Quick facts
Melbourne overview
Melbourne (orange) and the other large cities of Australia
Melbourne lies in Victoria in Australia at 37.81°S, 144.96°E, about 25 m above sea level. The local time zone is Australia/Melbourne (UTC+11); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Sydney (5,638,830) and larger than Brisbane (2,780,063). The largest city in Australia is Sydney with 5,638,830 people; the capital, Canberra, has 367,752.
The national capital, Canberra, is about 466 km away; the nearest large city is Geelong, 65 km from Melbourne.
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.
Cities near Melbourne
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Geelong Victoria | 65 km | 282,809 |
| Ballarat Victoria | 102 km | 111,973 |
| Bendigo Victoria | 132 km | 103,034 |
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 Melbourne?
Melbourne has about 5,435,590 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Melbourne the capital of Australia?
No. The capital of Australia is Canberra (367,752 people), about 466 km away. Melbourne is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Melbourne compared with the rest of Australia?
Its 5,435,590 residents are 19.9% of the 27,301,322 people living in Australia today. Sydney is larger with 5,638,830 people.
Where is Melbourne?
In Victoria, Australia, at latitude -37.81 and longitude 144.96, 25 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Geelong (65 km), Ballarat (102 km), Bendigo (132 km).
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Melbourne Population 2026 — Australia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/australia/melbourne/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/australia/melbourne/">Melbourne 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.