Quick answerSydney is the largest city of Australia, with 5,219,674 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 5.6 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Bondi Beach. Its official language is English, and its currency is the Australian dollar.
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, with 5,638,830 people in the Greater Sydney area in June 2025. It is the capital of New South Wales, built around one of the world's great natural harbours, and is home to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
Key facts
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 5,219,674 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 5,638,830 (2025) · ABS Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), June 2025 |
| Time zone | Australia/Sydney |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Australian dollar (AUD, $) |
| Coordinates | 33.8678° S, 151.21° E |
Overview
Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and the largest city in Australia. Its urban area had 5,219,674 people in June 2025, and the wider Greater Sydney area had 5,638,830 — about two-thirds of the state's population. The city surrounds Sydney Harbour and stretches about 80 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean to the Blue Mountains, across 658 suburbs and 33 local government areas.
Aboriginal Australians have lived in the Sydney region for at least 30,000 years, and the traditional custodians of the land are the clans of the Darug, Dharawal and Eora peoples. In 1788 the First Fleet founded a British penal settlement at Sydney Cove, the first European settlement in Australia. The settlement was named for Lord Sydney, the British home secretary, and the colony of New South Wales grew from it. The city grew from a convict town into a port and then into a modern metropolis, and it hosted the Olympic Games in 2000.
Today Sydney is Australia's largest city and its financial centre, known around the world for the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Its beaches — Bondi, Manly, Coogee — and its harbour are part of daily life, and the city's nicknames, the Emerald City and the Harbour City, capture its setting on the water.
What Sydney is known for
- Sydney Opera House
- Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Bondi Beach
- Sydney Harbour
Landmarks
- Sydney Opera House
- Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Bondi Beach
- The Rocks
- Royal Botanic Garden
- Taronga Zoo
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sydney?
Sydney's urban area had 5,219,674 people in June 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The wider Greater Sydney area had 5,638,830 people, about two-thirds of New South Wales. By urban area, Sydney is Australia's second-largest city after Melbourne; by the wider measure, it is the largest.
What is Sydney famous for?
Sydney is famous for its harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and for beaches such as Bondi and Manly. It is known as the Emerald City and the Harbour City, and as Australia's financial centre. The city is also famous for its New Year's Eve fireworks over the harbour, watched around the world.
Where is Sydney located?
Sydney is on the east coast of Australia, in New South Wales, on the Pacific Ocean. It surrounds Sydney Harbour and stretches about 80 kilometres from the ocean to the Blue Mountains. Its coordinates are 33.87° S, 151.21° E, and its time zone is Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Australia — the country Sydney is in
- Melbourne — another city in Australia
- Brisbane — another city in Australia
- Canberra — another city in Australia
- All cities in Australia
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, via Wikipedia — Sydney
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, via Wikipedia — List of cities in Australia by population
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.