Population of Canada

Canada ranks 37th by population among countries of the world, comprising about 0.5% of the world's total, with about 41.5 million Canadians as of Q1 2026. 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% 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 relative to its size. In 2021, the population density of Canada was 4.2 people per square kilometre.

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. The 2021 Canadian census counted a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 per cent over the 2016 figure. Between 1990 and 2008, the population increased by 5.6 million, equivalent to 20.4 per cent overall growth.

In 2026, the country has experienced a population decline for the first time since the country was formed, from 41.6 million in Q1 2025 to 41.5 million in Q1 2026. The decrease in population has been attributed to a reduction in the number of non-permanent residents.