Kangaroos are an iconic symbol of Australia. With their bounding leaps and fuzzy pouches holding joey offspring, they encapsulate the spirit of the Land Down Under. But how many kangaroos actually call Australia home?
And how does their population compare to the number of humans inhabiting the island continent?
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: there are roughly twice as many kangaroos as humans in Australia, with an estimated kangaroo population around 50 million compared to a human population of 25 million.
Current Kangaroo Population in Australia
Estimating Kangaroo Numbers
Getting an accurate count of Australia’s kangaroo population is challenging due to the vastness of their habitat. However, scientists make estimates using aerial surveys and ground counts. Currently, Australia is estimated to have a kangaroo population between 45-50 million.
There are four main species that make up most of the kangaroo population in Australia: the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, and common wallaroo. Red kangaroos are considered the most abundant species with an estimated 27 million individuals.
Eastern grey kangaroos follow with an estimated 11 million individuals.
When estimating kangaroo populations, scientists focus surveys on areas known to support higher densities. These areas tend to have more favorable habitat conditions. The large survey areas are then used to extrapolate total estimated populations across their full geographic ranges.
However, estimating the populations of species spanning massive areas of Australia has inherent challenges.
Factors Influencing Kangaroo Populations
Many complex factors play a role in kangaroo population sizes and growth rates. These include:
- Habitat loss and fragmentation due to agriculture, urbanization, droughts, and bushfires
- Predation from introduced species like foxes and feral cats
- Harvest quotas that allow the annual killing of millions of kangaroos for commercial purposes
- Vehicle collisions claiming hundreds of thousands of kangaroos each year
- Food and water availability in any given habitat
- Disease epidemics like the rhinovirus that wiped out entire groups of kangaroos
| 1995 | ~25 million |
| 2015 | 45 million |
| Current Estimate | 45-50 million |
As the table shows, scientists observed a significant upward trend in total kangaroo numbers from around 25 million in 1995 to 45 million in 2015. This was likely driven by consecutive years of favorable seasonal conditions leading to plenty of available food sources and water.
However, that number has stabilized over the last decade to roughly 45-50 million kangaroos across Australia today.
To learn more, see the Save the Kangaroo and Australian Government Department of Environment websites which offer in-depth resources on kangaroo population surveys and research.
Current Human Population in Australia
Counting the Number of Humans
Australia is home to over 25 million people as of 2024. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts a national census every 5 years to count the total population. The latest census in 2021 revealed Australia’s resident population was 25,722,724.
This was an increase of over 1 million people from the 2016 census count of 24,127,159 residents.
The ABS uses census surveys, birth and death registrations, and net overseas migration data to estimate the population in between census periods. Population growth has been strong over the past decade, averaging 1.5% annually.
Most growth comes from net overseas migration as Australia continues to be an attractive destination for immigrants and refugees.
Population Growth Trends
Australia’s population has exploded over the past century. In 1901 at Federation, the population was under 4 million. Rapid growth occurred after World War 2 as the baby boom began and migration programs brought waves of Europeans.
The population reached 10 million in 1959, doubled to 20 million by 2003, and now stands at over 25 million.
Historically, natural increase (births minus deaths) produced most of Australia’s population growth. Net overseas migration has been the main driver since around 2005. The ABS projects Australia’s population could reach anywhere between 28.5 million to 33 million by 2046, depending largely on future migration levels.
The four most populous states are New South Wales (8.2 million), Victoria (6.7 million), Queensland (5.2 million), and Western Australia (2.7 million). Combined they are home to over 70% of all Australians.
Population is concentrated in urban coastal areas, especially the state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Australia has an aging population, with over 15% now aged 65 and over. Life expectancy is among the highest in the world at 84 for women and 80 for men in 2019. Good healthcare, nutrition, and living standards help explain the high life expectancy.
Comparing Kangaroo and Human Populations
Twice as Many Kangaroos
Kangaroos significantly outnumber humans in Australia. Recent estimates suggest there are around 50 million kangaroos across the Australian continent, compared to only 25 million people. That’s right – there are twice as many bouncy marsupials as there are Aussie residents! 😲
The high kangaroo population is partly due to the fact that they have few natural predators in Australia. Meanwhile, humans live mainly in urban centers, occupying just a fraction of the total land area. Outside of cities, kangaroos have flourished in the bush.
Changes Over Time
The ratio between kangaroo and human numbers has changed dramatically over the past 200 years. Back in the early 19th century when European settlement began, there were an estimated 10 million kangaroos and just 50,000 people on the continent.
