Australia Administrative Divisions

What is the hierarchy of administrative divisions in Australia?

Australia operates on a three-level system starting with six states and several territories at the top level, including both self-governing and external territories. These states and territories are subdivided into Local Government Areas (LGAs), which serve as the primary units of local administration and may be called cities, shires, municipalities, or councils depending on the region. Finally, LGAs are further divided into suburbs, towns, and localities, which are the smallest recognized administrative units used for addressing, planning, and community services.

Here’s a breakdown of the hierarchy:

1. States and Territories: Australia is divided into 6 states and several territories, including both self-governing and external ones.

2. Local Government Areas (LGAs): Each state and self-governing territory is subdivided into Local Government Areas, which are the primary units of local administration.

List of Australia's administrative divisions with their counts and names

These are the summarized administrative divisions. The full dataset is available in the Download Center.

isocountryadmin level 1admin level 2admin level 3admin level 4
AUAustraliaAshmore & Cartier Islands (External territory)This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaAustralian Antarctic Territory (External territory)This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaAustralian Capital Territory (Self-governing territory)19 Districts UnincorporatedThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaCoral Sea Islands (External territory)This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaJervis Bay Territory (Self-governing territory)This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaNew South Wales (State)128 LGAs, 1 LGA UnincorporatedThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaNorthern Territory (Self-governing territory)17 LGAs, 1 LGA UnincorporatedThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaQueensland (State)78 LGAsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaSouth Australia (State)4 LGAs Unincorporated, 70 LGAsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaTasmania (State)29 LGAsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaVictoria (State)79 LGAs, 8 LGAs UnincorporatedThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.
AUAustraliaWestern Australia (State)137 LGAsThis level doesn’t exist for this country.This level doesn’t exist for this country.

Why is building an Administrative Divisions Database complex?

The complexity arises from inconsistent global standards, frequent boundary changes, non-uniform naming conventions (e.g., “suburb” in Australia vs. “county” in the US), and variations in administrative levels across countries. Integrating and harmonizing data from multiple sources requires advanced normalization, versioning, and geospatial validation techniques.

How does GeoPostcodes solve the problem for you?

Our standardized database overcomes the complexity of different administrative division
systems worldwide. Our database follows a unified structure that you can integrate
seamlessly into your system or platform of choice without needing to become an expert in
each country’s unique administrative hierarchy.

Download the complete Dataset

Explore the comprehensive list of administrative divisions, standardized and scalable across 247 countries.

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