Contained within the Atlas of Canada Poster Map Series, is a poster showing population density across Canada. There is a relief base to the map on top of which is shown all populated areas of Canada where the population density is great than 0.4 persons per square kilometer. This area is then divided into five colour classes of population density based on Statistics Canada's census divisions.

Census data reveals that population density varies noticeably from area to area. Small area census data do a better job depicting where the crowded neighborhoods are. In this map, the yellow areas of highest density range from 30,000 to 150,000 persons per square kilometer. In those areas, if the people were spread out evenly across the area, there would be just 4 to 9 meters between them. Very high density areas exceed 7,000 persons per square kilometer. High density areas exceed 5,200 persons per square kilometer. The last categories break at 3,330 persons per square kilometer, and 1,500 persons per square kilometer.This dataset is comprised of multiple sources. All of the demographic data are from Michael Bauer Research with the exception of the following countries:Australia: Esri Australia and MapData ServicesCanada: Esri Canada and EnvironicsFrance: Esri FranceGermany: Esri Germany and NexigaIndia: Esri India and IndicusJapan: Esri JapanSouth Korea: Esri Korea and OPENmateSpain: Esri España and AISUnited States: Esri Demographics

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows the distribution of population in what is now Canada circa 1851, 1871, 1901, 1921 and 1941. The five maps display the boundaries of the various colonies, provinces and territories for each date. Also shown on these five maps are the locations of principal cities and settlements. These places are shown on all of the maps for reference purposes even though they may not have been in existence in the earlier years. Each map is accompanied by a pie chart providing the percentage distribution of Canadian population by province and territory corresponding to the date the map is based on. It should be noted that the pie chart entitled Percentage Distribution of Total Population, 1851, refers to the whole of what was then British North America. The name Canada in this chart refers to the province of Canada which entered confederation in 1867 as Ontario and Quebec. The other pie charts, however, show only percentage distribution of population in what was Canada at the date indicated. Three additional graphs are included on this plate and show changes in the distribution of the population of Canada from 1867 to 1951, changes in the percentage distribution of the population of Canada by provinces and territories from 1867 to 1951 and elements in the growth of the population of Canada for each ten-year period from 1891 to 1951.

Contained within the 2nd Edition (1915) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows two maps. The first map shows the density of population per square mile for every township in the Maritime Provinces and Quebec, circa 1911. The second map shows the density of population per square mile for every township in Quebec and Ontario, circa 1911. Communities with a population greater than 5000 people are shown as proportional dots on the map. In addition, major railway systems displayed.

Canada, with 3.33 people per square kilometre, has one of the lowest population densities in the world. In 2001, most of Canada's population of 30,007,094 lived within 200 kilometres of the United States (along Canada's south). In fact, the inhabitants of our three biggest cities -- Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver -- can drive to the border in less than two hours. Thousands of kilometres to the north, our polar region -- the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut -- is relatively empty, embracing 41% of our land mass but only 0.3% of our population. An inset map shows in greater detail the Windsor-Québec Corridor where a high concentration of Canadians live.

Chart and table of Canada population density from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Contained within the 5th Edition (1978 to 1995) of the National Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the density of population in continuously settled area of Canada using ten density classes based on 1976 Census data.

Contained within the 1st Edition (1906) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows two maps. The maps show the density of population per square mile for every township the Maritime Provinces, Quebec and Ontario, circa 1901. Cities and towns of 5000 inhabitants or more are shown as black dots. The size of the circle is proportionate to the population. The map uses eight classes, seven of which are shades of brown, more densely populated portions are shown in the darker tints. Numbers make it clear which class is being shown in any one township.

The Indigenous Populations of Canada map is derived from the CanEcumene 2.0 Geodatabase using custom tabulations of census-based population data. Indigenous communities within the level of the census sub-division (CSD) were identified using a combination of sources from census field data (see Eddy et. al. 2020 for more details). This map shows the percent of Indigenous population in CanEcumene 2.0 communities using graduated symbols, overlaid upon a population density raster. The larger the symbol, the higher the percentage of Indigenous population in that area. The darker the colour in the underlying raster, the denser is the general population. This map illustrates how the majority of Indigenous populations reside in locations outside of the denser populated areas of Canada.

Census data reveals that population density varies noticeably from area to area. Small area census data do a better job depicting where the crowded neighborhoods are. In this map, the yellow areas of highest density range from 30,000 to 150,000 persons per square kilometer. In those areas, if the people were spread out evenly across the area, there would be just 4 to 9 meters between them. Very high density areas exceed 7,000 persons per square kilometer. High density areas exceed 5,200 persons per square kilometer. The last categories break at 3,330 persons per square kilometer, and 1,500 persons per square kilometer.This dataset is comprised of multiple sources. All of the demographic data are from Michael Bauer Research with the exception of the following countries:Australia: Esri Australia and MapData ServicesCanada: Esri Canada and EnvironicsFrance: Esri FranceGermany: Esri Germany and NexigaIndia: Esri India and IndicusJapan: Esri JapanSouth Korea: Esri Korea and OPENmateSpain: Esri España and AISUnited States: Esri Demographics

This table contains 13 series, with data for years 1926 - 1960 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and was last released on 2000-02-18. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (13 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia ...).

