New South Wales is, also known as NSW, has the most populous number of people living in Australia. The capital city of the state is Sydney.
Sydney is the most populated city, with an estimated population of 4.4 million. NSW lies in the south-eastern region of Australia.
It covers an area of 800,642 sq km and encompasses 10.4 percent of Australia. New South Wales’s coastline is just 2137 kilometers long.
Based on our study, the New South Wales population is expected to reach 8.265 million in the month of 2022.
We are using the end of June every year because ABS is always following Australia the financial year when they push by the data.
This calculation depends upon the average growth rate of 1.25 percent over the past ten years, starting from 2011. We believe that using the most recent year’s figures (see our table in the next section) will help make the estimate more precise.
Table of Contents
Population Growth of New South Wales
In the ten years of New South Wales’s inhabitants, it is evident that the rate of increase is highly consistent, ranging between 1.00 percent to 1.65 percent, which adds around 120,000-180,000 people per year to the total population.
Many workers moved from New South Wales to take advantage of the employment opportunities available there and contribute to the growth of the population. Compared to other countries and states, NSW’s growth rate is on average.
| Year | Population | Growth rate |
| 2011 | 7.21 million | n/a |
| 2012 | 7.29 million | 1.11% |
| 2013 | 7.41 million | 1.65% |
| 2014 | 7.50 million | 1.21% |
| 2015 | 7.62 million | 1.60% |
| 2016 | 7.70 million | 1.05% |
| 2017 | 7.81 million | 1.43% |
| 2018 | 7.89 million | 1.02% |
| 2019 | 7.992 million | 1.29% |
| 2020 | 8.072 million | 1.00% |
| 2021 | 8.163 million | 1.13% |
Demography of New South Wales
According to the Australian census data, 49.3 percent of NSW inhabitants are men, and 50.7 percent female.
The top five ancestries of those living in NSW include Australian, English, Irish, Scottish and Chinese.
The top five dialects (other than English) spoken in NSW include Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Greek.
The top six birth countries for residents of NSW include Australia, England, China, New Zealand, India, and Vietnam.
The composition of the church in New South Wales is 27.5 percent Catholic, 19.9% Anglican, 17.9% No religion, 7.7% Religious affiliation not specified, 3.9% Uniting Church, 3.2% Islam, 3.1 percent Presbyterian and Reformed 3.1 percentage Eastern Orthodox, 2.9% Buddhism, 1.8% Christian.
Population Density of New South Wales
The population density of New South Wales of 8.64 people per square kilometer, which puts it in the third 3rd most populous state in Australia, following the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.
We’re a little surprised NSW isn’t on the top of the list when you consider the number of residents in the state.
| Position | State | Population Density |
| 1 | Australian Capital Territory | 151.49 |
| 2 | Victoria | 23.54 |
| 3 | New South Wales | 8.64 |
| 4 | Tasmania | 7.24 |
| 5 | Queensland | 2.50 |
| 6 | South Australia | 1.62 |
| 7 | Western Australia | 0.89 |
| 8 | Northern Territory | 0.16 |
Occupations and Industries
Based on the Australia Bureau of Statistics, the most prevalent occupations for people who reside within New South Wales are Professionals (22.7 percent) as well as Clerical and Administrative workers(15.1 percent), Managers(13.3%), Technicians, and trades workers(13.2 percent) and personal service workers (9.5 percent) sales workers(9.3 percent) and laborers (8.7 percent) and Machinery operators and drivers (6.4 percent).
The primary industries people from New South Wales work in are Health care(11.6%) and social assistance, retail trade(10.3%), Manufacturing(8.4%), Education and training (7.9%), Professional(7.9%), scientific and technical services, Construction(7.3%), Accommodation and food services(6.7%), Public administration and safety(6.1%), Financial and insurance services(5.0%).
Facts About New South Wales
- New South Wales is sometimes known as the “First State” or the “Premier State. “
- Sydney Opera House has one million tiles on its roof.
- Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest bridge that exists in Australia! It connects one side to the other side.
- Sydney is the third-highest structure in Australia.
- Hollywood celebrities Hugh Jackman, Rebel Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Toni Collette come from New South Wales.
- The lowest temperature recorded for Australia occurred in 1994 at Charlotte Pass, NSW, at an icy –23degC.
- James Cook was the first European to map the area and named the entire eastern coastline of New South Wales because the landscape resembled areas in southern Wales. He claimed it as his own and named the territory in 1770.
- New South Wales‘ three significant cities comprise Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong, located on the coast.
References
The following links provide data to this topic:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au
- New South Wales Government: www.nsw.gov.au
- City of Sydney: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au