Focus on Geography Series, 2021 Census of Population

Ontario, Province

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

5.8%

In 2021, the enumerated population of Ontario was 14,223,942 which represents a change of 5.8% from 2016. This growth was higher than the national rate of 5.2%.

6.2%

In 2021, there were 5,491,201 private dwellings occupied in Ontario which represent a change of 6.2% from 2016. This growth was lower than the national rate of 6.4%.

15.9

The land area of Ontario is 892,411.76 square kilometres and the population density was 15.9 people per square kilometre.

Population in the last 170 years, Ontario

Population change in the last 170 years, Ontario

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

In 2021, 90.0% of the population of Ontario lived inside a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA). That represents 12,799,840 persons. This was higher than the national rate of 83.9%.

The number of persons living outside a census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) was 1,424,102, which accounts for 10.0% of the population. This was lower than the national rate of 16.1%.

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

CMA or CA name Type Population Rank
2021 2016 % change Nat. Prov.
Toronto CMA 6,202,225 5,928,040 4.6 1 1
Ottawa - Gatineau CMA 1,488,307 1,371,576 r 8.5 4 ...

Ottawa - Gatineau (Quebec part)

 CMA part 353,293 332,426 6.3 ... 3

Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part)

 CMA part 1,135,014 1,039,150 9.2 ... 2
Hamilton CMA 785,184 747,545 5.0 9 3
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo CMA 575,847 523,894 9.9 10 4
London CMA 543,551 494,069 10.0 11 5
St. Catharines - Niagara CMA 433,604 406,074 6.8 13 6
Windsor CMA 422,630 398,718 r 6.0 14 7
Oshawa CMA 415,311 379,848 9.3 15 8
Barrie CMA 212,856 197,059 8.0 21 9
Kingston CMA 172,546 161,175 7.1 24 10
Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury CMA 170,605 165,958 r 2.8 25 11
Guelph CMA 165,588 151,984 9.0 26 12
Brantford CMA 144,162 134,203 7.4 30 13
Peterborough CMA 128,624 121,721 5.7 32 14
Thunder Bay CMA 123,258 121,621 1.3 34 15
Belleville - Quinte West CMA 111,184 103,401 r 7.5 38 16
Chatham-Kent CA 104,316 102,042 2.2 40 17
Sarnia CA 97,592 96,151 1.5 44 18
Kawartha Lakes CA 79,247 75,423 5.1 47 19
Sault Ste. Marie CA 76,731 78,159 -1.8 49 20
North Bay CA 71,736 70,378 1.9 52 21
Norfolk CA 67,490 64,044 5.4 53 22
Cornwall CA 61,415 59,699 2.9 57 23
Woodstock CA 46,705 41,098 r 13.6 66 24
Timmins CA 41,145 41,788 -1.5 72 25
Orillia CA 33,411 31,166 7.2 79 26
Stratford CA 33,232 31,470 r 5.6 80 27
Owen Sound CA 32,712 31,820 2.8 81 28
Brockville CA 31,661 31,200 r 1.5 84 29
Centre Wellington CA 31,093 28,191 10.3 86 30
Midland CA 27,894 25,826 r 8.0 94 31
Wasaga Beach CA 24,862 20,675 20.3 101 32
Collingwood CA 24,811 21,793 13.8 102 33
Pembroke CA 23,814 23,269 2.3 104 34
Essa CA 22,970 21,083 r 9.0 107 35
Cobourg CA 20,519 19,440 5.6 109 36
Tillsonburg CA 18,615 15,872 17.3 120 37
Petawawa CA 18,160 17,187 5.7 122 38
Port Hope CA 17,294 16,753 3.2 127 39
Kenora CA 14,967 15,096 -0.9 133 40
Ingersoll CA 13,693 12,757 7.3 140 41
Hawkesbury CA 12,010 11,974 0.3 151 ...

Hawkesbury (Quebec part)

 CA part 1,816 1,711 6.1 ... 31

Hawkesbury (Ontario part)

 CA part 10,194 10,263 -0.7 ... 43
Elliot Lake CA 11,372 10,741 5.9 152 42

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

Census subdivision (CSD) name Type Population
2021 2016 % change
East Gwillimbury T 34,637 23,991 44.4
The Blue Mountains T 9,390 7,025 33.7
New Tecumseth T 43,948 34,242 28.3
Thorold CY 23,816 18,801 26.7
Seguin TP 5,280 4,304 22.7

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

Census subdivision (CSD) name Type Population
2021 2016 % change
Dryden CY 7,388 7,749 -4.7
Bayham MU 7,096 7,396 -4.1
Fort Frances T 7,466 7,739 -3.5
Kirkland Lake T 7,750 7,981 -2.9
Temiskaming Shores CY 9,634 9,920 -2.9
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