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Tuesday, April 15, 1997
For release at 8:30 a.m.
Statistics Canada begins today to paint a new statistical portrait of the nation with the release of the first data from the 1996 Census.
Today's release, the first of 10 such announcements from the Census, provides a national overview of changes in population distribution between 1991 and 1996, and shows in detail where the largest increases and declines have occurred.
On May 14, 1996, the Census counted 28,846,761 people in Canada, up more than 1.5 million (+5.7%) since 1991. This growth over the past five years has been due to international migration and natural increase (births minus deaths), to an almost equal extent.
The population has doubled in 45 years from just over 14 million in 1951. Overall, the rate of population growth slowed between 1991 and 1996, compared to the previous five-year period.
Table: Population growth since 1951
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Population Growth Rate
Population Increase
______________________________________________________________________________
%
1951 14,009,429
1956 16,080,791 2,071,362 14.8
1961 18,238,247 2,157,456 13.4
1966 20,014,880 1,776,633 9.7
1971 21,568,311 1,553,431 7.8
1976 22,992,604 1,424,293 6.6
1981 24,343,181 1,350,577 5.9
1986 25,309,331 966,150 4.0
1991 27,296,859 1,987,528 7.9
1996 28,846,761 1,549,902 5.7
______________________________________________________________________________
The Census showed that every province and territory, except Newfoundland, recorded an increase in population over the past five years. British Columbia recorded by far the highest growth rate (+13.5%). The number of people enumerated in Newfoundland fell for the first time since the province joined Confederation in 1949.
Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories were the only three areas that grew faster during the past five years in comparison to the 1986 to 1991 period.
Although Canada's population growth rate has been slowing recently, we are still frontrunners compared to the rest of the industrialised world. Between 1991 and 1996, Canada's population grew at an annual average rate of 1.1%, the highest of all G-7 industrialised nations. Average annual increases for the others (between 1990 and 1995) varied from 0.1% for Italy to 1.0% for the United States.
Table: Population growth rates in G7 nations(1)
1990 to 1995
______________________________________________________________________________
1990-95
______________________________________________________________________________
Annual
growth rate %
G-7 Country
World 1.5
United States 1.0
Germany 0.6
France 0.5
United Kingdom 0.2
Japan 0.2
Italy 0.1
Canada (1991-96 Census) 1.1
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) World Population 1996, United Nations, Population Division.
Canada accounts for about 0.5% of the global population. Between 1990 and 1995, the overall number of people on the planet rose at an annual growth rate of 1.5%, that is, 0.4% in more developed regions and 1.8% in less developed regions, according to United Nations figures.
Data from the 1996 Census will be released over the next 14 months. Reports containing more detailed information on Canadians - their marital status, the languages they speak, their ethnic origin, income, education and their jobs - are scheduled between now and June 1998 to round out this new statistical portrait.
Table: Population growth from 1991 to 1996 and number of dwellings in 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Population
_______________________________________________
1996 1991 % change
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada 28,846,761 27,296,859 5.7
Newfoundland 551,792 568,474 -2.9
Prince Edward Island 134,557 129,765 3.7
Nova Scotia 909,282 899,942 1.0
New Brunswick 738,133 723,900 2.0
Quebec 7,138,795 6,895,963 3.5
Ontario 10,753,573 10,084,885 6.6
Manitoba 1,113,898 1,091,942 2.0
Saskatchewan 990,237 988,928 0.1
Alberta 2,696,826 2,545,553 5.9
British Columbia 3,724,500 3,282,061 13.5
Yukon Territory 30,766 27,797 10.7
Northwest Territories 64,402 57,649 11.7
______________________________________________________________________________
Population Dwellings
_____________ _____________
Absolute 1996
Change
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada 1,549,902 10,899,427
Newfoundland -16,682 187,406
Prince Edward Island 4,792 48,630
Nova Scotia 9,340 344,779
New Brunswick 14,233 272,915
Quebec 242,832 2,849,149
Ontario 668,688 3,951,326
Manitoba 21,956 421,096
Saskatchewan 1,309 375,740
Alberta 151,273 984,275
British Columbia 442,439 1,433,533
Yukon Territory 2,969 11,584
Northwest Territories 6,753 18,994
______________________________________________________________________________
Among the provinces, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario grew at rates exceeding the national average, as did the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Newfoundland lost population, and the remaining provinces grew at rates less than the national average.
