Population

There were an estimated 80,820 persons residing in the Greater Bundaberg Region in 2004, a 1.6% increase from 2003. The Region's population has been growing at an average annual rate of 1.6% over the past decade and is forecast to continue growing at an average annual rate of around 1.7% to 119,932 persons in 2026.

The major population centre in the region is Bundaberg City, which has 45,801 residents. With well-established infrastructure and residential estates, the City has experienced relatively moderate growth over the past decade of 0.7%.

By contrast, the surrounding Shires have experienced strong growth. Burnett Shire (3.2%), Kolan Shire (1.7%) and Isis Shire (1.5%) each recorded growth rates over the past decade compared to the Queensland average (2.0%).

Estimated Population Growth

Burnett Shire (2.7%) and Kolan Shire (2.5%) have the highest forecast average annual growth rates over the next twenty years, while Bundaberg City (1.1%) and Isis Shire (1.4%) are anticipating solid growth. By comparison, Queensland is expected to experience average growth of 1.5% over the next twenty years.