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Overview of Canada’s Largest Cities by Population

Canada is a highly urbanized country, with most of its population living in cities. According to the 2021 Census, nearly three in four Canadians (73.7%) lived in large urban centers, up from 73.2% in 2016.

More than 56 cities in Canada have populations exceeding 100,000. Toronto, with nearly 2.8 million residents, is the most populous city, followed by Montreal (1.76 million) and Calgary (1.3 million).

In terms of population density, Vancouver is Canada’s most densely populated major city, with over 5,700 people per square mile.

also read about:  Population of Canada

Top 100 Cities in Canada by Population (2026)

Key Highlights of Canada’s Largest Cities

More than 50 Cities in Canada have populations above 100,000. Toronto with 2.8 million inhabitants, is the most populated city followed by Montreal and Calgary. Ontario dominates the rankings, with five cities in the top 10 by population, including Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton. Alberta has two cities—Calgary and Edmonton—in the top 10.

Ontario has 41 cities in the Top 100, Next is British Columbia with 20 Cities and Quebec with 19 cities.  Three territories and one province—Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Prince Edward Island—do not have Cities among the 100 most populous in Canada.

Population Rankings of Canadian Cities

#Cities/TownProvinceMunicipal statusPopulation (2021)
1TorontoOntarioCity2,794,356
2MontrealQuebecVille1,762,949
3CalgaryAlbertaCity1,306,784
4OttawaOntarioCity1,017,449
5EdmontonAlbertaCity1,010,899
6WinnipegManitobaCity749,607
7MississaugaOntarioCity717,961
8VancouverBritish ColumbiaCity662,248
9BramptonOntarioCity656,480
10HamiltonOntarioCity569,353
11SurreyBritish ColumbiaCity568,322
12Quebec CityQuebecVille549,459
13HalifaxNova ScotiaRegional municipality439,819
14LavalQuebecVille438,366
15LondonOntarioCity422,324
16MarkhamOntarioCity338,503
17VaughanOntarioCity323,103
18GatineauQuebecVille291,041
19SaskatoonSaskatchewanCity266,141
20KitchenerOntarioCity256,885
21LongueuilQuebecVille254,483
22BurnabyBritish ColumbiaCity249,125
23WindsorOntarioCity229,660
24ReginaSaskatchewanCity226,404
25OakvilleOntarioTown213,759
26RichmondBritish ColumbiaCity209,937
27Richmond HillOntarioCity202,022
28BurlingtonOntarioCity186,948
29OshawaOntarioCity175,383
30SherbrookeQuebecVille172,950
31Greater SudburyOntarioCity166,004
32AbbotsfordBritish ColumbiaCity153,524
33LévisQuebecVille149,683
34CoquitlamBritish ColumbiaCity148,625
35BarrieOntarioCity147,829
36SaguenayQuebecVille144,723
37KelownaBritish ColumbiaCity144,576
38GuelphOntarioCity143,740
39Trois-RivièresQuebecVille139,163
40WhitbyOntarioTown138,501
41CambridgeOntarioCity138,479
42St. CatharinesOntarioCity136,803
43MiltonOntarioTown132,979
44LangleyBritish ColumbiaDistrict municipality132,603
45KingstonOntarioCity132,485
46AjaxOntarioTown126,666
47WaterlooOntarioCity121,436
48TerrebonneQuebecVille119,944
49SaanichBritish ColumbiaDistrict municipality117,735
50St. John’sNewfoundland and LabradorCity110,525
51Thunder BayOntarioCity108,843
52DeltaBritish ColumbiaCity108,455
53BrantfordOntarioCity104,688
54Chatham-KentOntarioMunicipality103,988
55ClaringtonOntarioMunicipality101,427
56Red DeerAlbertaCity100,844
57NanaimoBritish ColumbiaCity99,863
58Strathcona CountyAlbertaSpecialized municipality99,225
59PickeringOntarioCity99,186
60LethbridgeAlbertaCity98,406
61KamloopsBritish ColumbiaCity97,902
62Saint-Jean-sur-RichelieuQuebecVille97,873
63Niagara FallsOntarioCity94,415
64Cape BretonNova ScotiaRegional municipality93,694
65ChilliwackBritish ColumbiaCity93,203
66VictoriaBritish ColumbiaCity91,867
67BrossardQuebecVille91,525
68Maple RidgeBritish ColumbiaCity90,990
69North Vancouver (District Municipality)British ColumbiaDistrict municipality88,168
70NewmarketOntarioTown87,942
71RepentignyQuebecVille86,100
72PeterboroughOntarioCity83,651
73Saint-JérômeQuebecVille80,213
74MonctonNew BrunswickCity79,470
75DrummondvilleQuebecVille79,258
76Kawartha LakesOntarioCity79,247
77New WestminsterBritish ColumbiaCity78,916
78Prince GeorgeBritish ColumbiaCity76,708
79CaledonOntarioTown76,581
80AirdrieAlbertaCity74,100
81Wood BuffaloAlbertaSpecialized municipality72,326
82Sault Ste. MarieOntarioCity72,051
83SarniaOntarioCity72,047
84Saint JohnNew BrunswickCity69,895
85GranbyQuebecVille69,025
86St. AlbertAlbertaCity68,232
87Norfolk CountyOntarioCity67,490
88Grande PrairieAlbertaCity64,141
89Medicine HatAlbertaCity63,271
90FrederictonNew BrunswickCity63,116
91Halton HillsOntarioTown62,951
92AuroraOntarioTown62,057
93Port CoquitlamBritish ColumbiaCity61,498
94MirabelQuebecCity61,108
95BlainvilleQuebecVille59,819
96North Vancouver CityBritish ColumbiaCity58,120
97Saint-HyacintheQuebecVille57,239
98WellandOntarioCity55,750
99BellevilleOntarioCity55,071
100North BayOntarioCity52,662

