Canada’s fastest growing and decreasing municipalities from 2016 to 2021

Release date: February 9, 2022

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Highlights

Municipalities with at least 5,000 inhabitants

  • The municipality of Toronto, the largest in the country, had a population of almost 2.8 million people, while Montréal (1.8 million), Calgary (1.3 million), Edmonton (1 million) and Ottawa (1 million) completed the list of Canada's municipalities home to more than 1 million people.
  • Canada continues to urbanize. With population growth rates reaching up to 10.6%, 18 of the 25 largest municipalities grew at a faster pace than Canada overall (5.2%) from 2016 to 2021, further indicating that the country is becoming more urban.
  • Topping the list of the fastest-growing municipalities with at least 5,000 inhabitants in Canada was East Gwillimbury (+44.4%), a municipality on the outskirts of the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA), evidence of the ongoing urban spread in the Toronto area.
  • From 2016 to 2021, the population declined in 121 of the 737 Canadian municipalities with at least 5,000 inhabitants, or about 1 in 6 (16%). A fewer share of municipalities had population declines from 2016 to 2021 compared with 2011 to 2016 (18% of the total).

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Introduction

The population size and growth rate of municipalities are key indicators to help municipal policy makers and administrators plan the direct services and infrastructure their population needs, such as emergency services, schools, hospitals, roads, social services and parks. One of the strengths of the Census of Population is that it provides reliable data on these topics at the community level.

This document highlights the municipalities in Canada that grew the fastest between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, as well as the municipalities whose population decreased the most. The document is part of the first release of 2021 Census data. Over the coming months, many other releases will continue to provide detailed information on Canadian communities, including the socio-demographic and ethnocultural fabrics of their populations. 

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Did you know?

Municipalities are also called census subdivisions.

For trends at the national, provincial and territorial, and regional (census metropolitan area and census agglomeration) levels, readers are encouraged to consult the Daily articles entitled “Canada tops G7 growth despite COVID” and “Canada’s large urban centres continue to grow and spread”.

For detailed data tables of population size and growth for all municipalities in Canada, as well as at other geographical levels, readers are encouraged to consult Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables.

Readers can also consult two sets of detailed thematic maps showing population growth rates from 2016 to 2021: the first set shows the growth of municipalities located in each province and territory, and the second set shows the growth in the 41 largest urban centres (also called census metropolitan areas), by neighbourhoods (also called census tracts).

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The fastest growing municipalities are inside or close to urban areas

Topping the list of the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada was East Gwillimbury (+44.4%), a municipality on the outskirts of the Toronto CMA, evidence of the ongoing urban spread in the Toronto area.

Three other suburban municipalities surrounding Toronto also had among the 25 highest growth rates in the country: New Tecumseth (+28.3%), Bradford West Gwillimbury (+21.4%) and Milton (+20.7%). These growth rates were over four times that of the Toronto CMA as a whole (+4.6%).

In addition to East Gwillimbury and New Tecumseth, the population of five other suburban municipalities on the outskirts of large urban centres were also among the 10 fastest growing: Langford (+31.8%) in the Victoria CMA, Saint-Apollinaire (+30.4%) in the Québec CMA, Niverville (+29.0%) and West St. Paul (+24.5%) in the Winnipeg CMA, as well as Thorold (+26.7%) in the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA.

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Did you know? Urban spread continues

In 2021, urban spread continued in Canada’s urban centres as the population growth of many suburban cities outpaced the growth occurring elsewhere.

From 2016 to 2021, most of the 25 municipalitiesNote 1  with the highest population growth were located within large and small urban centres, or close to them.

Large urban areas have a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants, and often comprise many municipalities. For example, the CMA of Toronto in Ontario includes many municipalities in addition to the city of Toronto, such as Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill.

Smaller urban centres have a population of at least 10,000 inhabitants, and can also comprise a few municipalities. For example, the CA of Granby in Quebec includes the municipalities of Granby, Bromont, Roxton Pond, Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby and Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford.

