Focus on Geography Series, 2021 Census of Population

Quebec, Province

Population change, provinces and territories, 2011 to 2016 and 2016 to 2021

4.1%

In 2021, the enumerated population of Quebec was 8,501,833 which represents a change of 4.1% from 2016. This growth was lower than the national rate of 5.2%.

6.2%

In 2021, there were 3,749,035 private dwellings occupied in Quebec which represent a change of 6.2% from 2016. This growth was lower than the national rate of 6.4%.

6.5

The land area of Quebec is 1,298,599.75 square kilometres and the population density was 6.5 people per square kilometre.

Population in the last 170 years, Quebec

Population change in the last 170 years, Quebec

Quebec — Census metropolitan areas (CMAs), census agglomerations (CAs) and regions outside CMAs and CAs

In 2021, 81.8% of the population of Quebec lived inside a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA). That represents 6,953,511 persons. This was lower than the national rate of 83.9%.

The number of persons living outside a census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) was 1,548,322, which accounts for 18.2% of the population. This was higher than the national rate of 16.1%.

Population change by rank, 2016 to 2021 for CMAs or CAs in Quebec

CMA or CA name Type Population Rank
2021 2016 % change Nat. Prov.
Montréal CMA 4,291,732 4,104,074 r 4.6 2 1
Québec CMA 839,311 806,406 r 4.1 7 2
Sherbrooke CMA 227,398 212,105 7.2 19 4
Saguenay CMA 161,567 161,520 r 0.0 27 5
Trois-Rivières CMA 161,489 156,042 3.5 28 6
Drummondville CMA 101,610 97,149 r 4.6 41 7
Granby CA 90,833 85,056 6.8 45 8
Saint-Hyacinthe CA 59,980 58,201 r 3.1 58 9
Rimouski CA 53,944 53,498 r 0.8 60 10
Victoriaville CA 52,936 51,336 r 3.1 61 11
Joliette CA 52,706 49,439 6.6 62 12
Shawinigan CA 49,620 49,349 r 0.5 63 13
Salaberry-de-Valleyfield CA 42,787 40,745 5.0 69 14
Rouyn-Noranda CA 42,313 42,334 0.0 70 15
Sorel-Tracy CA 41,934 41,629 0.7 71 16
Saint-Georges CA 34,833 34,176 r 1.9 76 17
Val-d'Or CA 34,037 33,871 0.5 78 18
Alma CA 30,331 30,771 r -1.4 89 19
Rivière-du-Loup CA 30,025 28,902 3.9 90 20
Thetford Mines CA 28,287 27,564 r 2.6 93 21
Sept-Îles CA 27,729 28,534 -2.8 95 22
Baie-Comeau CA 26,643 27,692 -3.8 99 23
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts CA 19,892 18,010 r 10.4 111 24
Amos CA 18,873 18,872 r 0.0 117 25
Matane CA 18,474 18,894 r -2.2 121 26
Dolbeau-Mistassini CA 15,306 15,750 r -2.8 131 27
Cowansville CA 15,234 13,656 11.6 132 28
Lachute CA 14,100 12,862 9.6 138 29
Sainte-Marie CA 13,134 13,565 -3.2 146 30

Quebec — Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the highest population growth

Census subdivision (CSD) name Type Population
2021 2016 % change
Saint-Apollinaire MÉ 7,968 6,110 30.4
Bromont V 11,357 9,041 25.6
Carignan V 11,740 9,462 24.1
Saint-Zotique MÉ 9,618 7,934 21.2
Mirabel V 61,108 50,513 21.0

Quebec — Census subdivisions with 5,000-plus population with the lowest population growth

Census subdivision (CSD) name Type Population
2021 2016 % change
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts V 6,121 6,437 -4.9
Port-Cartier V 6,516 6,799 -4.2
Baie-Comeau V 20,687 21,536 -3.9
Kirkland V 19,413 20,151 -3.7
Chibougamau V 7,233 7,504 -3.6
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