How many people live in the ACT, and how much do they spend?
One city, one council and the highest incomes in the country: in the ACT the useful divisions are the districts, and the market reaches across the border into New South Wales.
The Australian Capital Territory had 484,630 residents at 30 June 2025, almost all in Canberra. Its income index of 128.1 is the highest of any state or territory, and residents spend about A$66,481 each a year, a quarter more than the Australian average. The population grew 11.2% from 2019 to 2025, on average 1.87% a year.
What are the key figures for the Australian Capital Territory?
| Indicator | Australian Capital Territory | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Residents, 30 June 2025 | 484,630 | 27,613,654 |
| Average yearly change, 2019–2025 | 1.87% | 1.50% |
| Residents added since 2019 | 48,900 | 2,278,828 |
| Area | 2,358 km² | 7,688,095 km² |
| Residents per km² | 205.5 | 3.6 |
| Share in Canberra (the whole territory) | 100.0% | — |
| Median age | 35.8 | 38.5 |
| Aged under 15 | 17.1% | 17.4% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.0% | 17.5% |
| Income index | 128.1 | 100.0 |
| Consumption index | 126.4 | 100.0 |
| Spending per resident, a year | A$66,481 | A$52,582 |
| Resident spending, a year | A$32.2 billion | A$1,452.0 billion |
| Families (Census 2021) | 119,752 | 6,730,182 |
| Homes rented (Census 2021) | 34.7% | 33.6% |
| Flats and apartments (Census 2021) | 27.5% | 19.6% |
- Residents: ABS Estimated Resident Population at 30 June 2025, by council (2025 boundaries). Change: ABS Estimated Resident Population by council, 2019 to 2025; average yearly change as in the K-Stra area dashboard.
- Age: ABS population by five-year age group at 30 June 2025; median age worked out from the age groups. Capital: Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (ABS ASGS Edition 3), residents counted by K-Stra on the address points inside them.
- Indices: Income index from ABS Personal Income 2022–23 (tax data), measured or estimated; consumption index derived from it; 100 = Australia. Spending: Spending per resident from the consumption index and ABS national accounts (5204.0) for 2024–25. Housing and families: ABS Census 2021 (families, rented homes, flats and apartments).
Where do people live in the Australian Capital Territory?
The ACT has a single council area for all of its 484,630 residents, so the ABS districts (SA3 areas) are the useful divisions. Belconnen is the largest, with 112,519 residents, then Tuggeranong with 95,755 and Gungahlin with 93,804.
Every district with more than 20,000 residents has an income index above 110. South Canberra reaches 150.4. The youngest districts are Molonglo, the newest, with a median age of 31.5, and North Canberra, with its students, at 31.8; Gungahlin, the newest large district, follows at 33.0. Queanbeyan, across the border in New South Wales, is part of the same market but counted in the other state.
| District (SA3) | Residents 2025 | Share | Median age | Income index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belconnen | 112,519 | 23.2% | 35.9 | 119.8 |
| Tuggeranong | 95,755 | 19.8% | 38.8 | 124.3 |
| Gungahlin | 93,804 | 19.4% | 33.0 | 126.1 |
| North Canberra | 65,727 | 13.6% | 31.8 | 129.8 |
| Woden Valley | 42,074 | 8.7% | 39.5 | 133.4 |
| South Canberra | 33,668 | 6.9% | 40.4 | 150.4 |
| Weston Creek | 26,248 | 5.4% | 41.9 | 130.5 |
| Molonglo | 12,164 | 2.5% | 31.5 | 145.9 |
| Canberra East | 2,028 | 0.4% | 40.3 | 96.0 |
Residents counted by K-Stra on the address points inside each area; median age from the five-year age groups, income index weighted by residents. The income index comes from ABS personal income tax data for 2022–23, measured for councils and SA2 areas and estimated elsewhere; 100 is the Australian average.
Which parts of Canberra are largest and youngest?
The territory added 48,900 residents between 2019 and 2025, 11.2% in all and on average 1.87% a year, faster than New South Wales or Victoria. K-Stra keeps the yearly series by council, and the ACT is a single council, so the districts are compared here by age: Molonglo, the newest district, has a median age of 31.5, and North Canberra, with its students, 31.8.
Weston Creek and South Canberra are the oldest districts, with median ages of 41.9 and 40.4; Tuggeranong, the second largest, sits at 38.8.
