In terms of population density, Western Australia (WA) is indeed one of the most sparsely populated places on the planet.
While the term “least populous” usually refers to the total number of people (where WA has about 3 million inhabitants), it is the population density that makes the region remarkable.
Density and Distribution
Western Australia covers roughly 2.5 million square kilometers (roughly the size of Western Europe or the combined area of Alaska and Texas). Because of this massive landmass, its population density is approximately 1.2 people per square kilometer.
To put that into perspective:
- Global Average: ~60 people per km².
- Greenland: ~0.14 people per km² (the least dense territory).
- Mongolia: ~2.1 people per km² (often cited as the least dense sovereign nation).
- Western Australia: ~1.2 people per km².
The “Empty” State
The density figure is actually a bit misleading because the population is not evenly spread. Western Australia is a classic example of extreme urbanization:
- The Perth Hub: About 80% of the state’s population lives in the Greater Perth metropolitan area.
- The Rest: Once you leave the southwest corner, the density drops to near zero. Large swaths of the Pilbara, the Kimberley, and the interior deserts have vast areas with no permanent residents at all, save for isolated mining towns or Aboriginal communities.
Why is it so empty?
The primary reasons for this sparse settlement are environmental:
- Arid Climate: Much of the state is comprised of the Great Sandy, Gibson, and Great Victoria Deserts.
- Water Scarcity: Reliable freshwater sources are extremely limited outside the southwest.
- Soil Quality: Large portions of the interior have ancient, nutrient-poor soils that are unsuitable for large-scale agriculture.
If I choose the right place in WA – would I have less people in 1000Km of than if I went to Pitcairn Island?
Actually, no. Even in the most desolate stretches of Western Australia (WA), you would still have significantly more people within 1000km than you would on Pitcairn Island.
The scale of the Pacific Ocean is so vast that it dwarfs even the emptiness of the Australian Outback. Here is how the “radius of isolation” breaks down for both:
Pitcairn Island (The Winner of Solitude)
Pitcairn is the epitome of isolation. Within a 1000km radius, there are almost zero other humans.
- Local Population: ~47 people.
- The 1000km Radius: It is almost entirely open water. The nearest inhabited land is Mangareva in the Gambier Islands (French Polynesia), which is about 540km away and has a population of roughly 1,500.
- Total within 1000km: Roughly 1,550 people.
Remote Western Australia (The Runner Up)
If you stood at the most remote point in WA—likely somewhere in the Gibson Desert near the Kiwirrkurra Community—your 1000km circle would cover a massive area, but it would inevitably “snag” several significant population centers.
- Local Population: Kiwirrkurra itself has about 180 people.
- The 1000km Radius: From the center of the Gibson Desert, a 1000km radius reaches:
- Alice Springs, NT: ~25,000 people.
- Port Hedland/Karratha, WA: ~35,000+ people.
- Kalgoorlie, WA: ~30,000 people.
- Broome, WA: ~15,000 people.
- Total within 1000km: Easily 100,000+ people.
