POPULATION BY

PROVINCE & TERRITORY

& Capital Cities

 

 

Part of the Teaching & Learning About Canada website

 

March, 2002: Canada has experienced one of the smallest census-to-census growth rates in its population. From 1996 to 2001, the nation's population increased only 4.0%. The Census counted 30,007,094 people on May 15, 2001, compared with 28,846,761 on May 14, 1996.

Only three provinces and one territory had growth rates above the national average. Alberta's population soared 10.3%, Ontario gained 6.1% and British Columbia, 4.9%. Nunavut's population rose 8.1%. The population of Newfoundland and Labrador declined for the second consecutive census period.

Urbanization continued. In 2001, 79.4% of Canadians lived in an urban centre of 10,000 people or more, compared with 78.5% in 1996. Outside the urban centres, the population of rural and small-town areas declined 0.4%.

In 2001, just over 64% of the nation's population, or about 19,297,000 people, lived in the 27 census metropolitan areas (CMAs), up slightly from 63% in 1996. Seven of these 27 CMAs saw their populations grow at a rate of at least double the national average. The strongest rise, by far, occurred in Calgary.

From 1996 to 2001, the nation's population concentrated further in four broad urban regions: the extended Golden Horseshoe in southern Ontario; Montr¬éal and environs; British Columbia's Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island; and the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. In 2001, 51% of Canada's population lived in these regions, compared with 49% in 1996.

This chart- 1994- 2001. Below it, is another chart for 2002-2003.

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

2001

 % of Canada Capital City POP 
thousands Actual # 2001   2001
Canada 29,036.0 29,353.9 29,671.9 30,004.0 30,300.4 30,007,094 100.00 Ottawa 774,072
Newfoundland Labrador 574.8 568.0 560.6 554.4 544.4 512,930 1.70 St. John's 172,918
Prince Edward Island 133.7 134.8 136.2 136.8 136.4 135,294 0.45 Charlottetown 58,358
Nova Scotia 926.3 927.7 931.2 934.8 934.6 908,007 3.02 Halifax 359,183
New Brunswick 750.9 751.8 753.0 754.0 753.0 729,498 2.43 Fredericton 81,346
Quebec 7,207.3 7,241.4 7,274.0 7,307.6 7,333.3 7,237,479 24.11 Quebec City 682,757
Ontario 10,827.5 10,964.9 11,100.9 11,260.4 11,411.5 11,410,146 38.02 Toronto 4,682,897
Manitoba 1,123.9 1,129.8 1,134.3 1,136.8 1,138.9 1,119,583 3.73 Winnipeg 671,274
Saskatchewan 1,009.7 1,014.2 1,019.5 1,022.2 1,024.4 978,933 3.26 Regina 192,800
Alberta 2,704.9 2,739.9 2,780.6 2,837.8 2,914.9 2,974,807 9.91 Edmonton 937,845
British Columbia 3,681.8 3,784.0 3,882.0 3,959.3 4,009.9 3,907,738 13.02 Victoria 311,902
Yukon 30.0 30.9 31.9 32.2 31.7 28,674 0.09 Whitehorse 21,405
Northwest Territories 65.2 66.6 67.6 67.8 67.5 37,360 0.12 Yellowknife 16,541
Nunavut

27.1

 26,745

0.09

Iqaluit

5,236

1. On July 1 of each year. * Allow for rounding.   99.96*    
Source: Statistics Canada,        

Population by province as of October, 2003:

All of Canada: 31,752,842 as of January, 2004.

 

Canada's population1
  July 1, 2002pr October 1, 2002pr July 1, 2003pp October 1, 2003pp 2002 2003
          % change
Canada 31,361,611 31,448,767 31,629,677 31,714,637 0.3 0.3
Newfoundland and Labrador 519,270 519,731 519,570 520,170 0.1 0.1
Prince Edward Island 136,998 137,256 137,781 137,941 0.2 0.1
Nova Scotia 934,392 935,408 936,025 936,878 0.1 0.1
New Brunswick 750,183 750,649 750,594 750,460 0.1 0.0
Quebec 7,443,491 7,457,736 7,487,169 7,503,502 0.2 0.2
Ontario 12,096,627 12,145,439 12,238,300 12,280,731 0.4 0.3
Manitoba 1,155,492 1,157,356 1,162,776 1,164,135 0.2 0.1
Saskatchewan 995,490 995,115 994,843 995,003 0.0 0.0
Alberta 3,114,390 3,125,527 3,153,723 3,164,400 0.4 0.3
British Columbia 4,114,981 4,123,659 4,146,580 4,158,649 0.2 0.3
Yukon 30,123 30,423 31,060 31,371 1.0 1.0
Northwest Territories 41,434 41,549 41,872 42,040 0.3 0.4
Nunavut 28,740 28,919 29,384 29,357 0.6 -0.1
pr Updated postcensal estimates.
pp Preliminary postcensal estimates.
1 These estimates are based on the 2001 census counts adjusted for net undercoverage.

 

 

MAP OF CANADA

One can easily see that most Canadians live in Ontario and Quebec and the rest are spread over the other provinces and territories.

Also see Chart 10 which concerns population densities.

 

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