How much do residents of the Australian Capital Territory spend, and on what?
With a consumption index of 126.4, residents of the ACT spend A$66,481 each a year, about A$13,899 more than the average Australian. The difference is largest in housing, then in recreation and restaurants, where spending rises fastest with income.
| Category | Per resident, ACT | Per resident, Australia | Total, ACT (A$ million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | A$5,561 | A$5,032 | 2,695 |
| Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics | A$1,728 | A$1,509 | 837 |
| Clothing and footwear | A$2,124 | A$1,869 | 1,029 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | A$15,534 | A$12,788 | 7,528 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance | A$3,129 | A$2,243 | 1,516 |
| Health | A$4,963 | A$3,823 | 2,405 |
| Transport | A$7,076 | A$5,558 | 3,429 |
| Information and communication | A$1,195 | A$956 | 579 |
| Recreation, sport and culture | A$7,309 | A$5,380 | 3,542 |
| Education services | A$2,719 | A$1,862 | 1,318 |
| Restaurants and accommodation services | A$6,194 | A$4,447 | 3,002 |
| Insurance and financial services | A$5,308 | A$4,146 | 2,572 |
| Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services | A$3,641 | A$2,969 | 1,765 |
| All categories | A$66,481 | A$52,582 | 32,219 |
Spending per resident from the consumption index and ABS national accounts (5204.0) for 2024–25. Spending of residents, wherever it happens; visitors are not included.
How many businesses of each kind does the Australian Capital Territory have?
The ACT has the most gyms per 10,000 residents of any state or territory, 8.58, more restaurants than anywhere but Tasmania, 14.53, and the fewest fuel stations, 1.67 against 3.74. Pharmacies (2.00) and aged care sites (1.80) are also below the national figures.
| Sector | Locations in ACT | Per 10,000 residents | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 142 | 2.93 | 2.92 |
| Pharmacies | 97 | 2.00 | 2.63 |
| Gyms & fitness centers | 416 | 8.58 | 7.06 |
| Bars & cafés | 644 | 13.29 | 12.00 |
| Restaurants | 704 | 14.53 | 12.17 |
| Hairdressers | 439 | 9.06 | 9.31 |
| Childcare & early learning | 260 | 5.36 | 5.24 |
| Aged care & retirement living | 87 | 1.80 | 2.50 |
| Fuel stations | 81 | 1.67 | 3.74 |
| Real estate agencies | 232 | 4.79 | 5.34 |
| Hotels & accommodation | 482 | 9.95 | 15.11 |
K-Stra places catalogue, October 2026, as the app classifies each business; residents at 30 June 2025. A higher count per resident can mean smaller outlets, visitors or a crowded market: the catchment of each site tells which.
What can you see about the Australian Capital Territory without an account?
No account neededOn the map of Australia, a click on “Australian Capital Territory” opens this dashboard; zooming in, the same click works on every council, postcode and suburb in the ACT. Browsing them costs nothing.
Figures for the whole of the Australian Capital Territory are a starting point: credits start when you measure the catchment of one of its addresses — the residents within a drive, their spending and the competitors already there.
What does this mean for choosing a location in the Australian Capital Territory?
High incomes and a young population make Canberra a market for formats that sell on quality and experience. The counts show it already: gyms per resident are the highest in Australia and restaurants the second highest, so the competition is there too.
Canberra was planned as a set of town centres, each serving its district. A site decision is largely a choice of district and of town centre, and catchments follow the parkways between them rather than a single downtown.
Sites in the east and south of Canberra draw on residents of Queanbeyan, across the border in New South Wales. A catchment drawn on the road network crosses the border; a territory figure does not.
What else do people ask about the Australian Capital Territory?
What is the population of the ACT?
484,630 at 30 June 2025 (ABS estimate), up from 435,730 in 2019. Almost all live in Canberra; the rest in small rural localities.
Why does the ACT have only one council?
Because the ACT Government runs local services directly: there are no local councils, and the ABS records the whole territory as a single unincorporated area. Districts (SA3 areas) and suburbs are the finer levels to compare.
Which Canberra district has the highest income?
South Canberra, with an income index of 150.4, followed by Molonglo at 145.9 and Woden Valley at 133.4, where 100 is the Australian average.
Open Canberra
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