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Lawyers in Australia: official counts by state or territory
Australia had 97,500 solicitors holding practising certificates as of October 2024, per the national profile that consultancy Urbis prepares for the Law Society of New South Wales every two years. The figure excludes barristers, the courtroom advocates hired separately in the Australian system. The table opens up the eight states and territories, with the residents per solicitor ratio computed by the report itself.
Lawyers by state or territory (October 2024)
| # | State or territory | Lawyers | % of total | People per lawyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New South Wales | 41,304 | 42.4% | 206 |
| 2 | Victoria | 24,301 | 24.9% | 289 |
| 3 | Queensland | 15,158 | 15.5% | 370 |
| 4 | Western Australia | 7,698 | 7.9% | 387 |
| 5 | South Australia | 4,270 | 4.4% | 441 |
| 6 | Australian Capital Territory | 3,198 | 3.3% | 149 |
| 7 | Tasmania | 909 | 0.9% | 634 |
| 8 | Northern Territory | 662 | 0.7% | 386 |
Half the profession in two states, and the Canberra case
New South Wales concentrates 41,304 solicitors (42.4% of the country), with Victoria (24,301) and Queensland (15,158) next in line. The capital territory, seat of the federal government, is by far the densest: one solicitor for every 149 residents, against one per 634 in Tasmania, the opposite extreme. The profession grew 47% between 2014 and 2024, nearly three times the pace of the population.
In the international comparison, the Australian density of 366.0 solicitors per 100k residents sits above Canada's and Germany's, even without counting barristers. If the Australian bar keeps the pace of the past decade, the country crosses the 100 thousand solicitor mark within this one.
Source and method
Data: Urbis, 2024 National Profile of Solicitors, prepared for the Law Society of New South Wales (data as of October 31, 2024). Coverage: practising solicitors (excludes barristers). Terms of use: Report published by the Law Society of NSW; this page transcribes numeric facts (counts) only, with attribution. Population ratios use the 2023 estimates cited in the comparative collection page.
An active registration does not mean the professional currently practices: part of the roll does not work as a lawyer day to day. This page publishes aggregate counts per state or territory only, never individual professional records.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources