List of Canadian provinces and territories by historical population

Last updated

This is a list of Canadian historical population by province and territory, drawn from the Canadian census of population data and pre-Confederation censuses of Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 1871, Canada has conducted regular national census counts. The data for 1851 to 1976 is drawn primarily from Historical Statistics of Canada, 2nd edition. [1] Data for 1981 through 2021 are from the respective year's respective census. Newfoundland and Labrador pre-Confederation data is from the 1945 Census of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1. [2] Data for 1841 and some 1851 data drawn from the 1931 Canadian census. [3] With the exception of Nunavut prior to 1996, the population figures largely reflect modern provincial boundaries; prior to 1996, the population of modern Nunavut is reported with Northwest Territories. Although the census has worked to count First Nations populations since 1871, the it is likely Indigenous Canadians are undercounted by the census. [4] Shaded blocks indicate periods before the province or territory joined the Canadian Confederation. Instances where the reported figure came from a different year's population count (primarily pre-1861 and for Newfoundland) are noted. Total Canadian population row includes the population of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Contents

1700 to 1825

Estimates from The Canada Year Book (1867) based on various provincial census records. [5]

Name170017251750177518001825
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Lower Canada 14,00029,00054,50096,000225,000450,000
Flag of Nova Scotia (1868-1929).png New Brunswick [lower-alpha 1]     10,00075,000
Flag of Newfoundland (1862-1870).svg Newfoundland 5005,00010,00016,00010,00045,759
Flag of Nova Scotia (1868-1929).png  Nova Scotia [lower-alpha 2] 1,3005,00014,00020,00057,000150,000
Flag of Nova Scotia (1868-1929).png Prince Edward Island [lower-alpha 3]  3002,50010,00020,00028,600
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Upper Canada    8,00050,000158,027
Total15,80039,30081,000150,000382,000907,386

1841 to 1931

NameConfederated [lower-alpha 4] 1841185118611871 [lower-alpha 5] 188118911901191119211931
Flag of Alberta.svg  Alberta 1905     25,277 [lower-alpha 6] 73,022374,295588,454731,605
Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia 187162,10055,00051,52436,24749,45998,173178,657392,480524,582694,263
Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba 18704,704 [lower-alpha 7] 5,391 [lower-alpha 8] 25,22862,260152,506255,211461,394610,118700,139
Flag of New Brunswick.svg  New Brunswick 1867156,162 [lower-alpha 9] 193,800252,047285,594321,233321,263331,120351,889387,876408,219
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg  Newfoundland and Labrador [lower-alpha 10] 194996,296 [lower-alpha 11] 101,600124,288 [lower-alpha 12] 146,536 [lower-alpha 13] 197,335 [lower-alpha 14] 202,040 [lower-alpha 15] 220,984 [lower-alpha 16] 242,619 [lower-alpha 17] 263,033 [lower-alpha 18] 289,588 [lower-alpha 19]
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg  Northwest Territories 1870 5,7006,69148,00056,44662,54020,1296,5078,1439,316
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia 1867202,575 [lower-alpha 20] 276,854330,857387,800440,572450,396459,574492,338523,837512,846
Flag of Nunavut.svg  Nunavut [lower-alpha 21] 1999          
Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario 1867466,831 [lower-alpha 22] 952,004 [lower-alpha 23] 1,396,091 [lower-alpha 23] 1,620,8511,926,9222,114,3212,182,9472,527,2922,933,6623,431,683
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg  Prince Edward Island 187347,04262,678 [lower-alpha 24] 80,85794,021108,891109,078103,25993,72888,61588,038
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec 1867716,670 [lower-alpha 25] 890,261 [lower-alpha 26] 1,111,566 [lower-alpha 26] 1,191,5161,359,0271,488,5351,648,8982,005,7762,360,5102,874,662
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg  Saskatchewan 1905     11,150 [lower-alpha 6] 91,279492,432757,510921,785
Flag of Yukon.svg  Yukon 1898      27,2198,5124,1574,230
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [lower-alpha 27]  1,752,3802,543,2883,353,9213,835,7934,522,1455,035,2795,592,2997,449,2628,787,94910,666,374

