Suburbanizing Canada: 2021 Census

Canada continues to move to the suburbs, as the 2021 census data shows. This is based on a Statistics Canada analysis on metropolitan (Census Metropolitan Areas, or CMAs) population and […]
Published on May 17, 2022

Canada continues to move to the suburbs, as the 2021 census data shows. This is based on a Statistics Canada analysis on metropolitan (Census Metropolitan Areas, or CMAs) population and change since the 2016 Census. Statistics Canada (Statscan) divides the CMA population into five geographic sectors, including downtown, and four other sectors defined by proximity from downtown (in minutes). This urban core/suburbs categorization differs from the core municipality/suburbs approach, with its much more readily available data. The findings are described in “Canada’s large urban centres continue to grow and spread”, which also has a useful array of tables.

Overall according to the 2021 Census, 78.4 percent of the population of the 11 CMAs is in the suburbs, with 21.6 percent in the urban core. The largest population share is in the Near Suburbs (33.9 percent), followed by the Distant Suburbs (23.5 percent) and the Intermediate Suburbs (21.0 percent). The Inner Ring accounts for 17.5 percent of the population, with Downtown having 4.1 percent.

Download PDF (12 pages)

Featured News

MORE NEWS

Canada’s International Property Rights Ranking Slipped In 2024

Canada’s International Property Rights Ranking Slipped In 2024

Joseph Quesnel warns that Canada’s prosperity is at risk under the Trump administration, citing a decline in the country’s property rights. By analyzing the 2024 International Property Rights Index, Quesnel reveals that Canada is falling behind in legal and political indicators, ranking last compared to other Anglosphere countries. He proposes that Canada adopt policies from New Zealand and Australia to strengthen intellectual property rights and safeguard its future economic success. Read more to find out how property rights impact Canada’s prosperity.

Can Patriotism Survive The Crisis Of Civic Literacy?

Can Patriotism Survive The Crisis Of Civic Literacy?

As civic literacy collapses, Canadian patriotism is fading into hollow sentiment, warns John von Heyking. Too few Canadians understand their Constitution or political system, leaving national pride adrift in symbolism and outrage. Drawing on thinkers from Cicero to Tocqueville, von Heyking calls for a revival of “constitutional patriotism”—loyalty rooted in civic knowledge and democratic responsibility. If Canada is to survive as a distinct, self-governing country, it must first remember what made it one.