Canberra is home to almost half a million people. Image: Pew Pew Studio, Brand Canberra
21 October 2026
In brief:
- This article includes figures about Canberra’s people and places.
What makes the ACT? 489,668 people. 7,012 streets. 433 roundabouts, for a start.
We’ve crunched some of the numbers that make the Territory – all 2,358 square kilometres of it – and these are some of our favourite figures*.
Our people
There are almost half a million of us! Here’s a breakdown of Canberra’s population:
Total population: 489,668
Female: 249,788
Male: 239,880
As the Territory’s population grows by about 7,000 to 8,000 people per year, we can expect to hit that 500,000 milestone very soon.
The median age of a Canberran is 36 years old, while the life expectancy at birth is 86 years (female) and 82 years (male).
More than 100,000 Canberrans are public servants. This includes the Australian Public Service and ACT Public Service, across frontline and administrative roles.
But there is also a thriving private sector with about 37,000 businesses in the ACT.
Wanting a deep dive into the ACT population stats? Explore the latest ACT population projections.
Our places
If you include non-residential suburbs, villages and suburbs under construction, there are more than 130 suburbs in the territory. Collectively, they contain 7,012 streets.
Within these suburbs you’ll find:
- more than 500 playgrounds
- 884 public sporting fields
- 3,800 kilometres of footpaths and biked paths.
And there’s a reason the ACT is known as the bush capital. It has more than 160 lakes, ponds or wetlands in urban areas. There are also 90 nature parks, reserves or urban parks across Canberra.
Our roads
Roundabouts. They are one of the things Canberra is known for – and for good reason. The nation’s capital is home to 433 of them.
They keep our traffic moving smoothly, alongside 402 sets of traffic lights.
There are 386,000 registered vehicles and almost 20,000 of these are EVs.
For public transport users, there are 2,519 active bus stops (more than 460 of these are the iconic concrete shelters) and 14 active light rail stops, with 3 more to open in 2028.
Our students
There are 140 schools in the ACT, including:
- 93 public schools (about 50,000 students)
- 47 non-government schools (about 33,500 students).
Each year, about 60,000 tertiary students choose to study in the ACT, including 20,000 international students.
Our pets
Canberra is a city of pet lovers. There are more than 20,000 dogs registered in the nation’s capital, alongside almost 8,000 cats.
We adopt more than 2,000 animals each year through the RSPCA and Domestic Animal Services.
Read our guide to adopting a dog in Canberra or find out Canberra’s top pet names.
Our institutions
There’s plenty to explore at our national attractions, many are home to mind-boggling numbers of their own:
- trees in the National Arboretum Canberra: 44,000
- artworks in the Australian National Gallery: 155,000
- portraits in the National Portrait Gallery: 3,000
- objects in the Australian War Memorial: 7,000
- artefacts in the National Museum: 250,000
- items in the National Archives of Australia: 54 million
- rooms in Australian Parliament House: 4,500.
Read about Canberra’s best attractions, as voted by locals.
*These figures are approximate and accurate as of statistics available in September 2026.
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