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Population Review

Oceania Population & Countries

Updated April 2026 · World Bank country indicators · 17 countries

Oceania includes 14 sovereign countries plus numerous territories across the Pacific. Australia and New Zealand account for the bulk of its 45 million people; the rest are spread across the small Pacific island nations of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Oceania has the fewest residents of any inhabited continent.

45,676,275

Total population

17

Countries

14

People / sq mi

72.0

Avg life expectancy

Quick facts

All countries in Oceania by population

#CountryPopulationGrowthLife exp.GDP / capita
1🇦🇺Australia26,659,922+2.43%83.1$65,058
2🇵🇬Papua New Guinea10,389,635+1.81%66.1$2,966
3🇳🇿New Zealand5,200,000+2.30%81.8$49,076
4🇫🇯Fiji924,145+0.51%67.3$5,926
5🇸🇧Solomon Islands800,005+2.40%70.5$1,883
6🇻🇺Vanuatu320,409+2.32%71.5$3,483
7🇳🇨New Caledonia289,870+0.95%78.8$33,702
8🇵🇫French Polynesia281,118+0.26%84.1$21,832
9🇼🇸Samoa216,663+0.65%71.7$4,823
10🇬🇺Guam166,506+0.80%77.2-
11🇰🇮Kiribati132,530+1.57%66.5$2,178
12🇫🇲Micronesia, Fed. Sts.112,630+0.46%67.2$3,920
13🇹🇴Tonga104,597-0.42%72.9$5,652
14🇲🇭Marshall Islands38,827-3.17%66.9$6,793
15🇵🇼Palau17,727-0.18%69.3$15,611
16🇳🇷Nauru11,875+0.63%62.1$12,752
17🇹🇻Tuvalu9,816-1.78%67.1$6,345

Other continents

Frequently Asked Questions

Oceania has a total population of approximately 45,676,275 people across 17 sovereign countries, with Australia as the most populous nation at 26,659,922. Source: World Bank country population data.

Oceania has 17 sovereign countries listed in our dataset (sourced from World Bank country indicators). Boundary definitions follow the standard 6-continent model — see methodology for how Eurasia and the Caribbean are split.

Australia is the most populous country in Oceania, with a population of 26,659,922. Its GDP per capita is $65,058.

Australia has the fastest annual population growth rate in Oceania at 2.43% per year.

French Polynesia has the highest life expectancy in Oceania at 84.1 years.

Continent boundaries follow the 6-continent model. Country totals are sourced from World Bank Open Data.