So at that time, kangaroos outnumbered humans by a ratio of 200 to 1! 🌍🦘
But as the human population grew exponentially through immigration and natural increase, the ratio steadily declined. By the start of the 20th century there were around 4 million people and 30 million kangaroos – a ratio of 7.5 to 1. 👪🦘
During most of the 20th century, human numbers accelerated further while kangaroo populations were kept in check through hunting and land clearing. By the year 2000, Australia’s human population had reached 19 million, while kangaroo numbers were down to around 27 million.
The ratio by then was less than 1.5 kangaroos per human. 📉
But with tighter controls on kangaroo hunting and some recovery of bushland habitat, kangaroo populations rebounded through the early 2000s. So the current ratio of 2 kangaroos per human reflects a revival of kangaroo numbers over the past 20 years. 📈
If current population trends continue, Australia may again reach a point where there are many more marsupials hopping the bush than humans living in cities. Kangaroos are amazingly adaptable and know how to make the most of available habitat. 🦘💪
Reasons for Greater Kangaroo Numbers
Kangaroo Reproduction
Kangaroos have a remarkable reproductive capacity compared to humans. Female kangaroos can have up to 3 offspring (called joeys) at different stages of development simultaneously – one tiny embryo in suspended animation, one infant joey in the pouch, and one young-at-foot joey outside the pouch.
This allows kangaroos to rapidly increase population numbers when conditions are favorable. In contrast, human females typically have one offspring at a time, with a 9 month gestation period. Kangaroos also reach sexual maturity earlier, some females mating at just over 1 year old, while humans don’t reach sexual maturity until their teens.
Lack of Predators
Kangaroos have very few natural predators in Australia. Dingos take some kangaroos, but not nearly enough to control populations. Hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey may grab a joey occasionally, but adults face no major predation pressures.
Humans brought domestic dogs and cats with them to Australia, but these are not a significant threat. In contrast, early humans faced many predators like big cats, bears, wolves, crocodiles, and more. Kangaroos can leisurely munch grasses all day without worrying about becoming something else’s lunch.
Human Development Impacts
As humans have spread across Australia, we’ve inadvertently created ideal kangaroo habitat in many areas. Kangaroos thrive in grasslands interspersed with trees and shrubs, which describes much farmland and parks. Urbanization creates green spaces in cities that attract kangaroos.
Farming practices like draining swamps open up new prime habitat. At the same time, development shrinks natural habitat for predators like dingos. Humans try to control kangaroo populations with culls, but not nearly enough to offset the benefits our developments provide.
Overall, human activity has been a boon for kangaroo populations in Australia.
The Future of Kangaroo Populations
Climate Change Impacts
Climate change poses a serious threat to kangaroo populations in Australia. Rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves have already led to mass mortality events, especially among vulnerable joeys.
Recent research predicts up to a 66% decline in some kangaroo species by 2070 if climate change continues unchecked (see Impacts of climate change on kangaroos).
Prolonged droughts are also shrinking habitat ranges and reducing available food sources. This nutritional stress weakens kangaroos’ immune systems, making them more prone to disease outbreaks. For example, a chlamydia epidemic in the 1990s killed tens of thousands of kangaroos after two years of exceptionally dry conditions.
Managing Overgrazing
With sheep and cattle numbers declining across Australia, kangaroos have flourished in some areas, raising concerns over habitat destruction from overgrazing. Strategic culling programs have controversially aimed to control kangaroo numbers, but more humane approaches focus on better land management to prevent degradation from overstocking.
Rotational grazing patterns, revegetation projects, maintenance of wildlife corridors, and provision of artificial water sources in dry inland areas could support sustainable co-existence of livestock and balanced kangaroo populations.
But these initiatives require long-term commitment and cooperation between government agencies, farmers, conservation groups and scientists.
Population Control Measures
Kangaroos have been culled in large numbers, partly to protect fragile habitats but also to curb impacts on agriculture. However, indiscriminate open slather killing has questionable effects on preventing land degradation. More ethical options include:
- Fertility control via immunocontraceptive vaccines to limit pouch young
- Translocation programs to redistribute kangaroos away from vulnerable regions
- Improving exclusion fencing around farmland to avoid kangaroo access
Ultimately, Australia faces difficult decisions Balancing flourishing kangaroo populations with environmental protection and economic needs. Climate change threats add further urgency for proactive management policies grounded in scientific evidence.
Conclusion
Kangaroos continue to outnumber humans by a factor of two-to-one in Australia today. But ongoing droughts, habitat loss, and other challenges may impact kangaroo populations in the future. Wildlife management policies and conservation efforts will be needed to ensure the continued survival of these iconic marsupials in balance with human settlement.
