List of largest Canadian cities by census

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A collection of four maps showing the distribution of population for 1851 (Newfoundland 1857), 1871 (Newfoundland 1869), 1901 and 1921 by historical region. Canadian pop from 1851 to 1921.jpg
A collection of four maps showing the distribution of population for 1851 (Newfoundland 1857), 1871 (Newfoundland 1869), 1901 and 1921 by historical region.

This is a list of the largest cities in Canada by census starting with the 1871 census of Canada, the first national census. Only communities that were incorporated as cities (defined by Statistics Canada as CY, as compared to larger census metropolitan areas (CMA) or census agglomerations (CA) around –and including –these CYs) at the time of each census are presented. Therefore, this list does not include any incorporated towns (T) that may have been larger than any incorporated cities at each census.

Contents

1871

RankCityProvincePopulation [1] Notes
1 Montreal Quebec 107,225Ranked second largest city in 2021. [2]
2 Quebec City Quebec59,699Ranked twelfth largest city in 2021. [2]
3 Toronto Ontario 56,092Ranked largest city in 2021. [2]
4 Halifax Nova Scotia 29,582Ranked fourteenth largest municipality in 2021. [2]
5 Saint John New Brunswick 28,805Saint John was incorporated in 1785 to become Canada's first incorporated city. [3] Ranked eighty-fourth largest city in 2021. [2]
6 Hamilton Ontario26,716Ranked tenth largest city in 2021. [2]
7 Ottawa Ontario21,545Ranked fourth largest city in 2021. [2]
8 London Ontario15,826Ranked fifteenth largest city in 2021. [2]
9 Portland New Brunswick12,520Portland was a city until 1889, when it amalgamated with Saint John. [4]
10 Kingston Ontario12,407Ranked forty-fifth largest city in 2021. [2]

1881

RankCityProvincePopulation [5]
1 Montreal Quebec 140,747
2 Toronto Ontario 86,415
3 Quebec City Quebec62,446
4 Halifax Nova Scotia 36,054
5 Hamilton Ontario35,961
6 Ottawa Ontario27,412
7 Saint John New Brunswick 26,127
8 London Ontario19,746
9 Portland New Brunswick15,226
10 Kingston Ontario14,091

1891

Winnipeg, Manitoba, becomes the first city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting The Maritimes from three spots on the list –on both (all) of the previous censuses –to two.

RankCityProvincePopulation [6]
1 Montreal Quebec 216,650
2 Toronto Ontario 181,220
3 Quebec City Quebec63,090
4 Hamilton Ontario48,980
5 Ottawa Ontario44,154
6 Saint John New Brunswick 39,179
7 Halifax Nova Scotia 38,556
8 London Ontario31,977
9 Winnipeg Manitoba 25,642
10 Kingston Ontario19,264

1901

Vancouver, British Columbia, becomes the second city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting Ontario from five spots on the list –on all three previous censuses –to four.

RankCityProvincePopulation [7]
1 Montreal Quebec 267,730
2 Toronto Ontario 208,040
3 Quebec City Quebec68,840
4 Ottawa Ontario59,928
5 Hamilton Ontario52,634
6 Winnipeg Manitoba 42,340
7 Halifax Nova Scotia 40,832
8 Saint John New Brunswick 40,711
9 London Ontario37,981
10 Vancouver British Columbia 26,133

1911

Calgary, Alberta, becomes the third city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, cutting The Maritimes from two spots on the list –on the two most recent previous censuses –to one.

RankCityProvincePopulation [8]
1 Montreal Quebec 470,480
2 Toronto Ontario 378,538
3 Winnipeg Manitoba 136,035
4 Vancouver British Columbia 100,401
5 Ottawa Ontario87,701
6 Hamilton Ontario81,969
7 Quebec City Quebec78,710
8 Halifax Nova Scotia 46,619
9 London Ontario46,300
10 Calgary Alberta 43,704

1921

Edmonton, Alberta, becomes the fourth city in Western Canada to appear on the Top 10 list, removing all cities in The Maritimes from the list for the first time as of this sixth national census; The Maritimes have never again placed a city in the Top 10 list. Western Canada's four most populous cities –Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg –have remained in the Top 10 since 1921, joined briefly in 2001 (only) by Surrey, British Columbia.

