Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
36 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
9.63 million (2023 est.)
Communications: 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)
Communications: Internet country code
.au
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
96.13% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
22 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
5.95 million (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
113 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
30.1 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
wheat, sugarcane, barley, rapeseed, milk, cotton, sorghum, beef, lentils, grapes (2023)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on alcohol and tobacco
3.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on food
9.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$453.105 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$431.27 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
-$51.383 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
-$45.408 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
-$58.276 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
-$43.643 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
-$39.997 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
-$37.111 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
-$1.059 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
$21.903 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
$38.193 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
$5.707 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$5.186 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
-$34.402 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
1.5154 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
1.0358 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
1.1094 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
1.3311 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
1.3452 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
1.3048 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
1.3384 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
1.4385 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
1.4531 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
1.3312 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
1.4417 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
1.5052 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
1.5154 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, minerals (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$299.824 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$309.622 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$271.153 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$232.663 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$281.774 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$312.606 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$336.478 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$319.175 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$343.364 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$465.99 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$448.507 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$425.16 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
24.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
22.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
51.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-22.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
24.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
0.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
2.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
26% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
65.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$72,111 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.752 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$1.961 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016
33.7 (2016 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018
34.3 (2018 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020
33.8 (2020 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
26.2% (2018 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.8% (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$238.100 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$291.850 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$261.827 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$277.671 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$311.862 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$306.787 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$274.154 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$284.039 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$379.981 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$389.211 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$405.336 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
0.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
1.51% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
1.28% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
1.95% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
1.91% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
1.61% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
0.85% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
2.86% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
6.59% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
5.60% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
3.17% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
14.912 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2013
37.40% (2013 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2014
41.54% (2014 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
54.46% (2016 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
53.10% (2017 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2018
54.30% (2018 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2019
59.98% (2019 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2020
69.07% (2020 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2021
69.84% (2021 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2022
57.88% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$1.106 trillion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$1.107 trillion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$1.148 trillion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$1.194 trillion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$1.340 trillion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$1.390 trillion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$1.498 trillion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$1.558 trillion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$1.611 trillion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$1.635 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
2.16% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
2.76% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
2.29% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
2.87% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
2.19% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-0.13% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
2.01% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
4.25% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
3.58% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
1.37% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$47,109 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$46,465 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$47,446 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$48,565 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$52,886 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$54,184 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$58,327 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$66,103 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$72,273 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$2.461 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$2.330 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$2.175 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$1.111 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
$841.0 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$45.406 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$52.481 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$65.654 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$53.910 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$57.995 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$42.545 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$57.878 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$56.702 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$61.703 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$60.404 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
5.14% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
6.39% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
5.02% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
3.73% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
3.67% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
3.94% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
8.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
10.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
9.5% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
95.667 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
348.32 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
630,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
445.077 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
149.472 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
64.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
17.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
11.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
267.818 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
108.193 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
11.455 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
223.158 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
48.845 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: exports
105.146 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: imports
521.034 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
151.307 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
3.228 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
2.446 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
1.151 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
146.81 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
93.497 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
154.346 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
394.653 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Environment: 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
Environment: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
47.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 43.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
17.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
35.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
2,382.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
2,146 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
144.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
587.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
492 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
11.19 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
3.11 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
2.43 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
87.60% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
13.345 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
52.9% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous US states
Geography: Area: land
7,682,300 sq km
Geography: Area: water
58,920 sq km
Geography: Coastline
25,760 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Lake Eyre -15 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
330 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
27 00 S, 133 00 E
Geography: 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
Geography: Irrigated land
19,450 sq km (2022)
Geography: Land boundaries: total
0 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
47.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 43.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
17.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
35.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Great Artesian Basin, Canning Basin
Geography: Major lakes (area sq km): fresh water lake(s)
Lake Alexandrina - 570 sq km
Geography: 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
Geography: 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
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Indian Ocean drainage
(Great Australian Bight) Murray-Darling (1,050,116 sq km)
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Lake Eyre (1,212,198 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Oceania
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands
Geography: 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
Geography: Terrain
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Government: Administrative divisions
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Government: Capital: daylight saving time
+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April
Government: Capital: etymology
the name may derive from the Aboriginal word nganbirra , meaning "meeting place"
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
35 16 S, 149 08 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Capital: time zone note
Australia has six time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+11)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
yes
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
4 years
Government: Constitution: 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
Government: Constitution: history
approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Australia
Government: 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
Government: 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: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Erika OLSON (since January 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: consulate(s) general
Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov https://au.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[61] (02) 9373-9184
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20512-7800
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[61] (02) 6214-5600
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
info.us@dfat.gov.au https://usa.embassy.gov.au/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 797-3168
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 797-3000
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Samantha (Sam) MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)
Government: Executive branch: 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
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022)
Government: 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
Government: International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Government: International organization participation
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
Government: 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
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70
Government: Judicial branch: 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
Government: Legal system
common law system based on the English model
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
House of Representatives
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
May 2028
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
5/3/2025
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
150 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: parties elected and seats per party
Australian Labor Party (ALP) (94); Liberal National coalition (43); Independents (10); Other (3)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
46%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
3 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
Senate
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: electoral system
proportional representation
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
May 2028
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
5/3/2025
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
76 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: 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)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
56.6%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
partial renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
6 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament
Government: National anthem(s): history
royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
unknown
Government: 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
Government: National color(s)
green, gold
Government: National heritage: 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)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
21 (5 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed)
Government: 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)
Government: National symbol(s)
Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree ( Acacia pycnantha ), kangaroo, emu
Government: 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
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Introduction: 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.
Military and 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 and Security: Military and security forces
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 60,000 active ADF personnel (2025)
Military and Security: 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 and Security: 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: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
1.95% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
2.09% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
2.01% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
1.90% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
1.88% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
2.01% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
1.98% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
1.88% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
1.86% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
1.88% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: 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)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
18.3% (male 2,526,772/female 2,369,425)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
64.7% (male 8,688,023/female 8,640,671)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
17% (2024 est.) (male 2,090,315/female 2,453,392)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
3.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
1.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
9.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
3.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
10.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
10.40% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
54% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
26.5 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
3.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
53.3 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
26.7 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
5.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
12.7% national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
5.06% (2022 est.)
People and Society: 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.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
0.73 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
10.5% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
20.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.10% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
3.2 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
85.1 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
81.1 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: 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)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
39.2 years
People and Society: Median age: male
36.9 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
28.7 years (2019 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Australian
People and Society: Net migration rate
11.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
29% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
4.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
People and Society: Population
27,196,812 (2024 est.)
People and Society: 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
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.99% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
13,804,986
People and Society: Population: male
13,685,935
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
21 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
20 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
21 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.07 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.01 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.85 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
9.2% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
13.6% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
11.4% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
1.48 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
87.60% (2024 est.)
Space: 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
Space: Space agency/agencies
Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020) (2025)
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: 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)
Terrorism: Terrorist group(s)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
185 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
120,789 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
6,922 (2024 est.)
Transportation: Airports
2,257 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
VH
Transportation: Heliports
392 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 2, general cargo 76, oil tanker 6, other 520
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
604 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Brisbane, Dampier, Darwin, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Dalrymple, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Sydney
Transportation: Ports: large
5
Transportation: Ports: medium
8
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
38
Transportation: Ports: small
24
Transportation: Ports: total ports
66 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
29
Transportation: Railways: broad gauge
2,685 km (2022) 1.600 mm
Transportation: Railways: narrow gauge
11,914 km (2022) 1.067 mm
Transportation: Railways: standard gauge
18,007 km (2022) 1.435 mm
Transportation: Railways: total
32,606 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.