Australia’s Indigenous population estimated at 2.2m before ‘demographic catastrophe’ of colonisation
New research suggests the Indigenous population of Australia was significantly higher than previously estimated before European colonisation. The study highlights the devastating impact of diseases and violence, aiming to contribute to truth-telling and reconciliation efforts.
Why it matters
Revising historical population data changes the understanding of the scale of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous Australians.
A large crowd gathers and waves the Australian Aboriginal flag during an Invasion Day protest in Hyde Park in Sydney on 26 January 2026. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP A large crowd gathers and waves the Australian Aboriginal flag during an Invasion Day protest in Hyde Park in Sydney on 26 January 2026. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP Indigenous Australians Australia’s Indigenous population estimated at 2.2m before ‘demographic catastrophe’ of colonisation Study finds earlier numbers were underestimated, suggesting impact of diseases and massacres were much greater than previously thought
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Prefer the Guardian on Google The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia before colonisation was dramatically underestimated, according to new research that suggests many more of them were killed.
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