Sydney is no longer Australia’s largest city after more than a century

After more than a century of being Australia's biggest city, Sydney has now lost its crown.

Often mistaken as Australia's capital, Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and is one of the most popular tourist attractions down under.

It is certainly much-loved for its stunning views on its harbour front, and of course, the Sydney Opera House, which has close to 11 million visitors every year.

But unfortunately for the people of the city that enjoy having such title, looks like they are not the holder of it anymore.

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That is because Melbourne has now overtaken Sydney as the most populous city in Australia, largely thanks to a boundary change.

The coastal capital of the state of Victoria now has 18,700 more citizens than Sydney, with a total of 4,875,400 residing there, according to latest government figures.

And Melbourne recently passed Sydney to become the most populous city after the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) added a new district to the region.

This is one of the methods ABS use to calculate urban populations, with a city's 'significant urban area' being defined by the population of suburbs that have more than 10,000 people.

This has helped expand the city to cope with rising population, and moved it ahead of Sydney in the populous rankings.

Stats also show how much Melton's population has grew in recent years, with a reported 61 percent increase between 2011 and 2021.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, ABS regional population unit demographer Andrew Howe said: "The 2021 census told us that Melton and the rest of Greater Melbourne was now, statistically, one contiguous area.

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"Until the 2021 census definition, the Sydney significant area had a higher population than Melbourne.

"However, with the amalgamation of Melton into Melbourne in the latest significant urban area classification, Melbourne has more people than Sydney – and has had since 2018."

So what is Melbourne's rapid growth down to?

Australian National University demographer Liz Allen told the BBC that it is largely down to international migration.

Dr Allen said that Melbourne has a reputation for celebrating diversity while Sydney suffers from an 'historical hangover'.

She also adds that the city offers the same employment and education opportunities to Sydney, but house prices are significantly lower, making it a rather popular destination for migrants to head to.

And it seems as though the increase in population won't be stopping anytime soon, as the federal government predicting that Melbourne will reach the 6 million mark by mid-2031, whereas Sydney is expected to reach a similar milestone in 2032 to 2033.