The Census counted 3,724,500 people in British Columbia, an increase of 13.5%, more than twice the national average of 5.7%. British Columbia had the fastest growth rate of the 10 provinces between 1986 and 1991, and 1991 and 1996. International migration accounted for about 45% of B.C.'s rapid growth, interprovincial migration 35% and natural increase the rest. It is the only province that has grown at a faster rate than the national average in every Census since Confederation.
Ontario's population rose 6.6% to 10,753,573, an absolute increase of 668,688 people. While British Columbia had the higher percentage increase, its absolute growth was lower, at 442,439 people. Ontario's population growth was due to international migration, which accounted for 60%, and natural increase. About 80% of Ontario's growth occurred in its census metropolitan areas. Half of Ontario's growth was in the census metropolitan area of Toronto.
Alberta recorded a 5.9% growth, just above the national average. Natural increase accounted for about 65% of this growth over the past five years, while international migration was responsible for about 30%.
The 1996 Census counted 551,792 people in Newfoundland, a 2.9% decline during the past five years. Newfoundland's population loss was due to migration to other provinces.
Chart: CHART: BAR GRAPH 1986 to 1991 and 1991 to
1996 % CHANGE
Three Newfoundland municipalities, Placentia, Channel-Port aux Basques and Labrador City, were among the nation's 10 municipalities, with at least 5,000 population, which recorded the largest percentage population declines. At the same time, the census metropolitan area of St. John's grew 1.3%.
Saskatchewan, the only province recording a population loss between 1986 and 1991, counted 990,237 people in 1996, a 0.1% gain since the last Census. Between 1986 and 1991, Saskatchewan's population had declined 2.0% from an all-time high of slightly over one million people counted in the 1986 Census.
The Census counted 134,557 people in Prince Edward Island, a 3.7% increase, which was the result of natural increase (55%) and, to a lesser extent, interprovincial migration (35%).
Quebec surpassed the seven million mark, as the Census counted 7,138,795 people, a 3.5% increase compared to a gain of 5.6% between 1986 and 1991. Natural increase was responsible for about 65% of Quebec's population growth followed by international migration.
The 1996 Census found relatively slow growth during the past five years in New Brunswick (+2.0%), Manitoba (+2.0%) and Nova Scotia (+1.0%).
The population of the Yukon (30,766) increased 10.7% between 1991 and 1996, while the Northwest Territories increased 11.7% to 64,402 people.
In both the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the gain was due overwhelmingly to natural increase. In the case of the Northwest Territories specifically, the increase was the result of high fertility rates and declining mortality rates among its Aboriginal population.
The 1996 Census confirmed a trend seen for a number of years showing the distribution of Canada's population shifting from east to west.
In 1951, 15% of Canada's population lived in Alberta and British Columbia. By 1996, that had increased to 22%. Similarly, Ontario's share of the population has increased from 33% in 1951 to 37% in 1996.
The objective of every Census is to provide detailed information at a single point in time on the demographic, social and economic conditions of the population. One of its goals is to enumerate the entire population on Census Day. Inevitably, however, some people are not counted, either because their household did not receive a Census questionnaire (for example, a household living in a separate apartment in a house) or because they were not included in the questionnaire completed for the household (for example, a boarder or lodger). Some people may also be missed because they have no usual residence and did not spend census night in any dwelling. On the other hand, a small number of people may also be counted twice (for example, a student living away from home).
To determine how many individuals were missed, or counted more than once, Statistics Canada conducts post-censal coverage studies of a representative sample of individuals. The results of these studies provide information which is used to adjust the Census counts for the purpose of producing current (quarterly and annual) population estimates which take into account net under-enumeration in the Census.
In 1991, after adjustment for net under-enumeration, the population estimate for Canada was 2.82% higher than the population enumerated in the Census. The studies of the completeness of enumeration of the 1996 Census will be completed early next year, and will be used to revise and update the population estimates.