1941 to 1991

Name1941195119561961196619711976198119861991
Flag of Alberta.svg  Alberta 796,169939,5011,123,1161,331,9441,463,2031,627,8741,838,0372,213,6502,365,8252,545,553
Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia 817,8611,165,2101,398,4641,629,0821,873,6742,184,6212,466,6082,713,6152,883,3673,282,061
Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba 729,744776,541850,040921,686963,066988,2471,021,5061,013,7051,063,0161,091,942
Flag of New Brunswick.svg  New Brunswick 457,401515,697554,616597,936616,788634,557677,250689,375709,442723,900
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg  Newfoundland and Labrador [lower-alpha 10] 316,294 [lower-alpha 28] 361,416415,074457,853493,396522,104557,725563,750568,349568,474
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg  Northwest Territories 12,02816,00419,31322,99828,73834,80742,60945,54052,23857,649
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia 577,962642,584694,717737,007756,039788,960828,571839,805873,176899,942
Flag of Nunavut.svg  Nunavut [lower-alpha 21]           
Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario 3,787,6554,597,5425,404,9336,236,0926,960,8707,703,1068,264,4658,534,2659,101,69410,084,885
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg  Prince Edward Island 95,04798,42999,285104,629108,535111,641118,229121,225126,646129,765
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec 3,331,8824,055,6814,628,3785,259,2115,780,8456,027,7646,234,4456,369,0656,532,4616,895,963
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg  Saskatchewan 895,992831,728880,665925,181955,344926,242921,323956,4401,009,613988,928
Flag of Yukon.svg  Yukon 4,9149,09612,19014,62814,38218,38821,83623,07523,50427,797
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 11,828,474 [lower-alpha 27] 14,009,42916,080,79118,238,24720,014,88021,568,31122,992,60424,083,51025,309,33127,296,859

1996 to 2021

Name199620012006201120162021
Flag of Alberta.svg  Alberta 2,696,8262,974,8073,290,3503,645,2574,067,1754,262,635
Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia 3,724,5003,907,7384,113,4874,400,0574,648,0555,000,879
Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba 1,113,8981,119,5831,148,4011,208,2681,278,3651,342,153
Flag of New Brunswick.svg  New Brunswick 738,133729,498729,997751,171747,101775,610
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg  Newfoundland and Labrador [lower-alpha 10] 551,792512,930505,469514,536519,716510,550
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg  Northwest Territories 39,67237,36041,46441,46241,78641,070
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia 909,282908,007913,462921,727923,598969,383
Flag of Nunavut.svg  Nunavut 24,73026,74529,47431,90635,94436,858
Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario 10,753,57311,410,04612,160,28212,851,82113,448,49414,223,942
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg  Prince Edward Island 134,557135,294135,851140,204142,907154,331
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec 7,138,7957,237,4797,546,1317,903,0018,164,3618,501,833
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg  Saskatchewan 990,237978,933968,1571,033,3811,098,3521,132,505
Flag of Yukon.svg  Yukon 30,76628,67430,37233,89735,87440,232
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 28,846,76130,007,09431,612,89733,476,68835,151,72836,991,981

Notes

  1. Split from Nova Scotia in 1784.
  2. Includes population of the Colony of Cape Breton (1784–1820)
  3. Split from Nova Scotia in 1769.
  4. Dates for when the province or territory entered the Canadian Confederation.
  5. First national census, as required in the British North America Act of 1867.
  6. 1 2 Extracted from Northwest Territories enumeration.
  7. Assiniboine and Red River, 1840
  8. Assiniboine and Red River, 1849
  9. 1840
  10. 1 2 3 Originally Newfoundland Colony and from 1907–1949 Dominion of Newfoundland
  11. 1845
  12. 1857: 122,638 in Newfoundland; 1,650 in Labrador
  13. 1869: 144,286 in Newfoundland; 2,150 in Labrador
  14. 1884: 193,124 in Newfoundland; 4,211 in Labrador
  15. 197,934 in Newfoundland; 4,106 in Labrador
  16. 217,037 in Newfoundland; 3,947 in Labrador
  17. 238,670 in Newfoundland; 2,949 in Labrador
  18. 259,259 in Newfoundland; 3,774 in Labrador
  19. 1935: 284,872 in Newfoundland; 4,716 in Labrador
  20. 1838
  21. 1 2 Included in count for Northwest Territories
  22. Upper Canada
  23. 1 2 Canada West
  24. 1849
  25. Lower Canada
  26. 1 2 Canada East
  27. 1 2 Includes population of Newfoundland and Labrador prior to confederation
  28. 1945: 316,294 in Newfoundland; 5,525 in Labrador

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References

  1. Basavarajappa, K.G.; Ram, Bali (1983). "Section A: Population and Migration" (PDF). Historical Statistics of Canada (2nd ed.). Ottawa, Ontario: Statistics Canada. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
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  3. Seventh Census of Canada, 1931 (PDF). Vol. 1. Ottawa, Canada: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1931. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  4. Guimond, Eric; Kerr, Don; Beaujot, Roderic (2003). Charting the Growth of Canada's Aboriginal Populations: Problems, Options and Implications (Technical report). PSC Discussion Papers. Vol. 17. 5. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
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