The SMCMA area supports a population of over three million people, which is just over half the State's population.  However, this population is located in an area covering 0.2 % of the State, and is expected to increase in population to over 4.1 million by 2017.

During July 2000 to June 2001 the fastest growing population within a Local Government Area in this period for New South Wales was the City of Sydney which experienced a population growth of 8.1 % (i.e. 2,009 persons).  Most of this population was housed within recent residential developments in the central and southern parts of the Central Business District, Ultimo and Pyrmont.  This increase compares with a State wide growth of 1.3 % per annum.  The Sydney area also experiences periodic surges in population size due to tourism and special events, such as the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

It is estimated that economic activity (GDP) generated in the City of Sydney in 2003-2004 was approximately $63 billion.  This represents over 8 % (nearly one-twelfth) of the total national Australian economy, over 30 % of the Sydney metropolitan area and almost one-quarter of the GDP of the entire state of NSW.  Put into perspective, this is larger than the economies of South Australia and Tasmania combined.  Importantly, the majority of this economic activity is in those industries which are dominant in the global economy, that is of Business and Financial Services and Telecommunications. 

The City of Sydney is highly and densely urbanised.  Its land is intensively used for a variety of purposes including residential and commercial use as well as tourist and cultural attractions and parks and open space.  Indeed, it is home to the highest commercial and residential densities in Australia. This intensity of land-use very much determines its built form.

The City of Sydney has a diverse ethnic mix with half of its residents born overseas.  Almost 30 % of the resident population speaks a language other than English.  Apart from English, the most common languages spoken at home are Chinese, Indonesian, Greek and Russian.  The City is home to one of Sydney?s largest communities of Aboriginal peoples.

In the year to December 2004, 2.4 million international visitors came to the Sydney Metropolitan area.  This represented more than half of all international visitors to Australia.