Hobart has claimed the title of Australia’s oldest capital city, overtaking Adelaide for the first time since 2020, according to new demographic data.
The latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show Hobart now has a median age of 39.3 years, slightly above Adelaide’s 39.2 years.
At the other end of the spectrum, Darwin remains Australia’s youngest capital with a median age of 34.8 years.
The data revealed significant age disparities across different regions of Australia, with coastal retirement destinations housing the oldest populations.
“The areas within Australia with the oldest populations tended to be coastal retirement destinations. Tea Gardens – Hawks Nest on the NSW coast had the nation’s oldest median age at 66.5 years,” the ABS’ head of demography statistics Trica Chester said.
The figure stands in stark contrast to Acton in the ACT, home to the Australian National University, which recorded the country’s youngest median age at just 21.1 years.
Hobart and Adelaide not only shared the distinction of having the oldest populations but also had the highest proportion of women to men among capital cities.
“Our youngest capital Darwin was the only capital with more men than women,” Chester said.
Overall, Australia’s capital cities maintain a median age of 36.9 years.