Over this 45-year period, the Atlantic Provinces' proportion has fallen from 12% to the current 8%, while the proportion in Quebec has declined from 29% to 25%. Manitoba's share of the population declined from 6% in 1951 to 4% in 1996. Saskatchewan's dropped from 6% to 3%.
The date 1951 is used as a benchmark because it is the first census that included Newfoundland.
The 1996 Census enumerated 17,864,646 people living in the 25 census metropolitan areas (CMAs). This represents an increase of 6.4% over the previous census, slightly above the national average.
Just seven of the census metropolitan areas grew at a faster rate than the national average. Of those, the fastest-growing were Vancouver (+14.3%), Oshawa (+11.9%), Toronto (+9.4%) and Calgary (+9.0%). More than a third (36.2%) of Canada's population lived in the four most populous metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Ottawa - Hull.
Table: Population in census metropolitan areas in 1991 and 1996 and number of
dwellings in 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Rank Population
______________________________ _____________
1996 1991 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Toronto 1 1 4,263,757
Montréal 2 2 3,326,510
Vancouver 3 3 1,831,665
Ottawa - Hull 4 4 1,010,498
Edmonton 5 5 862,597
Calgary 6 6 821,628
Québec 7 8 671,889
Winnipeg 8 7 667,209
Hamilton 9 9 624,360
London 10 10 398,616
Kitchener 11 12 382,940
St. Catharines -
Niagara 12 11 372,406
Halifax 13 13 332,518
Victoria 14 14 304,287
Windsor 15 15 278,685
Oshawa 16 16 268,773
Saskatoon 17 17 219,056
Regina 18 18 193,652
St. John's 19 19 174,051
Sudbury 20 21 160,488
Chicoutimi - Jonquière 21 20 160,454
Sherbrooke 22 22 147,384
Trois-Rivières 23 23 139,956
Saint John 24 24 125,705
Thunder Bay 25 25 125,562
______________________________________________________________________________
Population Dwellings
______________________________ _____________
1991 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
% change
Toronto 3,898,933 9.4 1,494,498
Montréal 3,208,970 3.7 1,350,677
Vancouver 1,602,590 14.3 697,429
Ottawa - Hull 941,814 7.3 388,977
Edmonton 841,132 2.6 321,258
Calgary 754,033 9.0 306,588
Québec 645,550 4.1 279,432
Winnipeg 660,450 1.0 262,673
Hamilton 599,760 4.1 236,342
London 381,522 4.5 157,739
Kitchener 356,421 7.4 141,739
St. Catharines -
Niagara 364,552 2.2 145,655
Halifax 320,501 3.7 128,618
Victoria 287,897 5.7 130,119
Windsor 262,075 6.3 106,701
Oshawa 240,104 11.9 93,855
Saskatoon 210,949 3.8 85,616
Regina 191,692 1.0 75,115
St. John's 171,848 1.3 61,156
Sudbury 157,613 1.8 62,208
Chicoutimi - Jonquière 160,928 -0.3 60,424
Sherbrooke 140,718 4.7 62,416
Trois-Rivières 136,303 2.7 58,911
Saint John 125,838 -0.1 47,294
Thunder Bay 124,925 0.5 49,102
______________________________________________________________________________
The census metropolitan area of Toronto was enumerated at 4,263,757, becoming the first with more than four million people. Its population rose by 364,824, almost a quarter of Canada's total population increase. International migration accounted for more than half the growth of the Toronto census metropolitan area.
Ottawa - Hull became the first census metropolitan area since Vancouver reached the one million level in 1971. Its population rose 7.3% to 1,010,498. The Quebec part grew faster (+8.9%) than the Ontario part (+6.8%).
The only census metropolitan area that grew faster over the past five years than it did between 1986 and 1991 was Windsor. Its population reached 278,685 in 1996, up 6.3% compared to a gain of 3.2% between 1986 and 1991.
Growth patterns led to some changes in rankings. Québec's 4.1% increase allowed it to edge out Winnipeg as the seventh largest census metropolitan area, while Kitchener took over 11th spot from St. Catharines-Niagara.
While the census metropolitan area of Montréal experienced overall growth of 3.7%, two large central municipalities experienced population declines. The City of Montréal (the largest component of the Montréal census metropolitan area) declined 0.1%, and Montréal-Nord 4.6%.
