> Source: https://www.k-stra.com/australia/queensland/ > Updated: 2026-11-03 Australia · Queensland # How many people live in Queensland, and why is it different? No other mainland state spreads its people so widely. Half of Queensland lives outside Brisbane, in a chain of coastal cities each large enough to be a market of its own. In short Queensland had 5,669,764 residents at 30 June 2025 and added 580,917 since 2019, more than New South Wales. Only 50.0% live in Greater Brisbane, the lowest capital share of any mainland state. Ipswich and Logan grew fastest; residents spend about A$50,902 a head a year, below the national average. [Open QLD on the map](https://www.k-stra.com/a/?mv=143.0475,-19.932,4.8,0,0&src=australia-queensland) Key figures ## What are the key figures for Queensland? Key figures for Queensland against Australia Indicator Queensland Australia Residents, 30 June 2025 5,669,764 27,613,654 Average yearly change, 2019–2025 1.90% 1.50% Residents added since 2019 580,917 2,278,828 Area 1,730,171 km² 7,688,095 km² Residents per km² 3.3 3.6 Share in Greater Brisbane 50.0% — Median age 38.6 38.5 Aged under 15 17.7% 17.4% Aged 65 and over 17.4% 17.5% Income index 96.6 100.0 Consumption index 96.8 100.0 Spending per resident, a year A$50,902 A$52,582 Resident spending, a year A$288.6 billion A$1,452.0 billion Families (Census 2021) 1,366,648 6,730,182 Homes rented (Census 2021) 35.7% 33.6% Flats and apartments (Census 2021) 17.0% 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 people live ## Where do people live in Queensland? Greater Brisbane counts 2,832,646 residents, 50.0% of the state. The Brisbane City Council alone has 1,375,301, the largest council in Australia, because it covers most of the city instead of a single district. The Gold Coast region has 708,530 residents and the Sunshine Coast 441,508. Further north, Cairns, Townsville, Central Queensland, Mackay and Toowoomba each hold between 170,000 and 280,000 residents. Greater Brisbane and the regions of Queensland with residents, median age and income index Area (capital city, then SA4 regions) Residents 2025 Share Median age Income index Greater Brisbane 2,832,646 50.0% 36.5 102.4 Gold Coast 708,530 12.5% 39.4 91.1 Sunshine Coast 441,508 7.8% 44.0 87.2 Wide Bay 335,670 5.9% 49.4 75.7 Cairns 271,364 4.8% 41.6 86.2 Townsville 249,097 4.4% 37.5 102.6 Central Queensland 244,220 4.3% 38.9 103.4 Mackay – Isaac – Whitsunday 193,813 3.4% 38.7 108.2 Toowoomba 176,244 3.1% 37.9 95.2 Darling Downs – Maranoa 134,065 2.4% 43.0 81.7 Queensland – Outback 82,607 1.5% 34.9 96.8 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. Two cities have a page of their own, with residents within 15, 30 and 45 minutes of the centre and incomes by postcode: [Greater Brisbane](https://www.k-stra.com/australia/brisbane/) and [Gold Coast](https://www.k-stra.com/australia/gold-coast/) . Growth ## Which councils in Queensland are growing fastest? Ipswich, west of Brisbane, grew 22.0% from 2019 to 2025, on average 3.67% a year, and Logan, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, 3.35% a year; the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay follow. Ipswich and Logan are also the youngest large councils in the state, with median ages of 33.8 and 34.3. No Queensland council with more than 20,000 residents lost population over the period. The slowest, Western Downs, still grew 0.50% a year. Councils of Queensland with more than 20,000 residents growing fastest and slowest, 2019 to 2025 Council Residents 2019 Residents 2025 Change a year Rank Ipswich 219,893 268,272 3.67% Fastest Logan 335,955 403,515 3.35% Fastest Sunshine Coast 329,946 381,957 2.63% Fastest Whitsunday 36,266 41,374 2.35% Fastest Moreton Bay 467,314 532,445 2.32% Fastest Western Downs 34,420 35,452 0.50% Slowest Central Highlands (Qld) 28,574 29,481 0.53% Slowest Cassowary Coast 29,564 30,666 0.62% Slowest Councils with more than 20,000 residents in 2025. Average yearly change = (residents 2025 ÷ residents 2019 − 1) ÷ 6, on 2025 council boundaries. Spending ## How much do residents of Queensland spend, and on what? Queensland’s consumption index is 96.8, and residents spend A$50,902 each a year. The average hides the mining regions: Isaac, in the Bowen Basin, has an income index of 141.4, while the Cassowary Coast and the Tablelands, in the far north, sit below 70. Spending per resident by category in Queensland and Australia, with the total for Queensland Category Per resident, QLD Per resident, Australia Total, QLD (A$ million) Food and non-alcoholic beverages A$4,968 A$5,032 28,167 Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics A$1,483 A$1,509 8,408 Clothing and footwear A$1,838 A$1,869 10,421 Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels A$12,456 A$12,788 70,623 Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance A$2,136 A$2,243 12,111 Health A$3,685 A$3,823 20,893 Transport A$5,374 A$5,558 30,469 Information and communication A$928 A$956 5,262 Recreation, sport and culture A$5,146 A$5,380 29,177 Education services A$1,759 A$1,862 9,973 Restaurants and accommodation services A$4,235 A$4,447 24,011 Insurance and financial services A$4,006 A$4,146 22,713 Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services A$2,888 A$2,969 16,374 All categories A$50,902 A$52,582 288,602 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. Businesses ## How many businesses of each kind does Queensland have? Queensland has more real estate agencies per 10,000 residents than any other state, 6.74 against 5.34, and more gyms, 7.87 against 7.06. Restaurants are fewer, at 11.10, and the 16.39 accommodation businesses per 10,000 reflect the coast’s visitors. Businesses by sector in Queensland, per 10,000 residents, against Australia Sector Locations in QLD Per 10,000 residents Australia Supermarkets 1,582 2.79 2.92 Pharmacies 1,508 2.66 2.63 Gyms & fitness centers 4,460 7.87 7.06 Bars & cafés 6,591 11.62 12.00 Restaurants 6,291 11.10 12.17 Hairdressers 5,606 9.89 9.31 Childcare & early learning 2,872 5.07 5.24 Aged care & retirement living 1,444 2.55 2.50 Fuel stations 2,218 3.91 3.74 Real estate agencies 3,820 6.74 5.34 Hotels & accommodation 9,293 16.39 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. Free in the app ## What can you see about Queensland without an account? *[Image: The free K-Stra dashboard of Queensland, opened by clicking its name on the map without an account: residents, families, median age, consumption index and demographic rows.]* No account needed Queensland · area dashboardThe dashboard of Queensland: the same residents, median age and consumption index as the table above, and the rows behind them. On the map of Australia, a click on “Queensland” opens this dashboard; zooming in, the same click works on every council, postcode and suburb in QLD. Browsing them costs nothing. Figures for the whole of Queensland 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. Reading the numbers ## What does this mean for choosing a location in Queensland? A network plan for Queensland cannot stop at Brisbane. The Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are each larger than Tasmania’s capital and growing, and the northern cities are hundreds of kilometres apart, each with its own catchment and its own competitors. The coast is a market of residents and visitors at once. K-Stra counts residents, so for hospitality and tourism formats the resident figures are a floor: actual demand in Noosa or Surfers Paradise is higher than the residents alone suggest. The fastest growth is in Ipswich and Logan, young and close to average income: the ground for everyday formats such as supermarkets, childcare and fitness rather than premium retail. FAQ ## What else do people ask about Queensland? ### What is the population of Queensland? 5,669,764 at 30 June 2025 (ABS estimate), up from 5,088,847 in 2019. That is growth of 11.4% in all, on average 1.90% a year, second only to Western Australia among the states. ### Why is Brisbane the largest council in Australia? Because the Brisbane City Council covers most of the city, with 1,375,301 residents, while Sydney and Melbourne are divided into dozens of smaller councils. Comparing councils across states therefore compares areas of very different size. ### Where are Queensland’s oldest residents? On the Fraser Coast, with a median age of 51.9, and in Noosa, at 51.2, against 38.6 for the state. The Wide Bay region as a whole sits at 49.4. Related pages - [Australia by state](https://www.k-stra.com/australia/) - [Pharmacies in Hervey Bay](https://www.k-stra.com/industries/pharmacies-and-health/) - [Market potential in Cairns](https://www.k-stra.com/solutions/market-potential-analysis/) - [Customer maps on the Gold Coast](https://www.k-stra.com/for/marketing-teams/) - [Fastest-growing councils in Australia](https://www.k-stra.com/insights/fastest-growing-councils-australia/) - [Australian geography levels](https://www.k-stra.com/geomarketing/australian-geography-levels/) - [Income and consumption indices](https://www.k-stra.com/geomarketing/income-and-consumption-indices/) - [Demographic analysis](https://www.k-stra.com/solutions/demographic-analysis/) - [Population data in K-Stra](https://www.k-stra.com/product/data/population/) Try it ## Open Queensland on the map. The app opens on the state: click a council for its free dashboard, or draw a catchment around any of its coastal cities. [Open the app — free to explore](https://www.k-stra.com/a/?mv=143.0475,-19.932,4.8,0,0&src=australia-queensland) Browsing areas and dashboards is free