Population of Canada

Canada population density map (2014)
Top left: The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor is the most densely inhabited and heavily industrialized region accounting for nearly 50 percent of the total population[1]

Canada ranks 36th by population among countries of the world, comprising about 0.5% of the world's total,[2] with more than 40 million Canadians as of 2024.[3][4] Despite being the second-largest country by total area (fourth-largest by land area), the vast majority of the country is sparsely inhabited, with most of its population south of the 55th parallel north. Just over 60 percent of Canadians live in just two provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Though Canada's overall population density is low, many regions in the south, such as the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, have population densities higher than several European countries. Canada has six population centres with more than one million people: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.

The large size of Canada's north, which is currently not arable, and thus cannot support large human populations, significantly lowers the country's carrying capacity. In 2021, the population density of Canada was 4.2 people per square kilometre.[5]

The historical growth of Canada's population is complex and has been influenced in many different ways, such as Indigenous populations, expansion of territory, and human migration. Immigration has been, and remains, the most important factor in Canada's population growth.[6] The 2021 Canadian census counted a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 per cent over the 2016 figure.[7][8] Between 1990 and 2008, the population increased by 5.6 million, equivalent to 20.4 per cent overall growth.[9]

  1. ^ McMurry, Peter H.; Shepherd, Marjorie F.; Vickery, James S. (2004). Particulate Matter Science for Policy Makers: A NARSTO Assessment. Cambridge University Press. p. 391. ISBN 978-0-521-84287-7.
  2. ^ "Environment – Greenhouse Gases (Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Person)". Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Population estimates quarterly". Statistics Canada. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  4. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (11 July 2018). "Canada's population clock (real-time model)". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Canadians in Context – Population Size and Growth". Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. 2010. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  7. ^ Press, Jordan (8 February 2017). "Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver now home to one-third of Canadians: census". CTV News. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  8. ^ "2016 Census: Population and dwelling counts". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  9. ^ "Energy Efficiency Trends in Canada, 1990 to 2008". Natural Resources Canada. 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2015.