Canada's largest metropolitan area is Toronto, in Ontario. In 2022. Over 6.6 million people were living in the Toronto metropolitan area. Montréal, in Quebec, followed with about 4.4 million inhabitants, while Vancouver, in Britsh Columbia, counted 2.8 million people as of 2022.

Estimated number of persons by quarter of a year and by year, Canada, provinces and territories.

In 2022, Canada had a population density of about 4.43 people per square kilometer. The country has one of the lowest population densities in the world, as the total population is very small in relation to the dimensions of the land. Canada has a relatively stable population size, consistently with a growth of around one percent compared to the previous year. A small population in a large territory In terms of total area, Canada is the second largest country in the world. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Pacific to the Atlantic and northward to the Arctic Ocean, and this in total covers about 9.9 million square miles. The most densely populated area of Canada is what’s known as the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Canada has a degree of urbanization of around 81 percent, because most Canadians prefer to live in cities where opportunities for work and leisure are in close proximity to each other and conditions are less rough.

This table presents the 2021 and 2016 population and dwelling counts, land area and population density for Canada, the provinces and the territories. It also shows the percentage change in the population and dwelling counts between 2016 and 2021.

In 2048, the population in Manitoba is projected to reach about 1.84 million people. This is compared to a population of 1.46 million people in 2024.

The statistic shows the total population in Canada from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population in Canada amounted to about 41.14 million inhabitants. Population of Canada Canada ranks second among the largest countries in the world in terms of area size, right behind Russia, despite having a relatively low total population. The reason for this is that most of Canada remains uninhabited due to inhospitable conditions. Approximately 90 percent of all Canadians live within about 160 km of the U.S. border because of better living conditions and larger cities. On a year to year basis, Canada’s total population has continued to increase, although not dramatically. Population growth as of 2012 has amounted to its highest values in the past decade, reaching a peak in 2009, but was unstable and constantly fluctuating. Simultaneously, Canada’s fertility rate dropped slightly between 2009 and 2011, after experiencing a decade high birth rate in 2008. Standard of living in Canada has remained stable and has kept the country as one of the top 20 countries with the highest Human Development Index rating. The Human Development Index (HDI) measures quality of life based on several indicators, such as life expectancy at birth, literacy rate, education levels and gross national income per capita. Canada has a relatively high life expectancy compared to many other international countries, earning a spot in the top 20 countries and beating out countries such as the United States and the UK. From an economic standpoint, Canada has been slowly recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Unemployment has gradually decreased, after reaching a decade high in 2009. Additionally, GDP has dramatically increased since 2009 and is expected to continue to increase for the next several years.

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the density of the Canadian population for 1951. The first map display Western provinces, while the second map concentrates on southern Ontario and the Maritimes. Only the most populous areas are covered. Population density is illustrated by denoting the number of inhabitants per square mile. It shows a significant difference in the population distribution across Canada, mainly in urban and metropolitan areas. The cities with greater inhabitants are clusters within Capital cities, and a even larger concentration south, near the U.S. border, in particular along ocean or inland coastlines.

Canada CA: Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 4.350 Person/sq km in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.239 Person/sq km for 2020. Canada CA: Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 3.127 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2021, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.350 Person/sq km in 2021 and a record low of 2.038 Person/sq km in 1961. Canada CA: Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.;Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.;Weighted average;

This table presents the 2021 population counts for census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, and their population centres and rural areas.

As of July 1, 2022, there were approximately 13.87 million males and 14.13 million females living in metropolitan areas across Canada. This statistic breaks down this figure by metropolitan area. Toronto was the most populated city in the country, counting over 3.2 million males and 3.4 million females.

Our zip code Database offers comprehensive postal code data for spatial analysis, including postal and administrative areas. This dataset contains accurate and up-to-date information on all administrative divisions, cities, and zip codes, making it an invaluable resource for various applications such as address capture and validation, map and visualization, reporting and business intelligence (BI), master data management, logistics and supply chain management, and sales and marketing. Our location data packages are available in various formats, including CSV, optimized for seamless integration with popular systems like Esri ArcGIS, Snowflake, QGIS, and more. Product features include fully and accurately geocoded data, multi-language support with address names in local and foreign languages, comprehensive city definitions, and the option to combine map data with UNLOCODE and IATA codes, time zones, and daylight saving times. Companies choose our location databases for their enterprise-grade service, reduction in integration time and cost by 30%, and weekly updates to ensure the highest quality.

This table shows the 2021 population and dwelling counts for reported forward sortation areas.

Sub-provincial population estimates and projections by age and gender for a variety of region types. Customizable breakdowns for counts and additional statistics are available via BC Stats' Population App. Estimates: A population estimate is a measure of the current or historical population. BC Stats annually releases total population estimates for sub-provincial region types. These estimates are consistent in aggregate with the July 1st provincial level estimates produced by Statistics Canada. More information can be found on BC Stats' Population Estimates page. Projections: A population projection is a forecast of future population growth. BC Stats applies the Component/Cohort-Survival method to project the population. This method "grows" the population from the latest base year estimate by forecasting births, deaths and migration by age. These forecasts are based on past trends modified to account for possible future changes and, consequently, should be viewed as only one possible scenario of future population. Projections are also released annually and are as of July 1st. The methodological document, P.E.O.P.L.E. Sub-provincial Population Projections: Methodology and Assumptions, is provided only for reference. More information can be found on BC Stats' Population Projections page. Wondering about the location of a particular region or its boundaries? Check out the Administrative Boundaries page for more information.

