Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Montreal, Canada metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Despite significant headwinds, solid government backing helped public transportation services in Canada generate revenue growth over the past five years. Ridership plummeted in 2020 as the onset of COVID-19 brought quarantine restrictions, unemployment and consumer fears surrounding crowded buses or trains. While these headwinds have since lifted, the lingering prevalence of work-from-home jobs has limited commuting and tempered revenue from public transit companies' fares. Mounting competition from personal vehicles and ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft have restricted revenue growth even more and prevented transportation companies from clawing back profit lost during the height of the pandemic. Revenue has been swelling at a CAGR of 0.5% to an estimated $23.6 billion over the five years through 2024, including a slight rise of 0.1% in 2024 alone. Government funding programs play an instrumental role in supporting mass transit. Implemented in 2014, the New Building Canada Plan ensured a decade of consistent funding for transit infrastructure. The Canadian Prime Minister recently announced substantial funding for public transportation projects. Several initiatives were unveiled, such as the $700 million for the electrification of the Toronto Transit Commission bus fleet. The Rural Transit Solutions Fund promised $250 million towards developing transit systems in remote communities, and the Zero Emissions Transit Fund pledged $2.75 billion to support electrification. Advances in green technology and generous government funding are beginning to catalyze a shift towards emission-reducing solutions over the next five years. A rising urban population will boost demand for public transit as cities become increasingly congested. A Canadian Urban Transit Association report forecasts a surge in ridership from roughly 1.8 billion trips in 2007 to nearly 3.3 billion annually by 2040. Still, growing employment and disposable income levels indicate a potential uptick in personal vehicle ownership and competition from more convenient but expensive alternatives. Revenue is set to climb at a CAGR of 0.8% to an estimated $24.6 billion through the end of 2029.

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.

Annual population estimates as of July 1st, by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, single year of age, five-year age group and gender, based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021.

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

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.