Source: Canada Census 2021

read about Ethnic Composition of Canada

Largest Metropolitan Areas in Canada by Population (2026)

What Is a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)?

A Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Canada is a large urban region consisting of a core city and its surrounding municipalities that are closely linked by commuting and economic activity. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, with 50,000 or more in the core city, as defined by Statistics Canada.

In the 2021 Census, there are a total of 43 designated Census Metropolitan Areas. Toronto holds the highest population with 6.1 million inhabitants, followed by Montreal (4.2 million) and Vancouver (2.6 million). Ontario leads the provinces with 17 Census Metropolitan Areas, Quebec has 8, British Columbia has 7, Alberta has 4, New Brunswick has 3, Saskatchewan has 2, and Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland each have 1

Population of Canada’s Metropolitan Areas

#Census metropolitan areasProvincePop. 2021
1Toronto Ontario6,142,885
2MontrealQuebec4,206,455
3Vancouver B.C.2,607,015
4CalgaryAlberta1,465,180
5Ottawa – Gatineau, Ont./QueOnt. / Que.1,464,495
6Edmonton Alberta1,397,750
7Winnipeg Manitoba819,715
8Quebec Quebec817,105
9Hamilton Ontario773,440
10Kitchener – Cambridge – Waterloo Ontario568,065
11London Ontario535,780
12Halifax Nova Scotia461,140
13St. Catharines – Niagara Ontario425,480
14Windsor Ontario415,505
15Oshawa Ontario411,405
16Victoria B.C.388,470
17Saskatoon Sask.311,515
18Regina Sask.244,950
19Sherbrooke Quebec220,105
20Kelowna B.C.218,525
21Barrie Ontario210,150
22St. John’s N.L.208,815
23Abbotsford – Mission B.C.192,115
24Kingston Ontario168,075
25Greater Sudbury Ontario167,615
26Guelph Ontario163,485
27Saguenay Quebec157,895
28Trois-RivièresQuebec155,535
29Moncton N.B.154,245
30Brantford Ontario141,905
31Saint John N.B.128,385
32Peterborough Ontario125,995
33Thunder Bay Ontario120,960
34Lethbridge Alberta120,500
35Nanaimo B.C.112,410
36Chilliwack B.C.111,560
37Kamloops B.C.110,545
38Belleville – Quinte West Ontario109,245
39Fredericton N.B.107,160
40Drummondville Quebec98,570
41Red Deer Alberta98,045

Source: Canada Census 2021

read about Race and Ethnicity in Canada

Sources

All population data is sourced from official Canadian and international statistical agencies:

Canada Population
Canada Provinces By Population
Religion in Canada
Top Cities in Canada by Population (2026) | Largest Canadian Cities

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About the Author & Data

USCanadaInfo is an independent informational website focused on demographics, population statistics, and ethnic trends in Canada and the United States. All information on this site is compiled from publicly available, official sources such as Statistics Canada, the U.S. Census Bureau, government publications, and reputable media outlets. Population figures, percentages, and projections are based on census data, historical trends, and immigration statistics. Content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, immigration, or policy advice. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, figures may change due to future census updates, revised estimates, or data corrections. about our methodology → https://uscanadainfo.com/methodology/

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