Growth in smaller municipalities within the Montréal census metropolitan area accounted for the area's overall population increase. Several recorded strong growth rates, among them La Plaine (+36.3% to 14,413), Blainville (+30.5% to 29,603), Varennes (+27.7% to 18,842), Mirabel (+26.3% to 22,689) and Chambly (+24.1% to 19,716).
In contrast, the strong population growth in the Ottawa - Hull and Toronto census metropolitan areas was the result of a combination of factors, that is, small population increases of about 3% in their central municipalities, coupled with strong growth in many of the municipalities on their outskirts.
Consistent with the high levels of population growth in British Columbia, the census metropolitan area of Vancouver experienced high growth in almost all of the municipalities which make up the census metropolitan area.
Chart: CMAs BY GROWTH RATE
Twenty-three of Canada's 44 largest municipalities (those with populations of more than 100,000) experienced moderate growth rates of between 1% and 10%. Only eight experienced a decline, none more than 2.6%. Eleven had growth rates of more than 10%.
Of these largest municipalities, the fastest growing were all in British Columbia and Ontario. Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, surpassed the 100,000 mark with a population enumerated at 101,725. Its increase of 26.9% was the highest of the largest municipalities.
Richmond Hill was followed by three British Columbia municipalities. Surrey gained almost 60,000 inhabitants, rising 24.2% to 304,477. Similarly, Abbotsford recorded a 21.3% increase to 105,403 and Coquitlam, a 21.2% gain to 101,820.
Mississauga surpassed the half-million mark at 544,382 people. It recorded the largest absolute gain among the largest municipalities (81,000).
Only eight municipalities with populations of more than 5,000 had increases of over 40% during the past five years, compared to 22 between 1986 and 1991. Eleven municipalities declined by more than 6% between 1991 and 1996, compared to 25 over the previous five-year census period.
In comparing Census results for 1991 and 1996, it should be noted that the 1996 Census figures do not include persons who on Census Day were temporarily absent and not enumerated at their usual place of residence. The number of such persons will be estimated using post-censal coverage studies. In 1991, an estimated 92,584 persons in this category were included in the Census counts.
Whistler, B.C., had the highest growth rate (+60.8%) among municipalities with a population of more than 5,000. In absolute numbers, however, that represented an increase of just 2,713 people, raising Whistler's population to 7,172.
The second and third fastest growing municipalities of that size also had growth rates of over 50%. Saint-Colomban, Que., in the Montréal census metropolitan area, increased 53.1% to 5,569 and the University Endowment Area, B.C., in downtown Vancouver, gained 50.7%, to 6,833.
Annapolis, N.S., experienced the greatest percentage decline, 21.6%, dropping it to 6,710. This decline was primarily due to military personnel who were transferred out of a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality. No other municipality, small or large, experienced a decline of greater than 10%.
Some smaller resource-based municipalities and one-industry towns experienced notable declines: Labrador City, Nfld. (-6.7%), New Liskeard, Ont. (-5.9%), Kirkland Lake, Ont. (-5.1%), Elliot Lake, Ont. (-3.6%), Thetford Mines, Que. (-3.4%) and Asbestos, Que., (-3.3%).
Table: Fastest growing municipalities had populations of 5,000 or more
1991 to 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
1996 1991
______________________________________________________________________________
Population % change
______________________________ _____________
Municipality with
population over 5,000
Whistler 7,172 4,459 60.8
Saint-Colomban 5,569 3,638 53.1
University Endowment
Area 6,833 4,534 50.7
Courtenay 17,335 11,698 48.2
Canmore 8,354 5,681 47.1
Saint-Émile 9,889 6,916 43.0
Cochrane 7,424 5,267 41.0
Sainte-Catherine 13,724 9,805 40.0
Masson-Angers 7,989 5,753 38.9
La Plaine 14,413 10,576 36.3
Wasaga Beach 8,698 6,457 34.7
Notre-Dame-de-l'Ile-
Perrot 7,059 5,261 34.2
Lavaltrie 5,821 4,365 33.4
Saint-Lin 9,336 7,029 32.8
Ladysmith 6,456 4,875 32.4
Qualicum Beach 6,728 5,137 31.0
Blainville 29,603 22,679 30.5
Val-des-Monts 7,231 5,551 30.3
Central Okanagan,
Subd. B 22,901 17,770 28.9
Parksville 9,472 7,381 28.3
Kanata 47,909 37,344 28.3
Airdrie 15,946 12,456 28.0
Varennes 18,842 14,758 27.7
Nanaimo, Subd. B 19,930 15,619 27.6
Saint-Jean-Chrysostome 16,161 12,717 27.1
______________________________________________________________________________
The number of occupied private dwellings in Canada continues to grow at a faster rate than the country's population.
