Population during each prime minister's tenure
Every prime minister since 1991, ranked by how population changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | Prime minister | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIB John Howard | 11 Mar 1996 – 3 Dec 2007 | +15.5% Q4 1995 → Q3 2007 | +1.2%/yr | |
| 2 | ALP Anthony Albanese | 23 May 2022 – now | +7.7% Q1 2022 → Q1 2026 | +1.9%/yr | |
| 3 | ALP Kevin Rudd | 3 Dec 2007 – 24 Jun 2010 | +5.0% Q3 2007 → Q1 2010 | +2.0%/yr | |
| 4 | ALP Julia Gillard | 24 Jun 2010 – 27 Jun 2013 | +4.9% Q1 2010 → Q1 2013 | +1.6%/yr | |
| 5 | LIB Malcolm Turnbull | 15 Sep 2015 – 24 Aug 2018 | +4.8% Q2 2015 → Q2 2018 | +1.6%/yr | |
| 6 | ALP Paul Keating | 20 Dec 1991 – 11 Mar 1996 | +4.5% Q3 1991 → Q4 1995 | +1.0%/yr | |
| 7 | LIB Scott Morrison | 24 Aug 2018 – 23 May 2022 | +3.8% Q2 2018 → Q1 2022 | +1.0%/yr | |
| 8 | LIB Tony Abbott | 18 Sep 2013 – 15 Sep 2015 | +3.0% Q2 2013 → Q2 2015 | +1.5%/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last quarter complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that period had no data, or because the period cut it); Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in %; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. thousands, quarterly estimate · ABS, National, state and territory population (ERP_Q), estimated resident population · Australia data · as of Sep 2026.