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Table 1
Population and growth rate, 25 municipalities (census subdivisions) with at least 5,000 inhabitants with the highest rate of population growth, 2016 and 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Population and growth rate. The information is grouped by Rank (appearing as row headers), Municipality, Province, CMA/CA in which the municipality is located or type of municipality*, Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021 , calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Rank Municipality Province CMA/CA in which the municipality is located or type of municipalityTable 1 Note 1 Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
1 East Gwillimbury Ontario CMA of Toronto 23,991 34,637 44.4
2 The Blue Mountains Ontario Close to a CMA or CA 7,025 9,390 33.7
3 Langford British Columbia CMA of Victoria 35,342 46,584 31.8
4 Saint-Apollinaire Quebec CMA of Québec 6,110 7,968 30.4
5 Niverville Manitoba CMA of Winnipeg 4,610 5,947 29.0
6 Southern Gulf Islands British Columbia Farther away from a CMA or CA 4,732 6,101 28.9
7 New Tecumseth Ontario CMA of Toronto 34,242 43,948 28.3
8 Thorold Ontario CMA of St. Catharines - Niagara 18,801 23,816 26.7
9 Bromont Quebec CA of Granby 9,041 11,357 25.6
10 West St. Paul Manitoba CMA of Winnipeg 5,368 6,682 24.5
11 Cochrane Alberta CMA of Calgary 25,853 32,199 24.5
12 Carignan Quebec CMA of Montréal 9,462 11,740 24.1
13 Neepawa Manitoba Farther away from a CMA or CA 4,609 5,685 23.3
14 Cornwall Prince Edward Island CA of Charlottetown 5,348 6,574 22.9
15 Seguin Ontario Farther away from a CMA or CA 4,304 5,280 22.7
16 Lake Country British Columbia CMA of Kelowna 12,922 15,817 22.4
17 Squamish British Columbia CA of Squamish 19,497 23,819 22.2
18 Bradford West Gwillimbury Ontario CMA of Toronto 35,325 42,880 21.4
19 Saint-Zotique Quebec CMA of Montréal 7,934 9,618 21.2
20 Mirabel Quebec CMA of Montréal 50,513 61,108 21.0
21 Lucan Biddulph Ontario Close to a CMA or CA 4,700 5,680 20.9
22 Milton Ontario CMA of Toronto 110,128 132,979 20.7
23 Wolfville Nova Scotia Farther away from a CMA or CA 4,195 5,057 20.5
24 Wasaga Beach Ontario CA of Wasaga Beach 20,675 24,862 20.3
25 Airdrie Alberta CMA of Calgary 61,581 74,100 20.3

The Blue Mountains (+33.7%) in Ontario, Southern Gulf Islands (+28.9%) in British Columbia and Bromont (+25.6%) in Quebec rounded out the list of the 10 fastest growing municipalities. These tourist municipalities or resort cities are not necessarily located in a large urban centre, but often nearby. They are popular vacation and leisure sites located close to ski hills and also offer activities during the summer such as mountain biking or water parks, or navigable bodies of water. Their outdoor facilities and their optimal location may have attracted new residents – young retirees or those able to work from home given the COVID-19 pandemic – in search of greater proximity to nature and outdoor activities. Some people already having a second residence there may also have chosen to make it their primary home since the start of the pandemic.

On another note, the overall faster population growth from 2016 to 2021 of peripheral municipalities (+6.9%) compared with central municipalities (+5.5%) located at the core of CMAs further demonstrates urban spread (Table 2).

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Did you know? Distinguishing central and peripheral municipalities is useful to assess urban spread

A central municipality is defined as the municipality that lends its name to the corresponding CMA or CA. All other municipalities within a CMA or CA, except the central municipality, are called peripheral municipalities.

For example, Toronto is the central municipality of the Toronto CMA. Other municipalities located within the Toronto CMA, such as Mississauga and Brampton, are peripheral municipalities.

