Number of local governments in Australia

Australia: Number of local governments was 451 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
451
Change on year
up 21.2%
World rank
13th
of 75 countries
All-time high
537
in 2018
All-time low
296
in 2021
Years of data
7
2018–2024

Number of local governments in Australia, 2018–2024

02004006002018202120242018: 5372019: 3942020: 3422021: 2962022: 3732023: 3722024: 451

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Australia recorded 451 for number of local governments in 2024.

The figure is up 21.2% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.

That places Australia 13th out of 75 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

Number of local governments in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Number of local governments (number) in Australia, 2018 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2018 537
2019 394 -26.6%
2020 342 -13.2%
2021 296 -13.5%
2022 373 +26.0%
2023 372 -0.3%
2024 451 +21.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 465.5 394 537 2
2020s 366.8 296 451 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 10 India 742 compare
  2. 11 Indonesia 514 compare
  3. 12 Bangladesh 503
  4. 14 Burkina Faso 410
  5. 15 Norway 402
  6. 16 Samoa 362 compare

See the full ranking of 79 places →

More public sector data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of local governments in Australia?
Number of local governments in Australia was 451 in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest number of local governments recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 537 in 2018.
What is the lowest number of local governments recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 296 in 2021.
How does Australia rank for number of local governments?
Australia ranks 13th out of 75 countries with data for 2024.
Is number of local governments rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Number of local governments (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of local governments in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-local-governments-number/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of local governments (number)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
79 places, 779 data points, 2005–2025
Last refreshed