Annual Demographic Estimates:
Subprovincial Areas, July 1, 2020

Start of text box

End of text box

Highlights

Population growth in Canada’s large urban regions slowed in 2019/2020, while other regions remained relatively stable. Immigrants and non-permanent residents continued to drive population growth, although it was significantly lower due to travel restrictions implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. While this particularly affected large urban areas, other impacts on subprovincial population are not clear-cut as these estimates only capture the first few months of the pandemic.

Census metropolitan areas

• On July 1, 2020, 27,306,305 people, or more than 7 in 10 Canadians (71.8%), were living in one of the 35 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada. Of those people, half (13,657,092) lived in one of the Toronto, Montréal or Vancouver CMAs.
• While all CMAs saw their population grow during the 2019/2020 period, most (30 of 35) saw a reduced growth rate compared to the preceding year.
• Only three CMAs are estimated to have seen a growth rate at or above 2.0% in the last year, compared to nine for the previous year. Oshawa saw the fastest growth (+2.1%), followed by Halifax and Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo (+2.0% each).
• International migration to Canada saw a decrease of over 20% in 2019/2020 compared to the previous year, yet remained the main source of growth for three-quarter of CMAs. That decrease was the leading factor behind the reduced population growth in CMAs.
• People continue to relocate outside the biggest CMAs, with each of Toronto (-50,375), Montréal (-24,880) and Vancouver (-12,189) loosing residents from their migratory exchanges with other regions of their respective province. Figures from Toronto and Montréal represent the highest of such losses recorded since at least 2001/2002, and among the highest in Vancouver for the same period. Other CMAs saw net gains from other parts of their province, or relatively much smaller losses.

Census agglomerations

• In 2019/2020, 79% of all census agglomerations (CAs) recorded positive demographic growth, in line with growth figures from the most recent years.
• In 2019/2020 the CA that experienced the highest growth was Carleton Place (Ont.) with +3.0%. The second and third largest increase also occurred in Ontario with Collingwood recording a +2.8% growth rate and Tillsonburg +2.5%. Influx of migrants from elsewhere in Ontario was the main contributor to growth for these CAs.
• Sainte-Marie (Que.) recorded the highest rate of decline of any CA in 2019/2020 at -2.6%, driven by losses to other parts of the province. The CAs of Thompson (Man.) (-1.5%) and Yorkton (Sask.) (-0.9%) came in second and third place, experiencing losses to both other provinces, as well as the rest of their respective provinces.

Census divisions

• For the fourth consecutive year, the Mirabel census division (CD) (Que.) recorded the highest rate of population growth in the country (+3.6% in 2019/2020). It is notable that seven of the top ten CD with the highest growth rate in 2019/2020 are located in Quebec and around Montréal, which indicate continued urban spread.
• Region 3 in the Northwest Territories recorded the most pronounced decline in population in 2019/2020 at -2.2%. The majority of the losses were due to people relocating to other parts of the territory.

Census subdivisions

• The fastest growing census subdivisions (CSD) among those with a population of at least 2,500 are most often found in and around urban centres. For instance, two of Quebec’s fastest growing CSDs, Saint-Zotique (+4.0%) and Mirabel (+3.6%), are located within the Montréal CMA. Likewise, Farnham (+5.2%) and Saint-Hippolyte (+4.1%), both located just outside the boundaries of the Montréal CMA, are also among the CSDs showing the fastest growth in the province.
• By and large, CSDs showing the highest rates of population decrease are located outside large urban centres. In 2019/2020, the Municipality of Red Lake (Ont.) (-4.6%) and the District Municipality of Mackenzie (B.C.) (-4.5%) saw the fastest decrease rate among CSDs with a population of at least 2,500. Both are located away from urban centres, and inside census divisions that typically see losses or minimal gains in migratory exchanges with the rest of their province.