Using data from the census of population and distinguishing between central and peripheral municipalities is useful for assessing some phenomena such as urban spread.

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Table 2
Population and growth rate, central and peripheral municipalities (census subdivisions) included in census metropolitan areas, 2016 and 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2
Population and growth rate. The information is grouped by Region (appearing as row headers), Municipalities, Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Region Municipalities Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
Central municipalities 47 15,155,187 15,985,225 5.5
Peripheral municipalities 532 10,563,313 11,295,894 6.9
Total 579 25,718,500 27,281,119 6.1

Strong population growth in suburban municipalities located close to or in urban areas is frequently fuelled by an influx of young adults leaving the core of large urban areas to live on their own and often to start a family.  Peripheral municipalities located close to central municipalities, such as Mississauga in the Toronto CMA and Laval in the Montréal CMA usually gain migrants from the central municipality, but at the same time, they also lose migrants to more distant suburbs, such as Milton and Mirabel, also in the Toronto and Montréal CMAs. Ultimately, the rapid growth of more distant suburbs is the result of multiple nested migration patterns occurring as people relocate from the centre of large urban centres to the periphery.

As well, other Canadians may be drawn to more distant suburbs by lower housing prices, greater availability of residential developments or a desire to live closer to nature. With the increased ability to telework and the less frequent need to commute since the onset of the pandemic, some may have chosen to relocate to more distant suburbs where housing can provide more space for less cost than in central municipalitiesNote 2 .

Furthermore, several municipalities that experienced a decrease in their population from 2011 to 2016 saw their population grow slightly or remain relatively stable from 2016 to 2021, particularly in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario.

These include, for example, the municipalities of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia (+4.4% from 2016 to 2021 versus -5.1% from 2011 to 2016); Mont-Joli, Quebec (+1.6% versus -5.8%); and Elliot Lake, Ontario (+5.9% versus -5.3%). These reversals were often driven by more people relocating to these municipalities from within their province or from elsewhere in the country.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and population growth of municipalities

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of Canadians in many ways. Population dynamics of municipalities were also affected, either by guidelines and rules issued during the pandemic, or by personal choices made by Canadians.

For example, full-time remote work has created opportunities for many Canadians to live in more distant suburbs or rural areas that would not have been deemed a viable option before the onset of the pandemic.

Between censuses, annual data from the Demographic Estimates Program of Statistics Canada are very useful to monitor emerging population trends. Findings show that the pandemic has not reversed or drastically reshaped municipal population growth trends in most cases.

However, some trends that developed before the pandemic have accelerated, including higher population growth in more distant suburbs of urban areas as well as in many municipalities in the Maritimes. Memramcook and Burton in New Brunswick, as well as Argyle, Annapolis, Subd. A , and Pictou, Subd. B in Nova Scotia are a few examples of municipalities within the Maritimes that had annual population growth rates in 2020/2021 of at least three times larger than their average growth rates from 2016 to 2021. Likewise, municipalities located just outside urban centres in Ontario and Quebec saw similar accelerations specific to 2020/2021 in their growth rate, such as Scugog in Ontario and Lac Brome in Quebec.

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High population growth also seen among Canada’s largest municipalities

As of 2021, there were 27 municipalities in Canada, all located within the country’s large urban centres, with more than 200,000 inhabitants and the top 25 are shown in Table 3. Together, these 25 municipalities have a combined population of over 16 million people, representing 44.1% of the total population living in Canada.

With growth rates reaching up to 10.6%, 18 of the 25 largest municipalities grew at a faster pace than the country as a whole (+5.2%) from 2016 to 2021, further indicating that Canada is becoming more urban. However, Canada’s two largest municipalities –Toronto (+2.3%) and Montréal (+3.4%) – grew at a slower pace than Canada overall.

Brampton (+10.6%), within the Toronto CMA, had the highest growth among these 25 fastest-growing municipalities, illustrative of the trend of the population in peripheral municipalities increasing faster than central municipalities.