Population who worked mainly full-time for most of the weeks during the reference year by visible minority and selected characteristics (age group, gender, first official language spoken, immigrant status, period of immigration, generation status and highest certificate, diploma or degree), for the population aged 15 years and over in private households in Canada, geographical regions of Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts.

This table presents the 2021 and 2016 population and dwelling counts, land area, population density and population ranking for census metropolitan areas or census agglomerations. It also shows the percentage change in the population and dwelling counts between 2016 and 2021.

Population who worked mainly full-time for most of the weeks during the reference year by visible minority and selected characteristics (age group, gender, first official language spoken, immigrant status, period of immigration, generation status and highest certificate, diploma or degree), for the population aged 15 years and over in private households in Canada, geographical regions of Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts.

It is presumed that the first humans migrated from Siberia to North America approximately twelve thousand years ago, where they then moved southwards to warmer lands. It was not until many centuries later that humans returned to the north and began to settle regions that are now part of Canada. Despite a few short-lived Viking settlements on Newfoundland around the turn of the first millennium CE, the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), became the first European to explore the coast of North America in the late 1400s. The French and British crowns both made claims to areas of Canada throughout the sixteenth century, but real colonization and settlement did not begin until the early seventeenth century. Over the next 150 years, France and Britain competed to take control of the booming fur and fishing trade, and to expand their overseas empires. In the Seven Year's War, Britain eventually defeated the French colonists in North America, through superior numbers and a stronger agriculture resources in the southern colonies, and the outcome of the war saw France cede practically all of it's colonies in North America to the British.

Increased migration and declining native populations

The early 1800s saw a large influx of migrants into Canada, with the Irish Potato Famine bringing the first wave of mass-migration to the country, with further migration coming from Scandinavia and Northern Europe. It is estimated that the region received just shy of one million migrants from the British Isles alone, between 1815 and 1850, which helped the population grow to 2.5 million in the mid-1800s and 5.5 million in 1900. It is also estimated that infectious diseases killed around 25 to 33 percent of all Europeans who migrated to Canada before 1891, and around a third of the Canadian population is estimated to have emigrated southwards to the United States in the 1871-1896 period. From the time of European colonization until the mid-nineteenth century, the native population of Canada dropped from roughly 500,000 (some estimates put it as high as two million) to just over 100,000; this was due to a mixture of disease, starvation and warfare, instigated by European migration to the region. The native population was generally segregated and oppressed until the second half of the 1900s; Native Canadians were given the vote in 1960, and, despite their complicated and difficult history, the Canadian government has made significant progress in trying to include indigenous cultures in the country's national identity in recent years. As of 2020, Indigenous Canadians make up more than five percent of the total Canadian population, and a higher birth rate means that this share of the population is expected to grow in the coming decades.

Independence and modern Canada

Canadian independence was finally acknowledged in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster, putting it on equal terms with the United Kingdom within the Commonwealth; virtually granting independence and sovereignty until the Canada Act of 1982 formalized it. Over the past century, Canada has had a relatively stable political system and economy (although it was hit particularly badly by the Wall Street Crash of 1929). Canada entered the First World War with Britain, and as an independent Allied Power in the Second World War; Canadian forces played pivotal roles in a number of campaigns, notably Canada's Hundred Days in WWI, and the country lost more than 100,000 men across both conflicts. The economy boomed in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a stream of socially democratic programs such as universal health care and the Canadian pension plan were introduced, which contributed to a rise in the standard of living. The post war period also saw various territories deciding to join Canada, with Newfoundland joining in 1949, and Nunavut in 1999. Today Canada is among the most highly ranked in countries in terms of civil liberties, quality of life and economic growth. It promotes and welcomes immigrants from all over the world and, as a result, it has one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural populations of any country in the world. As of 2020, Canada's population stands at around 38 million people, and continues to grow due to high migration levels and life expectancy, and a steady birth rate.

This table contains 336672 series, with data for years 2003 - 2003 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and was last released on 2007-08-13. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (167 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services St. John's Region; Newfoundland and Labrador; Health and Community Services Eastern Region; Newfoundland and Labrador ...) Age group (14 items: Total; 12 years and over; 15 to 19 years; 12 to 14 years; 12 to 19 years ...) Sex (3 items: Both sexes; Males; Females ...) Dietary practices (6 items: Total population for the variable dietary practices; Consume fruits and vegetables less than 5 times per day; Consume fruits and vegetables more than 10 times per day; Consume fruits and vegetables 5 to 10 times per day ...) Characteristics (8 items: Number of persons; Coefficient of variation for number of persons; High 95% confidence interval; number of persons; Low 95% confidence interval; number of persons ...).

Actual value and historical data chart for Canada Urban Population Percent Of Total

Estimated number of persons on July 1, by 5-year age groups and gender, and median age, for Canada, provinces and territories.