RankCityProvincePopulation [9]
1 Montreal Quebec 618,506
2 Toronto Ontario 521,893
3 Winnipeg Manitoba 179,087
4 Vancouver British Columbia 163,220
5 Hamilton Ontario114,151
6 Ottawa Ontario107,843
7 Quebec City Quebec95,193
8 Calgary Alberta 63,305
9 London Ontario60,959
10 Edmonton Alberta58,821

1931

RankCityProvincePopulation [9]
1 Montreal Quebec 818,517
2 Toronto Ontario 631,207
3 Vancouver British Columbia 246,593
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 218,784
5 Hamilton Ontario155,547
6 Quebec City Quebec130,594
7 Ottawa Ontario126,872
8 Calgary Alberta 83,761
9 Edmonton Alberta79,197
10 London Ontario71,148

1941

RankCityProvincePopulation [10]
1 Montreal Quebec 903,007
2 Toronto Ontario 667,567
3 Vancouver British Columbia 275,353
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 221,960
5 Hamilton Ontario166,337
6 Ottawa Ontario154,951
7 Quebec City Quebec150,757
8 Windsor Ontario105,311
9 Edmonton Alberta 93,817
10 Calgary Alberta88,904

1951

Montreal becomes the first city to hit over 1 million in population.

RankCityProvincePopulation [10]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,021,520
2 Toronto Ontario 675,754
3 Vancouver British Columbia 344,843
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 235,710
5 Hamilton Ontario208,321
6 Ottawa Ontario202,045
7 Quebec City Quebec164,016
8 Edmonton Alberta 159,631
9 Calgary Alberta129,060
10 Windsor Ontario120,040

1956

RankCityProvincePopulation [11]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,109,439
2 Toronto Ontario 667,706
3 Vancouver British Columbia 364,844
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 255,093
5 Hamilton Ontario239,625
6 Edmonton Alberta 226,002
7 Ottawa Ontario222,129
8 Calgary Alberta181,780
9 Quebec City Quebec170,703
10 Windsor Ontario121,980

1961

RankCityProvincePopulation [12]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,191,062
2 Toronto Ontario 672,407
3 Vancouver British Columbia 384,522
4 Edmonton Alberta 281,022
5 Hamilton Ontario273,991
6 Ottawa Ontario268,206
7 Winnipeg Manitoba 265,429
8 Calgary Alberta249,632
9 Quebec City Quebec171,979
10 London Ontario169,569

1966

RankCityProvincePopulation [13]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,225,255
2 Toronto Ontario 664,584
3 Vancouver British Columbia 410,375
4 Edmonton Alberta 376,925
5 Calgary Alberta330,575
6 Hamilton Ontario298,121
7 Ottawa Ontario290,741
8 Winnipeg Manitoba 257,005
9 Laval Quebec196,088
10 London Ontario194,416

1971

RankCityProvincePopulation [14]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,214,351
2 Toronto Ontario 712,786
3 Edmonton Alberta 438,152
4 Vancouver British Columbia 426,256
5 Calgary Alberta403,319
6 Hamilton Ontario309,173
7 Ottawa Ontario302,241
8 Winnipeg Manitoba 246,246
9 Laval Quebec228,010
10 London Ontario223,222

1976

RankCityProvincePopulation [15]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,080,546
2 Toronto Ontario 633,318
3 Winnipeg [a] Manitoba 560,874
4 Calgary Alberta 469,917
5 Edmonton Alberta461,361
6 Vancouver British Columbia 410,188
7 Hamilton Ontario312,003
8 Ottawa Ontario304,462
9 Mississauga Ontario250,017
10 Laval Quebec246,243

1981

After holding two spots on the Top 10 list in all 14 previous censuses, Quebec is reduced to one city on the list. It will briefly return to two positions, in 1996 (19th census) and 2006 (20th census).

Through the 1970s, while a number of Canadian cities suffered population losses, the three Canadian Prairies cities on the Top 10 list – Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg  –saw significant growth: the two Alberta cities primarily through consistent net migration, with Winnipeg primarily boosted by amalgamation of its surrounding municipalities prior to the 1976 census.