Ottawa and Edmonton top the 1 million mark

The municipality of Toronto (+2.3%), the largest in the country, had a population of almost 2.8 million people, while Montréal (+3.4%), Calgary (+5.5%), Edmonton (+8.3%) and Ottawa (+8.9%) topped 1 million. Edmonton and Ottawa surpassed the 1 million mark between the 2016 and the 2021 censuses.

Table 3
Population and growth rate of the 25 largest municipalities (census subdivisions) in 2016 and 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Population and growth rate of the 25 largest municipalities (census subdivisions) in 2016 and 2021. The information is grouped by Rank (appearing as row headers), Municipality, Province, Census metropolitan area in which the municipality is located , Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021 , calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Rank Municipality Province Census metropolitan
area in which the
municipality is located
Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
1 Toronto Ontario Toronto 2,731,571 2,794,356 2.3
2 Montréal Quebec Montréal 1,704,694 1,762,949 3.4
3 Calgary Alberta Calgary 1,239,220 1,306,784 5.5
4 Ottawa Ontario Ottawa–Gatineau 934,243 1,017,449 8.9
5 Edmonton Alberta Edmonton 933,088 1,010,899 8.3
6 Winnipeg Manitoba Winnipeg 705,244 749,607 6.3
7 Mississauga Ontario Toronto 721,599 717,961 -0.5
8 Vancouver British Columbia Vancouver 631,486 662,248 4.9
9 Brampton Ontario Toronto 593,638 656,480 10.6
10 Hamilton Ontario Hamilton 536,917 569,353 6.0
11 Surrey British Columbia Vancouver 517,887 568,322 9.7
12 Québec Quebec Québec 531,902 549,459 3.3
13 Halifax Nova Scotia Halifax 403,131 439,819 9.1
14 Laval Quebec Montréal 422,993 438,366 3.6
15 London Ontario London 383,822 422,324 10.0
16 Markham Ontario Toronto 328,966 338,503 2.9
17 Vaughan Ontario Toronto 306,233 323,103 5.5
18 Gatineau Quebec Ottawa–Gatineau 276,245 291,041 5.4
19 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Saskatoon 247,201 266,141 7.7
20 Kitchener Ontario Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo 233,222 256,885 10.1
21 Longueuil Quebec Montréal 239,897 254,483 6.1
22 Burnaby British Columbia Vancouver 232,755 249,125 7.0
23 Windsor Ontario Windsor 217,188 229,660 5.7
24 Regina Saskatchewan Regina 215,106 226,404 5.3
25 Oakville Ontario Toronto 193,832 213,759 10.3

Municipalities with a population decrease often located far from large urban centres, with many in Alberta

From 2016 to 2021, the population declined in 121 of the 737 Canadian municipalities with at least 5,000 inhabitants, or about 1 in 6 (16%).

Population decreased in fewer municipalities in this five-year period compared with 2011 to 2016 (18% of the total). This is consistent with the acceleration of population growth nationally from 2016 to 2021.

