Living in Cities in Australia: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

At MYRIAD, we examine the statistics of human lives to understand the physical spaces we inhabit. For Australia, the story across three centuries is a steady transition from scattered settlements to one of the most concentrated urban landscapes on earth. In the 2020s, living in cities in Australia stands at 86.2 % — ranking #13 of 157 countries. This profound physical realignment dictates how generations commute, work, gather, and build their daily routines.

The historical arc of this urbanization unfolds decade by decade with remarkable consistency. In the 1800s estimate it was 10.94 %, rising steadily through the 1810s estimate at 14.36 %, the 1820s estimate at 17.78 %, the 1830s estimate at 21.2 %, the 1840s estimate at 24.62 %, and the 1850s estimate at 28.04 %. The growth continued as the 1860s estimate reached 31.46 %, the 1870s estimate reached 34.88 %, the 1880s estimate reached 38.3 %, the 1890s estimate reached 41.72 %, and in 1900 it was 45.14 %. Momentum accelerated through the 1910s estimate at 50.54 %, the 1920s estimate at 55.93 %, the 1930s estimate at 61.33 %, the 1940s estimate at 66.73 %, the 1950s at 72.12 %, the 1960s at 76.44 %, the 1970s at 80.75 %, and the 1980s at 85.06 %. By the 1990s it reached 85.68 %, the 2000s at 86.3 %, and the 2010s at 86.25 %. Projections suggest further concentration, reaching the 2030s projection at 88.2 %, the 2040s projection at 90.2 %, the 2050s projection at 92.2 %, the 2060s projection at 94.2 %, and stabilizing at the 2070s projection, 2080s projection, 2090s projection, and 2100s projection all at 95 %.

For someone born there and then, this dense urban environment frames the horizon of everyday experience, offering immense proximity to infrastructure, culture, and community. Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →