration rate: 11.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (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.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 1.59% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.73 (2025 est.)
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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 81.3 years
Female: 85.7 years
Total population: 83.5 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 3.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 3.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 9.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 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)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 29% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 28.7 years (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 54% (2021 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 20 years (2023 est.)
Total: 21 years (2023 est.)
Female: 21 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

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

Capital

Name: Canberra
Etymology: the name may derive from the Aboriginal word nganbirra, meaning "meeting place"
Time zone note: Australia has six time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+11)
Time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April
Geographic coordinates: 35 16 S, 149 08 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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

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

Country Name

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
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
Conventional short form: Australia

Independence: 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)
Legal system: common law system based on the English model
Dependent areas: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island (7)
Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

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
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
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70

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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022)
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

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 color(s): green, gold

National Heritage

Note: note: includes one site on Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Total world heritage sites: 21 (5 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed)
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)

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

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

Note: note: the well-known and much-loved bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda" is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; Australian poet Banjo PATERSON wrote the original lyrics in 1895, and they 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
Title: "God Save the King"
History: royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country
Lyrics/music: unknown

National symbol(s): Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (Acacia pycnantha), kangaroo, emu
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
Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: House of Representatives
Term in office: 3 years
Number of seats: 150 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 5/3/2025
Expected date of next election: May 2028
Percentage of women in chamber: 46%
Parties elected and seats per party: Australian Labor Party (ALP) (94); Liberal National coalition (43); Independents (10); Other (3)

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Chamber name: Senate
Term in office: 6 years
Number of seats: 76 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Most recent election date: 5/3/2025
Expected date of next election: May 2028
Percentage of women in chamber: 56.6%
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)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 797-3168
Chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
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/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [61] (02) 9373-9184
Embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600
Telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
Mailing address: 7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC  20512-7800
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/

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

AUSTRALIA · LOWER HOUSE

House of Representatives

150 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

150

Majority line

Largest party

Australian Labor Party (ALP)

Parties

All political parties6 parties · 150 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

AUSTRALIA · UPPER HOUSE

Senate

76 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

Australian Labor Party (ALP)

Parties

All political parties9 parties · 76 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Next election

Last: 2025

Leaders

Current

PC
Peter Cosgrove
- Head of StateSince 2014
AA
Anthony Albanese
- Head of GovernmentSince 2022

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $431.27 billion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $453.105 billion (2022 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $432.6B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $465.99 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $448.507 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $425.16 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $395.7B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $379.981 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $389.211 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $405.336 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Labor force: 14.912 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 57.9%

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2022: 58% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

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.)

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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 4.1%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.8% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 4.1% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: China 37%, Japan 16%, S. Korea 6%, India 5%, Taiwan 5% (2023)
Imports partners: China 26%, USA 11%, S. Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $72,111

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.4%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
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.)

Agricultural products: wheat, sugarcane, barley, rapeseed, milk, cotton, sorghum, beef, lentils, grapes (2023)
Exports commodities: iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, minerals (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$39.3B

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

Taxes and other revenues: 23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.752 trillion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 51.2% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 22.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 24.7% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -22.6% (2024 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 9.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 3.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.2%

Note: note: annual % change based on 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.)

Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.635 trillion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 10.2% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 9.5% (2024 est.)
Female: 8.7% (2024 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 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.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 26% (2024 est.)
Services: 65.5% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 2.2% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 2.8% (2018 est.)
Highest 10%: 26.2% (2018 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2018: 34.3 (2018 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 348.32 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 630,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 445.077 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 95.667 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 149.472 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.446 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.151 million bbl/day (2024 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.)

Natural Gas

Exports: 105.146 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 521.034 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 151.307 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 48.845 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.228 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 223.158 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 11.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 17.1% 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.)
Biomass and waste: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 97% (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

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 5.95 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2024 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 30.1 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 9.63 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 5
Small: 24
Medium: 8
Key ports: Brisbane, Dampier, Darwin, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Dalrymple, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Sydney
Very small: 29
Total ports: 66 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 38

Airports: 2,257 (2025)

Railways

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

Heliports: 392 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 604 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 76, oil tanker 6, other 520

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VH

Environment

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

Land Use

Other: 35.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 17.3% (2023 est.)
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.)

Urbanization

Note: note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island
Urban population: 86.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane Emissions

Other: 144.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 587.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 2,146 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 2,382.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 13.345 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 52.9% (2022 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

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 2.43 billion cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 3.11 billion cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 11.19 billion cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 394.653 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 93.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 146.81 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 154.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 492 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

Military & Security

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 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 Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.9%

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 and security forces: Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2025)
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)
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 and security service personnel strengths: approximately 60,000 active ADF personnel (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Space

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 agency/agencies: Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020) (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)
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

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 185 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 120,789 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 6,922 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index83.0 / 100as of 2024-Q412 / 190−2.02024-Q4

Civica Pulse−3.2as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.81as of 2024-Q49 / 170−0.002024-Q4

Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (75/100)as of 2024—2024

Human Development Index0.946as of 2022—2022

Corruption Perceptions Index75 / 100as of 202314 / 1802023

Cite this page

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Australia — vintage 2026-Q1: Australia factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/australia

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Australia

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Peter Cosgrove

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