Map of Australia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background:


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Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 7,741,220 km²
Land: 7,682,300 km²
Water: 58,920 km²
Note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Comparative: slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 25,760 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m
Lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Mean elevation: 330 m

Natural resources: alumina, coal, iron ore, copper, lithium, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, opals, natural gas, petroleum
Note 1: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 26.5% of global coal exports in 2021; coal is the country’s most abundant energy resource, and coal ranks as the second-largest export commodity from Australia in terms of revenue; in 2020, Australia held the third-largest recoverable coal reserves in the world behind the United States and Russia
Note 2: Australia is by far the world's largest supplier of opals
Note 3: Australia holds the largest uranium reserves in the world and was the second-largest global uranium producer behind Kazakhstan in 2020
Note 4: Australia was the largest exporter of LNG in the world in 2020

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.65% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.03% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.04% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 42.58% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 17.42% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 33.42% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 15,210 km² (2020)

Major rivers
By length in km: River Murray - 2,508 km; Darling River - 1,545 km; Murrumbidgee River - 1,485 km; Lachlan River - 1,339 km; Cooper Creek - 1,113 km; Flinders River - 1,004 km

Major watersheds area km²: Indian Ocean drainage: (Great Australian Bight) Murray-Darling (1,050,116 km²); Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Eyre (1,212,198 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 2.29 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 2.89 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 8.57 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 492 billion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands

Geography
Note 1: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land borders
Note 2: the Great Dividing Range that runs along eastern Australia is that continent’s longest mountain range and the third-longest land-based range in the world; the term 'Great Dividing Range' refers to the fact that the mountains form a watershed crest from which all of the rivers of eastern Australia flow – east, west, north, and south
Note 3: Australia is the only continent without glaciers; it is the driest inhabited continent on earth; the invigorating sea breeze known as the 'Fremantle Doctor' affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent winds in the world; Australia is home to 10% of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world


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Population
Distribution: population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the States and Territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or 'outback', has a very sparse population
Total: 26,768,598
Male: 13,305,110
Female: 13,463,488 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.13% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 13.4% (2020 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Australian(s)
Adjective: Australian

Ethnic groups: English 33%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6%, Chinese 5.5%, Italian 4.4%, German 4%, Indian 3.1%, Australian Aboriginal 2.9%, Greek 1.7%, unspecified 4.7% (2021 est.)
Note: data represent self-identified ancestry, with the option of reporting two ancestries

Languages: English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.)
Note: data represent language spoken at home

Religions: Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 18.1% (Anglican 9.8%, Uniting Church 2.6%, Presbyterian and Reformed 1.6%, Baptist 1.4%, Pentecostal 1%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 3.5%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 2.7%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3% (Eastern Orthodox 2.1%, Oriental Orthodox 0.2%), other 2.1%, none 38.4%, unspecified 7.3% (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 2,526,772/female 2,369,425)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 8,688,023/female 8,640,671)
65 years and over: 17% (2024 est.) (male 2,090,315/female 2,453,392)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.7
Youth dependency ratio: 28.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 25.5
Potential support ratio: 3.9 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 38.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 36.9 years
Female: 39.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.13% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the States and Territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or 'outback', has a very sparse population

Urbanization
Urban population: 86.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island

Major urban areas
Population: 5.235 million Melbourne, 5.121 million Sydney, 2.505 million Brisbane, 2.118 million Perth, 1.367 million Adelaide, 472,000 CANBERRA (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion from overgrazing, deforestation, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; limited natural freshwater resources; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; drought, desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; disruption of the fragile ecosystem has resulted in significant floral extinctions; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; overfishing, pollution, and invasive species are also problems
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 8.93 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 375.91 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 105.01 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28.7 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 81.3 years
Female: 85.7 years

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 66.9% (2015/16)
Note: percent of women aged 18-44

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 29% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 9.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 3.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 13.6% (2020 est.)
Male: 15.6% (2020 est.)
Female: 11.5% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 21 years
Male: 20 years
Female: 22 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 8.6% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 9.6% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
Conventional short form: Australia
Etymology: the name Australia derives from the Latin 'australis' meaning 'southern'; the Australian landmass was long referred to as 'Terra Australis' or the Southern Land

Government type: federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Canberra
Geographic coordinates: 35 16 S, 149 08 E
Time difference: UTC+10 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April
Note: Australia has four time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+10:30)
Etymology: the name is claimed to derive from either Kambera or Camberry, which are names corrupted from the original native designation for the area 'Nganbra' or 'Nganbira'

Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)

National holiday: Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

Constitution
History: approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires approval of a referendum bill by absolute majority vote in both houses of Parliament, approval in a referendum by a majority of voters in at least four states and in the territories, and Royal Assent; proposals that would reduce a state’s representation in either house or change a state’s boundaries require that state’s approval prior to Royal Assent; amended several times, last in 1977

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Samantha (Sam) MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of: Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 each from the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years), House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years)
Elections: Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025), House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)
Elections results: Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%; seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3; composition - 33 men, 42 women; percentage women 56%, House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%; seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1, vacant 1; composition- 92 men, 59 women; percentage women 39.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 44.7%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice)
Note: each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state and territory supreme courts
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island

