Population Comparison: Wollongong vs. Canberra (2021)

Yes, Wollongong is smaller.

• Wollongong (NSW): 302,739 (2021 Census, Significant Urban Area)
• Canberra (ACT): 433,240 (2021 Census, Significant Urban Area)

Canberra, as the planned national capital, has a larger, more concentrated public-sector workforce. Wollongong is a coastal industrial city 80 km south of Sydney; its metro growth is constrained by the Illawarra Escarpment. Both are growing, but Canberra's lead has widened since 2000.