Lakemba
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Lakemba reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Lakemba's population is approximately 17,721 as of Aug 2025. This figure represents an increase of 629 people from the 2021 Census total of 17,092, reflecting a growth rate of 3.7%. The change was inferred using the ABS estimated resident population of 17,613 in June 2024 and an additional 60 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 8,091 persons per square kilometer, placing Lakemba within the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Lakemba's growth rate is competitive with its SA3 area, being 0.9 percentage points lower than the SA3 average of 4.6%. The primary driver of population growth was overseas migration, contributing approximately 78.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Nationwide trends indicate an above median population growth is projected for statistical areas, including Lakemba, which is expected to increase by 2,433 persons to reach a total of 20,154 by 2041, reflecting a 13.1% overall increase over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Lakemba is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Lakemba averaged approximately 29 new dwelling approvals per year from FY-21 to FY-25, totalling 146 homes. In FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded so far. The population has declined in recent years, suggesting demand is being met by new supply.

The average construction value of new homes is $242,000, below regional levels, indicating more affordable housing choices. This financial year, $13.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating balanced commercial development activity compared to Greater Sydney. Lakemba shows 59% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 11th percentile nationally, suggesting relatively constrained buyer choice. Recent construction comprises 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Lakemba's suburban character with a focus on family homes.

Developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (26.0% at Census), reflecting strong demand for family homes. Lakemba has around 1353 people per dwelling approval, indicating a highly mature market. Looking ahead, Lakemba is projected to grow by 2,325 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Lakemba has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified twenty projects expected to influence the region. Notable projects include Lakemba Station Sydney Metro Upgrade, Lakemba Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Masterplan, 677 & 687 Canterbury Road Belmore - Mixed Use Development, and 684-700 Canterbury Road Belmore. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The labour market performance in Lakemba lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Lakemba has a highly educated workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 7.9% in the past year.

Employment grew by an estimated 0.8%. As of June 2025, 7,122 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.7% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation lags at 42.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Major employment sectors include retail trade, health care & social assistance, and transport, postal & warehousing.

Lakemba specializes in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share 2.2 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services show lower representation at 7.3% versus the regional average of 11.5%. Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by the Census working population count compared to resident population. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, while labour force grew by 2.2%, raising unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs, while the state unemployment rate was 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% and lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Lakemba's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Lakemba had a median taxpayer income of $34,243 and an average income of $43,895 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than national averages, with Greater Sydney's median income being $56,994 and average income $80,856. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $37,873 (median) and $48,548 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022. In Lakemba, household, family, and personal incomes were between the 5th and 15th percentiles nationally in 2021 Census figures. The largest income segment in Lakemba comprised 32.5% earning $800 - $1,499 weekly (5,759 residents), unlike regional trends where 30.9% fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Lakemba, with only 76.7% of income remaining after expenses, ranking at the 10th percentile nationally.

Lakemba features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Lakemba, as per the latest Census, comprised 25.6% houses and 74.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 48.7% houses and 51.3% other dwellings. Lakemba's home ownership rate was 20.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.2% and rented at 59.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lakemba was $1,712, lower than Sydney metro's $2,167. Median weekly rent in Lakemba was $350, compared to Sydney metro's $390. Nationally, Lakemba's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Lakemba features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 71.5% of all households, including 44.5% couples with children, 14.6% couples without children, and 10.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 28.5%, with lone person households at 19.5% and group households comprising 8.9%. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.9.

Educational attainment in Lakemba aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 39.5% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the Australian average of 30.4%. This also surpasses the SA3 area's rate of 31.0%, indicating a community emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 24.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%).

Vocational pathways account for 20.3% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 10.7%. Educational participation is high, with 39.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 13.9% in primary, 7.9% in tertiary, and 7.7% pursuing secondary education. Lakemba operates a robust network of 7 schools educating approximately 3,221 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1001) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 2 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 18.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 9.6, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 65 active transport stops operating within Lakemba as of June 2021. These stops serve a mix of bus routes totaling 26 individual lines. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 4,946.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 110 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages 706 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 76 weekly trips per individual stop.

Lakemba's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Lakemba's health outcomes show excellent results, particularly for younger cohorts with low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover rate is approximately 48%, covering around 8,470 people, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Diabetes and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 5.5% and 4.6% respectively. 81.3% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than Greater Sydney's 77.7%. Lakemba has 10.9% (1,940 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Sydney's 15.8%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention compared to the broader population.

Lakemba is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Lakemba's population is predominantly diverse, with 65.2% born overseas and 81.5% speaking a language other than English at home. The majority religion in Lakemba is Islam, accounting for 68.3%, compared to 24.7% across Greater Sydney. Among the top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are Other (49.8%), Indian (10.5%), and Australian (8.2%).

Notably, Lebanese representation in Lakemba is higher at 6.3% than the regional average of 10.6%. Similarly, Vietnamese make up 3.5%, slightly above the regional average of 3.7%, while Greek representation stands at 2.8%, lower than the regional average of 8.7%.

Lakemba hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Lakemba's median age is 32 years, which is younger than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Lakemba has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 at 15.6%, compared to Greater Sydney, but fewer residents aged 55-64 at 7.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows the proportion of residents aged 65-74 increased from 5.4% to 6.1%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 decreased from 20.0% to 19.0%. By 2041, Lakemba's age profile is projected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 75-84 is expected to increase by 87%, adding 516 residents to reach a total of 1,114. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 51% of the population growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for those aged 35-44 and 25-34.