Table 4
Population and growth rate, 25 municipalities (census subdivisions) with at least 5,000 inhabitants with the highest rate of population decline, 2016 and 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Population and growth rate. The information is grouped by Rank (appearing as row headers), Municipality, Province or territory, CMA/CA in which the municipality is located or type of municipality* , Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021 , calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Rank Municipality Province or territory CMA/CA in which the municipality is located or type of municipalityTable 4 Note 1 Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
1 Athabasca County Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,869 6,959 -11.6
2 Peace River C British Columbia CA of Fort St. John 6,667 5,947 -10.8
3 Lac la Biche County Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 8,330 7,673 -7.9
4 Brazeau County Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,771 7,179 -7.6
5 Barrhead County No. 11 Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 6,288 5,877 -6.5
6 Greenview No. 16 Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 9,154 8,584 -6.2
7 Estevan Saskatchewan CA of Estevan 11,483 10,851 -5.5
8 Vermilion River County Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 8,453 7,994 -5.4
9 Yellowhead County Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 10,995 10,426 -5.2
10 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts Quebec Farther away from a CMA or CA 6,437 6,121 -4.9
11 Colchester, Subd. C Nova Scotia CA of Truro 13,098 12,476 -4.7
12 Dryden Ontario Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,749 7,388 -4.7
13 Thompson Manitoba CA of Thompson 13,678 13,035 -4.7
14 Peace River B British Columbia Close to a CMA or CA 5,628 5,379 -4.4
15 Stettler Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 5,952 5,695 -4.3
16 Clare Nova Scotia Farther away from a CMA or CA 8,018 7,678 -4.2
17 Port-Cartier Quebec Farther away from a CMA or CA 6,799 6,516 -4.2
18 Bayham Ontario Close to a CMA or CA 7,396 7,096 -4.1
19 Iqaluit Nunavut Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,740 7,429 -4.0
20 Baie-Comeau Quebec CA of Baie-Comeau 21,536 20,687 -3.9
21 Didsbury Alberta Farther away from a CMA or CA 5,268 5,070 -3.8
22 Kirkland Quebec CMA of Montréal 20,151 19,413 -3.7
23 Chibougamau Quebec Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,504 7,233 -3.6
24 Dolbeau-Mistassini Quebec CA of Dolbeau-Mistassini 14,212 13,718 -3.5
25 Fort Frances Ontario Farther away from a CMA or CA 7,739 7,466 -3.5

In contrast to the municipalities with the most sustained growth rates, those with the highest rates of population decline were more often located outside of CMAs or CAs, including several in remote areas.

Over half of the 25 municipalities with the largest population declines from 2016 to 2021 were in Western Canada (13 of 25), particularly Alberta (9 of 25). This reflects the lower population growth in Alberta from 2016 to 2021 compared with previous census cycles. Recent economic conditions help explain why several Alberta municipalities had among the highest population declines nationally. In particular, lower oil prices and higher unemploymentNote 3  in the province from 2016 to 2021 preceded the slowdown of population growth. From 2011 to 2016, only 2 municipalities in Alberta were among the 25 municipalities with the greatest declines, compared with 21 in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario.

The social and economic vitality of the most remote municipalities frequently depends on specific industries, often oriented towards natural resources. Consequently, population growth in such areas is closely linked to structural changes affecting those industries, such as price changes or shifts in the supply and demand for primary goods. As a result, remote municipalities tend to have older populations and to post low or negative growth. This situation is linked to the fact that they frequently record more deaths than births, they welcome few immigrants and are often characterized by out-migration of young adults to elsewhere in the country.

Municipalities with the highest rates of population growth or rates of population decline, by province and territory

The table below shows the five municipalities with the highest population growth rates and the five with the highest population decline rates for each province and territory.