RankCityProvincePopulation [17]
1 Montreal Quebec 980,354
2 Toronto Ontario 599,217
3 Calgary Alberta 592,743
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 564,473
5 North York Ontario559,521
6 Edmonton Alberta532,246
7 Vancouver British Columbia 414,281
8 Mississauga Ontario315,056
9 Hamilton Ontario306,434
10 Ottawa Ontario295,033

1986

RankCityProvincePopulation [18]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,015,420
2 Calgary Alberta 636,104
3 Toronto Ontario 612,289
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 594,551
5 Edmonton Alberta573,982
6 North York Ontario556,297
7 Scarborough Ontario484,676
8 Vancouver British Columbia 431,147
9 Mississauga Ontario374,005
10 Hamilton Ontario306,728

1991

RankCityProvincePopulation [19]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,017,666
2 Calgary Alberta 710,677
3 Toronto Ontario 635,395
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 616,790
5 Edmonton Alberta616,741
6 North York Ontario563,270
7 Scarborough Ontario524,598
8 Vancouver British Columbia 471,844
9 Mississauga Ontario463,388
10 Hamilton Ontario318,499

1996

RankCityProvincePopulation [20]
1 Montreal Quebec 1,016,376
2 Calgary Alberta 768,082
3 Toronto Ontario 653,734
4 Winnipeg Manitoba 618,477
5 Edmonton Alberta616,306
6 North York Ontario589,653
7 Scarborough Ontario558,960
8 Mississauga Ontario544,382
9 Vancouver British Columbia 514,008
10 Laval Quebec330,393

2001

Numerous amalgamations took place in Ontario during the 1990s and 2000s that affected city population figures.

A significant change is that, after holding the position of largest city in Canada on all 19 previous censuses, covering the first 129 years of the nation of Canada, Montreal drops to second place on the list, displaced by Toronto. These two cities have maintained the same top two positions on all subsequent censuses.

RankCityProvincePopulation [21]
1 Toronto [b] Ontario 2,481,494
2 Montreal Quebec 1,039,534
3 Calgary Alberta 879,003
4 Ottawa [c] Ontario774,072
5 Edmonton Alberta666,104
6 Winnipeg Manitoba 619,544
7 Mississauga Ontario612,000
8 Vancouver British Columbia 545,671
9 Hamilton [d] Ontario490,268
10 Surrey British Columbia347,825

2006

A wave of amalgamations took place in Quebec since the previous census, affecting city population figures. In particular, in 2002, both Montreal and Quebec City combined with a number of smaller surrounding cities, though some later chose to leave the amalgamations.

RankCityProvincePopulation [23]
1 Toronto Ontario 2,503,281
2 Montreal Quebec 1,620,693
3 Calgary Alberta 988,193
4 Ottawa Ontario812,129
5 Edmonton Alberta730,372
6 Mississauga Ontario668,549
7 Winnipeg Manitoba 633,451
8 Vancouver British Columbia 578,041
9 Hamilton Ontario504,559
10 Quebec City Quebec491,452

2011

RankCityProvincePopulation
1 Toronto Ontario 2,615,060
2 Montreal Quebec 1,649,519
3 Calgary Alberta 1,096,833
4 Ottawa Ontario883,391
5 Edmonton Alberta821,201
6 Mississauga Ontario713,443
7 Winnipeg Manitoba 663,617
8 Vancouver British Columbia 603,502
9 Brampton Ontario523,911
10 Hamilton Ontario519,949

2016

RankCityProvincePopulation [24]
1 Toronto Ontario 2,731,571
2 Montreal Quebec 1,704,694
3 Calgary Alberta 1,239,220
4 Ottawa Ontario934,243
5 Edmonton Alberta932,546
6 Mississauga Ontario721,599
7 Winnipeg Manitoba 705,244
8 Vancouver British Columbia 631,486
9 Brampton Ontario593,638
10 Hamilton Ontario536,917

2021

RankCityProvincePopulation [2]
1 Toronto Ontario 2,794,356
2 Montreal Quebec 1,762,949
3 Calgary Alberta 1,306,784
4 Ottawa Ontario1,017,449
5 Edmonton Alberta1,010,899
6 Winnipeg Manitoba 749,607
7 Mississauga Ontario717,961
8 Vancouver British Columbia 662,248
9 Brampton Ontario656,480
10 Hamilton Ontario569,353

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Winnipeg's population more than doubled from 1971, in large part to amalgamation of its surrounding municipalities. [16]
  2. ↑ Toronto amalgamated with five surrounding municipalities on January 1, 1998. [22]
  3. ↑ Ottawa amalgamated with 11 surrounding municipalities on January 1, 2001. [22]
  4. ↑ Hamilton amalgamated with six surrounding municipalities on January 1, 2001. [22]

