Canada’s population at the start of 2021 is 38 million people. Based on the most recent data, Canada is the 38th largest country in the world by population.
Canada is the second largest country in the world by area (after Russia) and, as a result, it is also one of the least densely populated countries in the world – just 8.3 people live in every square mile in Canada.
Cities in Canada
There are three cities in Canada with a population of over 1 million people. The table below lists the ten most populous cities. A list of all the cities with a population of more than 50,000 people can be found in our article on the largest cities in Canada.
| City | Province | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Ontario | 2,731,571 |
| Montreal | Quebec | 1,704,694 |
| Calgary | Alberta | 1,239,220 |
| Ottawa | Ontario | 934,243 |
| Edmonton | Alberta | 932,546 |
| Mississauga | Ontario | 721,599 |
| Winnipeg | Manitoba | 705,224 |
| Vancouver | BC | 631,486 |
| Brampton | Ontario | 593,638 |
| Hamilton | Ontario | 536,917 |
Provinces and Territories
The table below lists the population of each province and territory in Canada.
| Province / Territory | Capital | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Toronto | 13,448,494 |
| Quebec | Quebec City | 8,164,361 |
| British Columbia | Victoria | 4,648,055 |
| Alberta | Edmonton | 4,067,175 |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg | 1,278,365 |
| Saskatchewan | Regina | 1,098,352 |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax | 923,598 |
| New Brunswick | Fredericton | 747,101 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | St John’s | 519,716 |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | 142,907 |
| Northwest Territories | Yellowknife | 41,786 |
| Nunavut | Iqaluit | 35,944 |
| Yukon | Whitehorse | 35,874 |
Population by year
The number of people living in Canada has grown between every single census since the first one was held in 1871. The table below lists the population of Canada at the time of each census, and the percentage increase in population. From 1871 to 1971, the census was held every ten years. Since 1971, the census has been held every five years.
| Year | Population | Increase | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1871 | 3,689,257 | N/A | N/A |
| 1881 | 4,324,810 | 635,553 | 17.20% |
| 1891 | 4,833,239 | 4,648,055 | 11.80% |
| 1901 | 5,371,315 | 538,076 | 11.10% |
| 1911 | 7,206,643 | 1,835,328 | 34.20% |
| 1921 | 8,787,949 | 1,581,306 | 21.90% |
| 1931 | 10,374,196 | 1,586,247 | 18.10% |
| 1941 | 11,506,655 | 1,132,459 | 10.90% |
| 1951 | 14,009,429 | 2,502,774 | 21.80% |
| 1961 | 18,238,247 | 4,228,818 | 30.20% |
| 1971 | 21,568,311 | 3,330,064 | 18.30% |
| 1976 | 22,992,604 | 1,424,293 | 6.60% |
| 1981 | 24,343,181 | 1,350,577 | 5.90% |
| 1986 | 25,309,331 | 966,150 | 4.00% |
| 1991 | 27,296,859 | 1,987,528 | 7.90% |
| 1996 | 28,846,761 | 1,549,902 | 5.70% |
| 2001 | 30,007,094 | 1,160,333 | 4.00% |
| 2006 | 31,612,897 | 1,605,803 | 5.40% |
| 2011 | 33,476,688 | 1,863,791 | 5.90% |
| 2016 | 35,151,728 | 1,675,040 | 5.0% |