Quick facts
Adelaide overview
Adelaide (orange) and the other large cities of Australia
Adelaide lies in South Australia in Australia at 34.93°S, 138.6°E, about 59 m above sea level. The local time zone is Australia/Adelaide (UTC+10:30); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Perth (2,384,371) and larger than Gold Coast (640,778). The largest city in Australia is Sydney with 5,638,830 people; the capital, Canberra, has 367,752.
The national capital, Canberra, is about 958 km away.
Australia as a whole has a live population of 27,301,322 (+0.9% a year) and ranks #55 of 238 countries — see the Australia population page for the full statistics and the Australia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Largest cities in Australia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | New South Wales | 5,638,830 |
| 2 | Melbourne | Victoria | 5,435,590 |
| 3 | Brisbane | Queensland | 2,780,063 |
| 4 | Perth | Western Australia | 2,384,371 |
| 5 | Adelaide | South Australia | 1,469,163 |
| 6 | Gold Coast | Queensland | 640,778 |
| 7 | Newcastle | New South Wales | 508,437 |
| 8 | Sunshine Coast | Queensland | 398,840 |
| 9 | CanberraCapital | Australian Capital Territory | 367,752 |
| 10 | Central Coast | New South Wales | 346,596 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Adelaide?
Adelaide has about 1,469,163 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Adelaide the capital of Australia?
No. The capital of Australia is Canberra (367,752 people), about 958 km away. Adelaide is the 5th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Adelaide compared with the rest of Australia?
Its 1,469,163 residents are 5.4% of the 27,301,322 people living in Australia today. Sydney is larger with 5,638,830 people.
Where is Adelaide?
In South Australia, Australia, at latitude -34.93 and longitude 138.6, 59 m above sea level.
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Adelaide Population 2026 — Australia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/australia/adelaide/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/australia/adelaide/">Adelaide Population 2026 — Australia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.