Population density in Canada
Canada: Population density was 4.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.56 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
206th
of 215 countries
All-time high
4.56 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
2.04 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Canada, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Canada is 4.56 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Canada peaked at 4.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.04 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Canada 206th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Canada, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.04 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 2.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1963 | 2.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1964 | 2.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 2.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 2.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 2.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 2.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 2.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 2.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 2.45 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 2.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 2.51 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 2.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 2.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 2.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 2.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 2.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 2.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 2.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 2.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 2.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 2.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 2.86 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 2.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 2.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 2.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 2.99 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 3.04 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 3.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 3.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 3.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 3.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 3.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 3.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 3.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 3.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 3.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 3.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 3.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 3.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 3.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 3.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 3.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 3.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 3.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 3.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 3.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 3.79 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 3.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 3.87 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 3.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 3.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 3.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 4.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 4.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 4.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 4.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 4.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 4.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 4.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 4.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.19 people per sq. km of land area | 2.04 people per sq. km of land area | 2.35 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.56 people per sq. km of land area | 2.38 people per sq. km of land area | 2.7 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.88 people per sq. km of land area | 2.73 people per sq. km of land area | 3.04 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.25 people per sq. km of land area | 3.09 people per sq. km of land area | 3.39 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.58 people per sq. km of land area | 3.42 people per sq. km of land area | 3.75 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.98 people per sq. km of land area | 3.79 people per sq. km of land area | 4.2 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4 people per sq. km of land area | 4.24 people per sq. km of land area | 4.56 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 203 Central African Republic 8.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 204 Kazakhstan 7.53 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 205 Mauritania 4.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 207 Botswana 4.38 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 208 Libya 4.15 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 209 Suriname 3.92 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Canada
- Population in the largest city 18.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.4398 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 18.32 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.9868 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 2.04 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 6.49 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 16.3 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 938.36 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Canada?
- Population density in Canada was 4.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 4.56 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.04 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Canada rank for population density?
- Canada ranks 206th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.