Health Regions 2005 describes in detail the health region limits as of June 2005 and their correspondence with the 1996 and 2001 Census geography. Health regions are defined by the provinces and represent administrative areas or regions of interest to health authorities. This product contains correspondence files (linking health regions to 2001 Census geographic codes) and digital boundary files. User documentation provides an overview of health regions, sources, methods, limitations and product description (file format and layout).In addition to the geographic files, this product also includes 2001 Census data (basic profile) for health regions. A result of the co-operation of provincial health ministries, Alberta Treasury and BC Stats, Health Regions 2005 is part of the Health Information Roadmap initiative, a joint effort among the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Health Canada and Statistics Canada. Health Regions 2005 was produced by the Health Statistics Division in collaboration with the Geography and Dissemination divisionsHealth regions are definedby provincial governments as the areas of responsibility for regional healthboards (i.e., legislated) or as regions of interest to health care authorities. This product replaces Health Regions 2000. For current Health Regions data, refer to Statistics Canada.

Contained within the 4th Edition (1974) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the density of population for Western Canada that has inhabitants from 0 to 1000 per square mile.

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

A population ecumene is the area of inhabited lands or settled areas generally delimited by a minimum population density. This ecumene shows the areas of the densest and most extended population within census subdivisions. A census subdivision (CSD) is the general term for municipalities (as determined by provincial or territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes (e.g., Indigenous Peoples reserves and communities and unorganized territories). Municipal status is defined by laws in effect in each province and territory in Canada. For further information, consult the Statistics Canada’s 2016 Illustrated Glossary (see below under Data Resources). The assemblage of dissemination block population density data from the 2016 Census of Population are used to form the ecumene areas within census subdivisions. Areas included in the ecumene are dissemination blocks where the population density is greater than or equal to 0.4 persons per square kilometre or about one person per square mile. In some areas to capture more population within the ecumene the criteria was extended to 0.2 persons per square kilometre. The ecumene areas were generalized in certain areas to remove small uninhabited areas within the ecumene areas in census subdivisions. This map can be used as an “ecumene” overlay to differentiate the sparsely populated areas from the ecumene in conjunction with census subdivision data or other large-scale maps. This ecumene shows a more meaningful distribution of the population for Canada.

Ottawa Population Density at Dissemination Areas. 2021 census of population. Data downloaded from Statistics Canada: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows two condensed maps, and three sets of graphs to show population change for the period 1851 to 1951. The top map shows the percent changes in population in eastern Canada for the period 1851 to 1901 (Newfoundland data is for 1857 to 1901). The bottom map shows the percent changes in population for Canada for the period 1901 to 1951 (Northwest Territories data is for 1911 to 1951). The first set of graphs show birth, death and natural increase rates per 1000 population for the period 1931 to 1951 for Canada and the provinces. The second set shows the changes in density of population for the period 1851 to 1951 for Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, the Western Provinces and Canada. The third graph shows the percent increase in Canada's total population by decade for the period 1851 to 1951.

A population ecumene is the area of inhabited lands or settled areas generally delimited by a minimum population density. Two population data sets from the 2016 Census of Population were used to build two specialized ecumene maps. The census division ecumene was built from dissemination area population density data and the census subdivision ecumene was built from the dissemination block population density data. For information on census divisions, census subdivisions, dissemination areas, and dissemination blocks consult the Statistics Canada’s 2016 Illustrated Glossary (see below under Data Resources). Areas included in the ecumene (for either the census division or census subdivision) are areas where the population density is greater than or equal to 0.4 persons per square kilometre or about 1 person per square mile. In some areas to capture more population within the ecumene the criteria was extended to 0.2 persons per square kilometre. The ecumene areas were generalized in certain regions either to enhance the size of some isolated ecumene areas or to remove small internal uninhabited areas within the ecumene. Either of these ecumene resources can be used as an “ecumene” map overlay to differentiate the sparsely populated areas from the ecumene in conjunction with the appropriate census geography or other small-scale and large-scale maps.

A map showing the Population Density per Hectare in the City of Peterborough from the 2006 Statistics Canada Census Data.Size: 11" x 17"Colour: Full ColourFormat: PDF

The plate contains four maps of 24 hour rainfalls (in millimetres) for a 2 year return period, a 5 year return period, a 10 year return period and a 25 year return period. Each map has a detailed inset of the Vancouver area. These four maps were not analyzed for the mountainous parts of Canada in British Columbia and the Yukon because of the limited number of stations, the non-representative nature of the valley stations and the variability of precipitation owing to the orographic effects. From the incomplete data, it is impossible to draw accurate isolines of short duration rainfall amounts on maps of national scale. Point values for all stations west of the Rocky Mountain range and in the Yukon have been plotted for durations of less than 24 hours. For the Vancouver metropolitan area, recording rain gauges have been in operation for several years. For some of these stations point rainfall data have been plotted on inset maps. The density of climatological stations varies widely as does population density. In general, the accuracy of the analysis increases with station density. North of latitude 55 degrees North, there are only five stations. Therefore, the isoline analyses represent extrapolations beyond the station values. Whenever sufficient data were available for interpretation, isolines were drawn as solid lines. The scale of the map used for Canada dictates the use of an isoline interval of 12 millimetres.