📜 A long story
Australia, 1800 → today
Australia grew from 200,000 in 1800 to 26.5 million; a newborn can expect 34.9 more years of life than in 1885, and output per person is 63× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 200,000 people lived in Australia.
1900
3.69 million people.
18× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1838.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1857.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1876.
1950
8.18 million people.
2.2× the 1900 level
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1906.
2023
26.5 million people, the latest year in this series.
3.2× the 1950 level
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 1959.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1885
In 1885, a newborn in Australia could expect to live 49 years, on average.
1950
69 years.
+20 years since 1885
Passed 50 years in 1895 (no data between 1885 and 1895, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 60 years in 1921 (no data between 1905 and 1921, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
83.9 years, the latest year in this series.
+15 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1955.
Passed 80 years in 2001.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, Australia produced about Int$826 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$6,400.
7.7× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1835.
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1852.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 28% between 1889 and 1897 (Int$7,570 → Int$5,450).
1950
Int$11,800.
1.8× the 1900 level
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1910.
2022
Int$52,000, the latest year in this series.
4.4× the 1950 level
Reached 20 times the 1820 level in 1967.
Reached 50 times the 1820 level in 2005.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1805
In 1805, fossil fuels and industry in Australia emitted about 0.001 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
2.8 t.
2,644× the 1805 level
Reached twice the 1805 level in 1806.
Reached 5 times the 1805 level in 1811.
Reached 10 times the 1805 level in 1814.
Reached 20 times the 1805 level in 1832.
Reached 50 times the 1805 level in 1835.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 78% between 1826 and 1831 (0.019 t → 0.0042 t).
1950
6.8 t.
2.5× the 1900 level
2024
14.5 t, the latest year in this series.
2.1× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Australia had spent 1.7 years in school, on average.
1900
3.1 years.
+1.4 years since 1870
Passed 2 years in 1880.
1950
8.2 years.
+5.1 years since 1900
Passed 4 years in 1915.
Passed 6 years in 1930.
Passed 8 years in 1950.
2015
12.9 years, the latest year in this series.
+4.7 years since 1950
Passed 10 years in 1970.
Passed 12 years in 2015.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).