References

  1. ↑ Census of Canada, 1880-81. Vol. I. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1882.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "History of Saint John". City of Saint John. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Canada's Historic Places: W. A. Chesley Residence". Parks Canada. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Chapter II - Population". Canada Statistical Abstract and Record 1886 (PDF). Department of Agriculture (Report). Ottawa: MacLean, Roger & Co. (as Queen's Printer). 1886. pp. 71–75. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-15. [note: each province and territory has its own table, giving Census 1871 and Census 1881 population, broken out by individual "Cities and Towns" and collective "Rural Population"]
  6. ↑ Johnson, George (Statistician), ed. (June 1893). "Chapter II - Population and Vital Statistics | Section - Census of 1891 | Population of Cities and Towns in Canada of 5,000 Inhabitants and Upwards, 1881 and 1891". The Statistical Year-Book of Canada for 1892 (PDF). Department of Agriculture (Report). Ottawa: King's Printer. p. 97. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-15. [note: Do not use for 1881 data as...] The population in the 1881 column includes the same boundaries as in the 1891 column and consequently differs in these cases, where annexations have taken place since 1881, from the population as given by the Census of 1881
  7. ↑ Johnson, George (Statistician), ed. (April 1903). "Census | Population of Cities and Towns of 5,000 and above". The Statistical Year-Book of Canada for 1902 (PDF). Department of Agriculture (Report). Ottawa: King's Printer. pp. 87–88. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-15. The following are the cities and towns of the Dominion of Canada having, according to the census of 1901, a population of 5,000 and upwards.
  8. ↑ Dominion Bureau of Statistics (1913-07-16). "Chapter III — Production | Section 5 - Manufacturers | Table 87 – Value of Products of Manufactures, 1890, 1900 and 1910 for Cities and Towns of 10,000 persons and over". The Canada Year Book 1912 (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: King's Printer. p. 90. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-13. [note: table is ranked by the displayed population data of the cities]
  9. 1 2 Dominion Bureau of Statistics (1932). "Chapter IV — Population | Section 2 - Rural and Urban Population | Table 11 — Populations of Cities and Towns having over 5,000 Inhabitants in 1931, Compared with 1871-81-91-1901-11-31". The Canada Year Book 1932 (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. p. 103. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  10. 1 2 Dominion Bureau of Statistics (1955). "Chapter III — Population | Section 6 — Population of Incorporated Urban Centres | Table 6 — Incorporated Cities with Populations of over 30,000 at the 1951 Census and Comparable Data for 1941". The Canada Year Book 1955 (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. p. 139. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  11. ↑ Dominion Bureau of Statistics (1958). "Chapter III — Population | Section 8 — Population of Incorporated Urban Centres | Table 7 — Incorporated Cities with Populations of over 30,000 at the 1956 Census and Comparable Data for 1951". Canada Year Book 1957–58 (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. p. 125. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  12. ↑ Dominion Bureau of Statistics (1967). "Chapter III — Population | Section 1 - Census of Population | Subsection 4 — Populations of Incorporated Cities, Towns and Villages and of Metropolitan Areas | Table 7 — Incorporated Cities with Populations of Over 50,000 at the 1961 Census, with Comparable Data for 1951 and 1956". Canada Year Book 1967 (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. p. 188. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  13. ↑ 1966 Census of Canada - Population (Report). Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1966.
  14. ↑ Canada Year Book 1972 (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1972.
  15. ↑ 1976 Census of Canada - Population (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1976.
  16. ↑ "Marking 50 years since the amalgamation of Winnipeg". winnipeg.ca. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  17. ↑ Canada Year Book 1988 (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1988.
  18. ↑ "Table 3: Census Subdivisions in Decreasing Population Order, for Canada, 1986". Census Divisions and Subdivisions | Population (PDF) (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1987. p. 3-1. ISBN   0-660-53450-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  19. ↑ Community Profiles: Census 1991 (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1991.
  20. ↑ 1996 Census
  21. ↑ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data". Statistics Canada. 2012-07-04. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2014-04-03. [Note: do not use updated 1996 data from this 2001 table, as it uses adjusted figures due to boundary changes in Ontario done after 1996]
  22. 1 2 3 "Municipal Restructuring Activity Summary Table". Ontario: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 2015-01-24. pp. 2, 4, 5. Archived from the original on 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2023-08-10. Approval Type: Fewer Municipal Politicians Act, 1999 (all 3 - was a yet unpassed "Bill" at time of Toronto amalgamation); City of Toronto Act, 1997 (Toronto); Direct Democracy Through Municipal Referendums Act, 2000 (Hamilton and Ottawa)
  23. ↑ Community Profiles: Census 2006 (Report). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 2006.
  24. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
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