Over the coming months, the next releases of the Census of Population will enhance the socio-demographic portrait of Canada’s municipalities. As well, the Demographic Estimates Program will be useful to monitor population trends between censuses, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Table 5
Population and growth rate, five municipalities (census subdivisions) with at least 5,000 inhabitants with the highest rate of population growth, 2016 to 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Population and growth rate. The information is grouped by Province or territory (appearing as row headers), Rank, Highest rate of population growth, Municipality, Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021 , calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Province or territory Rank Highest rate of population growth
Municipality Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
Newfoundland and Labrador 1 Paradise 21,389 22,957 7.3
2 Clarenville 6,291 6,704 6.6
3 Conception Bay South 26,199 27,168 3.7
4 Portugal Cove-St. Philip's 8,147 8,415 3.3
5 Labrador City 7,220 7,412 2.7
Prince Edward Island 1 Cornwall 5,348 6,574 22.9
2 Stratford 9,711 10,927 12.5
3 Three Rivers 7,169 7,883 10.0
4 Summerside 14,839 16,001 7.8
5 Charlottetown 36,094 38,809 7.5
Nova Scotia 1 Wolfville 4,195 5,057 20.5
2 Halifax 403,131 439,819 9.1
3 Antigonish, Subd. A 8,278 8,963 8.3
4 Cumberland, Subd. C 5,268 5,694 8.1
5 Kentville 6,271 6,630 5.7
New Brunswick 1 Sackville (Town) 5,331 6,099 14.4
2 Shediac 6,664 7,535 13.1
3 Dieppe 25,384 28,114 10.8
4 Moncton (City) 71,889 79,470 10.5
5 Moncton (Parish) 9,811 10,704 9.1
Quebec 1 Saint-Apollinaire 6,110 7,968 30.4
2 Bromont 9,041 11,357 25.6
3 Carignan 9,462 11,740 24.1
4 Saint-Zotique 7,934 9,618 21.2
5 Mirabel 50,513 61,108 21.0
Ontario 1 East Gwillimbury 23,991 34,637 44.4
2 The Blue Mountains 7,025 9,390 33.7
3 New Tecumseth 34,242 43,948 28.3
4 Thorold 18,801 23,816 26.7
5 Seguin 4,304 5,280 22.7
Manitoba 1 Niverville 4,610 5,947 29.0
2 West St. Paul 5,368 6,682 24.5
3 Neepawa 4,609 5,685 23.3
4 Morden 8,668 9,929 14.5
5 Macdonald 7,162 8,120 13.4
Saskatchewan 1 Warman 11,020 12,419 12.7
2 Martensville 9,655 10,549 9.3
3 Saskatoon 247,201 266,141 7.7
4 Regina 215,106 226,404 5.3
5 Prince Albert 35,926 37,756 5.1
Alberta 1 Cochrane 25,853 32,199 24.5
2 Airdrie 61,581 74,100 20.3
3 Beaumont 17,457 20,888 19.7
4 Mackenzie County 11,171 12,804 14.6
5 Canmore 13,992 15,990 14.3
British Columbia 1 Langford 35,342 46,584 31.8
2 Southern Gulf Islands 4,732 6,101 28.9
3 Lake Country 12,922 15,817 22.4
4 Squamish 19,497 23,819 22.2
5 Tsinstikeptum 9 7,612 9,134 20.0
Yukon 1 Macpherson-Grizzly Valley 1,245 1,540 23.7
2 Dawson 1,375 1,577 14.7
3 Whitehorse 25,085 28,201 12.4
4 Yukon, Unorganized 1,388 1,496 7.8
5 Watson Lake 1,083 1,133 4.6
Northwest Territories 1 Yellowknife 19,569 20,340 3.9
Nunavut 1 Igloolik 1,744 2,049 17.5
2 Coral Harbour 891 1,035 16.2
3 Sanikiluaq 882 1,010 14.5
4 Naujaat 1,082 1,225 13.2
5 Clyde River 1,053 1,181 12.2
Table 6
Population and growth rate, five municipalities (census subdivisions) with at least 5,000 inhabitants with the highest rate of population decline, 2016 to 2021
Table summary
This table displays the results of Population and growth rate. The information is grouped by Province or territory (appearing as row headers), Rank, Highest rate of population decline, Municipality, Population, 2016, 2021 and Growth from 2016 to 2021 , calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Province or territory Rank Highest rate of population decline
Municipality Population
2016 2021 Growth from
2016 to 2021
number percent
Newfoundland and Labrador 1 Mount Pearl 23,120 22,477 -2.8
2 Corner Brook 19,806 19,333 -2.4
3 Grand Falls-Windsor 14,171 13,853 -2.2
4 Marystown 5,316 5,204 -2.1
5 Stephenville 6,623 6,540 -1.3
Prince Edward Island Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable
Nova Scotia 1 Colchester, Subd. C 13,098 12,476 -4.7
2 Clare 8,018 7,678 -4.2
3 Antigonish, Subd. B 6,306 6,138 -2.7
4 Barrington 6,646 6,523 -1.9
5 Cumberland, Subd. B 6,859 6,786 -1.1
New Brunswick 1 Grand Falls / Grand-Sault 5,326 5,220 -2.0
2 Oromocto 9,223 9,045 -1.9
3 Edmundston 16,580 16,437 -0.9
4 Beresford (Parish) 6,248 6,226 -0.4
5 Tracadie 16,114 16,043 -0.4
Quebec 1 Sainte-Anne-des-Monts 6,437 6,121 -4.9
2 Port-Cartier 6,799 6,516 -4.2
3 Baie-Comeau 21,536 20,687 -3.9
4 Kirkland 20,151 19,413 -3.7
5 Chibougamau 7,504 7,233 -3.6
Ontario 1 Dryden 7,749 7,388 -4.7
2 Bayham 7,396 7,096 -4.1
3 Fort Frances 7,739 7,466 -3.5
4 Kirkland Lake 7,981 7,750 -2.9
5 Temiskaming Shores 9,920 9,634 -2.9
Manitoba 1 Thompson 13,678 13,035 -4.7
2 Rhineland 5,945 5,819 -2.1
3 St. Andrews 11,913 11,723 -1.6
4 Portage la Prairie (Rural Municipality) 6,975 6,888 -1.2
5 Portage la Prairie (City) 13,304 13,270 -0.3
Saskatchewan 1 Estevan 11,483 10,851 -5.5
2 North Battleford (City) 14,315 13,836 -3.3
3 Moose Jaw 33,910 33,665 -0.7
4 Melfort 5,992 5,955 -0.6
5 Meadow Lake 5,344 5,322 -0.4
Alberta 1 Athabasca County 7,869 6,959 -11.6
2 Lac la Biche County 8,330 7,673 -7.9
3 Brazeau County 7,771 7,179 -7.6
4 Barrhead County No. 11 6,288 5,877 -6.5
5 Greenview No. 16 9,154 8,584 -6.2
British Columbia 1 Peace River C 6,667 5,947 -10.8
2 Peace River B 5,628 5,379 -4.4
3 Merritt 7,139 7,051 -1.2
4 Cariboo A 6,234 6,169 -1.0
5 Esquimalt (District Municipality) 17,655 17,533 -0.7
Yukon Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable Note ..: not applicable
Northwest Territories 1 Fort Smith 2,542 2,248 -11.6
2 Hay River 3,528 3,169 -10.2
3 Fort Simpson 1,202 1,100 -8.5
4 Behchokò 1,874 1,746 -6.8
5 Inuvik 3,243 3,137 -3.3
Nunavut 1 Kugluktuk 1,491 1,382 -7.3
2 Iqaluit 7,740 7,429 -4.0
3 Pond Inlet 1,617 1,555 -3.8
4 Cape Dorset 1,441 1,396 -3.1
5 Baker Lake 2,069 2,061 -0.4

Additional information

Additional analysis on population and dwelling counts can be found in the Daily articles entitled “Canada tops G7 growth despite COVID”, “Canada’s large urban centres continue to grow and spread”, and in the Census in Brief article entitled “Population growth in Canada’s rural areas, 2016 to 2021”, Catalogue no. 98-200-X.

Additional information on population and dwelling counts can be found in the Highlight tables, Catalogue no. 98-402-X; the Census Profile, Catalogue no. 98-316-X; and the Focus on Geography SeriesCatalogue no. 98-404-X.

Thematic maps  for this topic are also available for various levels of geography.

For details on the concepts, definitions, and variables used in the 2021 Census of Population, please consult the Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021, Catalogue no. 98-301-X.

In addition to response rates and other data-quality information, the Guide to the Census of Population, 2021, Catalogue no. 98-304-X, provides an overview of the various phases of the census including content determination, sampling design, collection, data processing, data quality assessment, confidentiality guidelines and dissemination.

Acknowledgments

This report was prepared by, Rufteen Shumanty, Patrick Charbonneau and Laurent Martel of Statistics Canada's Centre for Demography, with the assistance of other staff members in that centre, and the collaboration of staff members of Census Subject Matter Secretariat, Census Operations Division, Communications and Dissemination Branch.

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