While the population rose 5.7% over the five-year census period, the number of occupied private dwellings increased 8.1%. The 1996 Census counted 10,899,427 dwellings, compared to 10,079,442 five years ago.
The number of occupied private dwellings in British Columbia rose 14.6% to 1,433,533, the biggest percentage increase among provinces.
For further information on this release, contact Media Relations (613-951-4636).
Table: Fastest declining municipalities had populations of 5,000 or more
1991 to 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
1996 1991
______________________________________________________________________________
Population % change
______________________________ _____________
Municipality with
population over 5,000
Annapolis, Subd. A 6,710 8,554 -21.6
Placentia 5,013 5,515 -9.1
Miramichi 19,241 21,165 -9.1
Yarmouth 7,148 7,820 -8.6
Flin Flon (Part) 6,572 7,119 -7.7
Portage la Prairie 6,627 7,156 -7.4
Channel-Port aux
Basques 5,243 5,644 -7.1
Guysborough 5,942 6,389 -7.0
Labrador City 8,455 9,061 -6.7
LeMoyne 5,052 5,412 -6.7
Shawinigan 18,678 19,931 -6.3
New Liskeard 5,112 5,431 -5.9
Kirkland Lake 9,905 10,440 -5.1
Inverness, Subd. A 6,595 6,947 -5.1
Vanier 17,247 18,150 -5.0
Crowsnest Pass 6,356 6,680 -4.9
Iroquois Falls 5,714 5,999 -4.8
Montréal-Nord 81,581 85,516 -4.6
Port-Cartier 7,070 7,383 -4.2
Wood Buffalo 35,213 36,771 -4.2
Sudbury, Unorganized,
North Part 7,147 7,463 -4.2
Sorel 23,248 24,253 -4.1
Chatham 6,321 6,594 -4.1
Bathurst 13,815 14,409 -4.1
Sillery 12,003 12,519 -4.1
______________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming release dates Information on
April 15, 1997 Population and dwelling counts
October 14, 1997 Age, sex, marital status, common-law
families
November 4, 1997 Immigration and citizenship
December 2, 1997 Mother tongue, home languages,
official and non-official languages
January 13, 1998 Aboriginal
February 17, 1998 Ethnic origin
March 17, 1998 Labour force activity, occupation,
industry, household activities, place
April 14, 1998 Education, mobility and migration
May 12, 1998 Sources of income, family and
household income
June 9,1998 Social and economic characteristics
of families, occupied private
June 9,1998 Social and economic characteristics
of families, occupied private
Statistics Canada has started consultations on 2001 Census content and post-censal survey topics. For information write: 2001 Census Content Determination Project, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6. Internet: consultation2001@statcan.ca
A National Overview (93-357-XPB, print, $40) provides 1996 population and dwelling counts for many levels of geography including Canada, the provinces and territories, census divisions/census subdivisions, census metropolitan areas/census agglomerations, urban and rural areas, and forward sortation areas (the first three characters of the postal code).
New for 1996, Postal Code Counts (92F0086XCB, CD-ROM, $60) contains 1996 Census population and dwelling counts for all six-character postal codes and forward sortation areas reported by respondents. Includes software that enables users to search the data set for specific postal codes as well as importing and exporting groups of postal codes.
GeoRef (92F0085XCB, CD-ROM, $60) provides the 1996 Census population and dwelling counts for all geographic areas excluding postal code, and all of the geographic reference information a census data user will require, such as geographic codes and names. Includes a user-friendly query and retrieval software.
A range of geography products and services accompany the release of these data. They include:
For further information or to order any of these products, contact your nearest Statistics Canada Regional Reference Centre.