Demographics of Sydney

Sydney is Australia's most populous city, and is also the most populous city in Oceania. In the 2006 census 4,119,190 persons declared themselves as residents of the Sydney Statistical Division - about one-fifth (19.38%) of Australia's total population. If contiguous urban areas are considered, Sydney's population was 3,641,421 persons. Sydney is also the most densely populated city in Australia.

The median age of Sydney residents was 35 years, and households comprised an average of 2.7 members.

The officially estimated population for the Sydney Statistical Division at 30 June 2010 was 4,575,532.^[1]

History

European settlement in Sydney began in 1788, and in 1800 Sydney had around 3,000 inhabitants. It took time for its population to grow - in 1851 its population was only 39,000, compared with 77,000 in Melbourne. The subsequent gold rushes in Victoria caused the population of Melbourne to increase rapidly, while the lesser gold rushes in New South Wales had a less profound effect on the population of Sydney.

Sydney population by year
1796	2,953	[2]
1911	629,503	[3]
1954	1,863,217
1961	2,183,231
1971	2,807,828
1981	3,204,696
1991	3,672,855
1996	3,881,136
2001	4,128,272
2006	4,281,988
2010	4,575,532	(Estimate)[4]
2026	5,426,300	(Projected)[5]
2056	6,976,800

Sydney overtook Melbourne as Australia's most populous city in the early twentieth century, and reached the million inhabitants milestone around 1925. The opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge helped pave the way for further urban development north of Sydney Harbour. Post-war immigration and a baby boom helped the population reach two million by 1962. Sydney remained Australia's most populous city throughout the 20th Century, and is projected to retain this position for much of the 21st Century.^[5]

Ethnic groups

Significant overseas born populations[6]
Country of Birth	Population (2006)
United Kingdom	175,166
People's Republic of China	109,142
New Zealand	81,064
Vietnam	62,144
Lebanon	54,502
India	52,975
Philippines	52,087
Italy	44,563
Hong Kong	36,866
South Korea	32,124
Greece	32,021
South Africa	28,427
Fiji	26,928
Malaysia	21,211
Indonesia	20,562
Iraq	20,216
Germany	19,364
Sri Lanka	17,917
United States	16,340
Egypt	16,238
Croatia	15,501

At the 2006 census 39.4% of Sydney residents declared themselves to have been born overseas. The most common countries of birth outside Australia declared were the United Kingdom (4.3%), China (3.5%), New Zealand (2.0%), Vietnam (1.5%), India, The Philippines (about 1.3%), Lebanon (about 1.3%), and Italy (1.1%). Indigenous Australians were about 2% of all Sydney residents.

At the 2006 census respondents could nominate up to two ancestries they identified themselves.

Each dot indicates 100 persons born in Britain (dark blue), Greece (light blue), China (red), India (brown), Vietnam (yellow), Philippines (pink), Italy (light green) and Lebanon (dark green). Based on 2006 Census

The most common languages spoken at home are English (60.8%), Arabic (4.4%), Cantonese (3.4%), Mandarin (2.6%), Greek (2.2%) and Vietnamese (2.0%).^[7]

Most common ancestries of Sydney urban area (2006)[8]	Population	%
Australian	999,000	27.4
English	840,118	23
Chinese	287,952	7.9
Irish	277,545	7.6
Scottish	202,938	5.6
Italian	157,765	4.3
Lebanese	125,257	3.4
Greek	106,003	2.9
Indian	90,944	2.5
German	86,721	2.4
Total population	3,641,424

Some suburbs are associated with particular ethnic groups:

• Indigenous Australians with Redfern
• Assyrians with City of Fairfield
• Bangladeshi with Hillsdale, Ingleburn, Lakemba, Minto and Rockdale
• Chinese with Haymarket, Cabramatta, Ashfield, Hurstville, Campsie, Chatswood, Eastwood, Epping, Carlingford, Parramatta, Burwood, Auburn, Artarmon and Fairfield ^[9]
• Croatians with Fairfield, Burwood, Liverpool, Kograh and Hurstville
• Greeks with Earlwood and Marrickville
• Indians with Westmead, Parramatta, Glenwood, Kellyville, Harris Park, Liverpool and Blacktown.
• Filipinos with Blacktown
• Japanese with Chatswood
• Jews with Bondi, Rose Bay, Bellevue Hill, Dover Heights, Vaucluse, Woollahra and St Ives
• Italians with Leichhardt and Bossley Park
• Koreans with Strathfield, Campsie, Chatswood, and Eastwood
• Pacific Islanders with Mount Druitt
• Lebanese with Lakemba, Campsie, Punchbowl, Merrylands, Auburn and Bankstown. Sydney has around 75% of Australia's Lebanese population.
• Macedonians with Rockdale, Kogarah
• Maltese with Greystanes, Horsley Park
• Portuguese with Petersham
• Serbians with Liverpool
• Spaniards with City of Fairfield
• Vietnamese with Cabramatta, Canley Vale, Fairfield, Bonnyrigg, Marrickville and Bankstown

The adjacent show concentrations of persons born in different regions of the world residing in particular parts of Sydney.

Religion

At the 2006 Census, the most common responses for religion were Catholic (29.2%), Anglican (16.5%), Eastern Orthodox (4.8%) and Islam (4.4%). 14.1% declared no religious affiliation.^[7]

See also

• Demographics of Australia
• Birth rate and fertility rate in Australia
• Immigration to Australia

References

1. ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 31 March 2011. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2009-10~Main+Features~Main+Features?OpenDocument. Retrieved 31 March 2011. 
2. ^ "3105.0.65.001 - Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2006". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 23 May 2006. http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3105.0.65.0012006?OpenDocument. Retrieved 21 November 2011. Table 1. Population by sex, states and territories, 31 December, 1788 onwards
3. ^ "Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2008". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 5 August 2008. http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3105.0.65.001. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
4. ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 31 March 2011. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2009-10~Main+Features~Main+Features?OpenDocument. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "3222.0 – Population Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2101". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4 September 2008. http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3222.0. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
6. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series : Sydney (Statistical Division)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ProductSelect?newproducttype=Community+Profiles&collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=105&breadcrumb=LP&currentaction=201&action=401. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Sydney (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL171400&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 23 November 2011.  Map
8. ^ "Cat. No. 2068.0 - 2006 Census Tables". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2007. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/download?format=xls&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Ancestry%20(full%20classification%20list)%20by%20Sex&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&areacode=105. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
9. ^ 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 1995