Political parties and leaders: Australian Greens Party or The Greens , Australian Labor Party or ALP , Centre Alliance (formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team or NXT), Jacqui Lambie Network or JLN , Katter's Australian Party , Liberal Party of Australia , The Nationals , One Nation or ONP , United Australia Party

International organization participation: ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Quad, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023)
In the us chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 797-3,000
In the us fax: [1] (202) 797-3,168
In the us email address and website: info.us@dfat.gov.au; [link]
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Caroline KENNEDY (since 25 July 2022)
From the us embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2,600
From the us mailing address: 7,800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20,512-7,800
From the us telephone: [61] (02) 6,214-5,600
From the us fax: [61] (02) 9,373-9,184
From the us email address and website: AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov; [link]
From the us consulates general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

National symbols: Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (Acacia pycnantha), kangaroo, emu; national colors: green, gold

National anthem
Name: Advance Australia Fair
Lyrics/music: Peter Dodds McCORMICK
Note 1: adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem was not used for all official occasions until 1984; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, 'God Save the King' serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
Note 2: the well-known and much-loved bush ballad 'Waltzing Matilda' is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; the original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo PATERSON, and were first published as sheet music in 1903; since 2012, a Waltzing Matilda Day has been held annually on 6 April, the anniversary of the first performance of the song in 1895

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 20 (4 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed)
Note: includes one site on Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview: highly developed, diversified, regionally and globally integrated economy; strong mining, manufacturing, and service sectors; net exporter driven by commodities to East Asian trade partners; “Future Made in Australia” program focused on green energy investments

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.584 trillion (2023 est.); $1.537 trillion (2022 est.); $1.475 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 3.02% (2023 est.); 4.27% (2022 est.); 2.11% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $59,500 (2023 est.); $59,100 (2022 est.); $57,400 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 49.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 21.3% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26.7% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -21.4% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4% (2023 est.)
Industry: 27.4% (2023 est.)
Services: 64.2% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: wheat, sugarcane, barley, milk, rapeseed, cotton, sorghum, beef, oats, chicken (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Industrial production growth rate: 1.34% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 14.501 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.67% (2023 est.); 3.7% (2022 est.); 5.12% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 8.6% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 9.6% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.5% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 13.4% (2020 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $431.371 billion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $447.119 billion (2022 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 57.97% of GDP (2022 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.78% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.6% (2023 est.); 6.59% (2022 est.); 2.86% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $21.384 billion (2023 est.); $17.741 billion (2022 est.); $49.092 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $447.508 billion (2023 est.); $464.688 billion (2022 est.); $389.158 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $363.573 billion (2023 est.); $367.488 billion (2022 est.); $299.549 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $61.703 billion (2023 est.); $56.702 billion (2022 est.); $57.878 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 101.35 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 250.005 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 11.481 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 65.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 15.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 12% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Production: 465.865 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 107.624 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 364.589 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 657,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 150.227 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 386,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.123 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.446 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 153.783 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 50.188 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Exports: 106.072 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 2.925 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.228 trillion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 415.177 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 173.542 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 145.566 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 96.069 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 236.653 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 6.409 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 28.018 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2% of GDP (2023 est.); 2% of GDP (2022); 2% of GDP (2021); 2% of GDP (2020); 2% of GDP (2019)

Military and security forces: Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2024)
Note: the Australian Federal Police (AFP) is an independent agency of the Attorney-General’s Department; the AFP, state, and territorial police forces are responsible for internal security; the Australian Border Force is under the Department of Home Affairs

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age (with parental consent; 18 years of age to deploy) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 1972) (2024)
Note 1: as of July 2024, New Zealanders who are permanent residents and have lived in Australia for at least 12 months could apply to join the ADF; from January 2025, eligible permanent residents from Canada, the UK, and the US will also be able to apply
Note 2: women have served in all roles, including combat arms, since 2013; in 2024, they comprised slightly more than 20% of the military

Space program

Terrorist groups: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 25 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 583
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 75,667,645 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,027,640,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VH

Airports: 2,180 (2024)

Heliports: 368 (2024)

Pipelines: 637 km condensate/gas, 30,054 km gas, 240 km liquid petroleum gas, 3,609 km oil, 110 km oil/gas/water, 72 km refined products (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 873,573 km
Urban: 145,928 km
Non-urban: 727,645 km (2015)

Waterways: 2,000 km (2011) (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling River systems)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 12,180 (Iran), 8,741 (Afghanistan), 5,042 (Pakistan) (mid-year 2022)
Stateless persons: 7,649 (2022)

Illicit drugs: amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and cannabis dominate the domestic illicit drug market and shown potential for expansion, with ATS accounting for the preponderance of detected imports; domestic heroin market is small, but also shown some growth; as of 2020, Malaysia was the primary embarkation point for heroin and ATS imports other than MDMA (ecstasy) for which South Korea was the primary embarkation point although MDMA is increasingly being produced domestically with number of detected labs nearly doubled. The US is the principal embarkation point for imported cannabis; Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines