Australian Capital Territory population
Population, Australian Capital Territory · Australian Bureau of Statistics · March quarter 2026
Australian Capital Territory population 489,700 in the March quarter 2026, up 1.3% over the year.
Next release · Thu 17 Dec 2026, 11:30 AEDT · Population
What the numbers say
This page tracks the Australian Capital Territory: estimated resident population, published quarterly by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It was 489,700 in the March quarter 2026, against 487,300 in the December quarter 2025. The population was up 1.3% over the year, up 8.9% over 5 years and up 21.9% over 10 years. The latest reading is at the peak, the highest since the series began in the June quarter 1981. The low of 227,600 was in the June quarter 1981. Australia's population was 27,921,200 in the March quarter 2026.
What is the population of the Australian Capital Territory?
The Australian Capital Territory's estimated resident population was 489,700 in the March quarter 2026. That is the highest since the series began in the June quarter 1981.
Is the population of the Australian Capital Territory growing?
The Australian Capital Territory's population was up 1.3% over the year to the March quarter 2026. It was also up 8.9% over 5 years and up 21.9% over 10 years.
How fast is the population of the Australian Capital Territory growing?
The Australian Capital Territory's population was up 1.3% over the year to the March quarter 2026, reaching 489,700. Over longer spans it was up 8.9% over 5 years and up 21.9% over 10 years.
How does the population of the Australian Capital Territory compare with Australia's?
The Australian Capital Territory's population was 489,700 in the March quarter 2026. Australia's population was 27,921,200 in the same quarter.
Written from the figures on this page · updated 11 October 2026
Recent quarters
| Quarter | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| March quarter 2026 | 489,700 | final |
| December quarter 2025 | 487,300 | final |
| September quarter 2025 | 486,200 | final |
| June quarter 2025 | 484,700 | final |
| March quarter 2025 | 483,500 | final |
| December quarter 2024 | 481,300 | final |
| September quarter 2024 | 479,900 | final |
| June quarter 2024 | 478,400 | final |
Full series · 180 quarters · CSV · JSON
This series measures the estimated resident population of the Australian Capital Territory, in thousands of persons, at the end of each quarter. It is published quarterly by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and runs from June quarter 1981 to March quarter 2026, with the latest reading at 489,700. The estimated resident population counts people usually resident in the territory, so it does not count short-term visitors. Alongside the headline count, this family also carries the territory's net overseas migration, natural increase and net interstate migration. Released under CC BY 4.0.
Also in this family
- Australian Capital Territory: net overseas migration · CSV · JSON
- Australian Capital Territory: natural increase · CSV · JSON
- Australian Capital Territory: net interstate migration · CSV · JSON
Related
Source
- α
- Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS earnings, building and population (market panel), retrieved 1 October 2026. CC BY 4.0.
- β
- Computed by Numbra from α.