South Australia population
Population, South Australia · Australian Bureau of Statistics · March quarter 2026
South Australia population 1,916,800 in the March quarter 2026, up 1.0% over the year.
Next release · Thu 17 Dec 2026, 11:30 AEDT · Population
What the numbers say
South Australia's estimated resident population was 1,916,800 in the March quarter 2026, compared with 1,910,800 in the December quarter 2025. It was up 1.0% over the year from the March quarter 2025, up 6.6% over 5 years from the March quarter 2021 and up 12.1% over 10 years from the March quarter 2016. The March quarter 2026 figure is at the peak, the highest since the series began in the June quarter 1981. The low was 1,318,800 in the June quarter 1981. For comparison, Australia's population was 27,921,200 in the March quarter 2026.
What is the population of South Australia?
South Australia's estimated resident population was 1,916,800 in the March quarter 2026. The previous reading was 1,910,800 in the December quarter 2025.
Is the population of South Australia growing?
South Australia's estimated resident population was up 1.0% over the year to the March quarter 2026, reaching 1,916,800. That is the highest since the series began in the June quarter 1981.
How fast is the population of South Australia growing?
South Australia's estimated resident population was up 1.0% over the year to the March quarter 2026. It was up 6.6% over 5 years from the March quarter 2021 and up 12.1% over 10 years from the March quarter 2016.
How does the population of South Australia compare with Australia's?
South Australia's estimated resident population was 1,916,800 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 | 1,916,800 | final |
| December quarter 2025 | 1,910,800 | final |
| September quarter 2025 | 1,907,300 | final |
| June quarter 2025 | 1,901,700 | final |
| March quarter 2025 | 1,898,400 | final |
| December quarter 2024 | 1,891,200 | final |
| September quarter 2024 | 1,887,100 | final |
| June quarter 2024 | 1,882,200 | final |
Full series · 180 quarters · CSV · JSON
This series measures the estimated resident population of South Australia, 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 1,916,800. It counts people usually resident in the state, so visitors and other short-term travellers are outside its scope.
The wider family on this page also covers South Australia's net overseas migration, natural increase and net interstate migration, the components of change behind the headline count. The data is released under CC BY 4.0.
Also in this family
- South Australia: net overseas migration · CSV · JSON
- South Australia: natural increase · CSV · JSON
- South Australia: 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.