Calgary, Edmonton lead population growth as Toronto slips

Canada's largest cities are struggling to keep up, according to new population estimates from Statistics Canada.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Canada’s largest cities are struggling to keep up, according to new population estimates from Statistics Canada.

The latest data, analyzed by True North, reveals a surprising shift in migration trends, with Alberta’s major hubs, Calgary and Edmonton, leading the country in growth while the once-dominant Toronto sees its population gains slow down.

Four categories of data were presented: nationally, provincially, Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs)—cities with a population of 100,000 or greater—and Census Agglomerations (CAs), which are smaller urban centres.

While Canada’s population grew by 389,324 people (0.94 per cent), every province and territory saw a gain. Alberta saw the largest absolute and percentage population gain among provinces, rising by 113,591 people—a growth rate of 2.77 per cent. Only the Northwest Territories had a higher percentage gain, growing by 676 people (2.92 per cent).

The estimates show that population growth remained highly uneven across the country, with Prairie cities dominating the top rankings while several large and mid-sized urban areas lagged behind.

Among CMAs, Calgary recorded the largest population increase, rising by 52,351 people (2.94 per cent) annually, the biggest absolute gain of any major urban centre.

Edmonton followed closely, adding 50,717 residents (3.09 per cent) during the same period. Together, Alberta’s two largest cities accounted for a substantial share of Canada’s overall urban population growth.

The Ottawa–Gatineau metropolitan area also posted strong gains, growing by 38,048 residents, while Winnipeg and Vancouver rounded out the top five CMAs by absolute population growth with gains of 11,748 and 6,323, respectively.

By contrast, Toronto, Canada’s largest metropolitan area, saw its population decline slightly between July 1, 2024, and 2025. Toronto’s metropolitan population fell by 992 people (-0.01 per cent), making it the largest CMA in the country to record an outright decrease.

Kamloops was the only other CMA to post a population decline, shrinking by 259 residents (0.2 per cent decrease) over the year.

When measured by growth rate rather than raw numbers, Prairie cities again led the country. Edmonton posted the fastest percentage growth among CMAs, followed closely by Calgary, while Moncton, Saskatoon, and Regina also ranked among the fastest-growing major urban areas.

Smaller urban centres showed even sharper contrasts. Several CAs—which include mid-sized towns and regional hubs—posted rapid percentage growth, led by Petawawa (3.08 per cent), Lloydminster (2.98 per cent), and Winkler (2.93 per cent).

Others, such as Canmore, Pembroke, and Prince Rupert, recorded population declines, decreasing by 0.88, 0.86, and 0.61 per cent, respectively.