City growth is the percentage change in population between two reference dates, typically 1 July, measured with official estimates. According to Statistics Canada (January 2026), the country’s 41 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) grew by 1.0% between 1 July 2024 and 1 July 2025, reaching 31,169,100 residents. Growth slowed in every CMA compared with the previous year. Toronto’s CMA was essentially flat, at -0.0% (-992 people), after growing 3.9% the year before.
How to measure a city’s growth
Use the same geography for every city
Compare census metropolitan areas (CMAs) rather than municipal boundaries. A city’s official limits often cover only part of its labour market and commuting area, so a municipal figure can understate or overstate growth relative to neighbouring cities. Statistics Canada publishes CMA populations on a consistent basis, which makes cross-city comparison possible.
Read the percentage and the absolute count together
A rate can hide scale. Toronto’s 2024–25 change of -992 people rounds to -0.0%, while Edmonton’s +3.0% and Moncton’s +2.9% describe a different kind of expansion. Note both the count and the rate before ranking cities.
Identify the source of growth
Total change combines several flows. Statistics Canada (January 2026) attributes the 2024–25 slowdown mainly to fewer non-permanent residents, especially study permit holders. Permanent immigration is now the largest growth driver in CMAs and census agglomerations. A city growing through permanent immigration behaves differently from one growing through temporary residents.
Check for revisions before comparing releases
Estimates change between editions. Statistics Canada’s figures for 2023–24 growth were revised as follows:
| CMA | 2023–24 growth, January 2025 release | 2023–24 growth, January 2026 release | 2024–25 growth, January 2026 release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | +3.9% | +3.9% | -0.0% (-992 people) |
| Montréal | +2.9% | +2.4% | +0.5% |
| Vancouver | +4.2% | +3.7% | +0.2% |
Canadian census metropolitan areas in figures
Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) grew by 1.0% between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, reaching 31,169,100 residents, according to Statistics Canada (2026-01-14). All 41 CMAs grew more slowly than in the previous year. In 2023-24, CMAs had grown by 3.5% in aggregate, against 3.0% for Canada as a whole, and 74.8% of Canadians lived in a CMA as of the 2025 release (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-16).
The fastest-growing CMAs in 2024-25 were:
- Edmonton: +3.0%
- Moncton: +2.9%
- Calgary: +2.9%
In all three, permanent immigration was the main driver of growth. Calgary had posted the fastest growth in 2023-24, at +5.8%, the highest rate of any CMA since at least 2001, followed by Moncton (+5.1%), Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo (+4.9%), Peterborough (+4.5%), Edmonton (+4.5%) and Saskatoon (+4.1%) (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-16).
The three largest CMAs show a sharp slowdown:
| CMA | Population, July 1, 2024 | Growth 2023-24 (revised, Jan 2026 release) | Growth 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 7,106,379 | +3.9% | -992 persons (-0.0%) |
| Montréal | 4,615,154 | +2.4% (2.9% in the 2025 release) | +0.5% |
| Vancouver | 3,108,941 | +3.7% (4.2% in the 2025 release) | +0.2% |
Statistics Canada attributes the slowdown mainly to a drop in non-permanent residents, particularly holders of study permits. Permanent immigration is now the largest source of growth in CMAs and census agglomerations.
Which Canadian cities are growing fastest?
Canada’s census metropolitan areas (CMAs) grew faster than the country as a whole in the year to 1 July 2024. According to Statistics Canada (2025-01-16), CMAs grew by 3.5% from July 2023 to July 2024, compared with 3.0% for Canada, and 74.8% of Canadians lived in a CMA. Calgary had the fastest growth of any CMA, at 5.8%, the highest rate recorded for any CMA since at least 2001.
Fastest-growing CMAs, year to 1 July 2024 (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-16)
| Rank | CMA | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | +5.8% |
| 2 | Moncton | +5.1% |
| 3 | Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo | +4.9% |
| 4 | Peterborough | +4.5% |
| 4 | Edmonton | +4.5% |
| 6 | Saskatoon | +4.1% |
The three largest CMAs grew at different rates in the same period. Toronto reached 7,106,379 residents (+3.9%), Vancouver 3,108,941 (+4.2%), and Montréal 4,615,154 (+2.9%) on 1 July 2024.
Growth slowed sharply in 2024-25. Statistics Canada (2026-01-14) reports that Canada’s CMAs grew by 1.0% to reach 31,169,100 people on 1 July 2025, and that all 41 CMAs grew more slowly than in the previous year. Edmonton (+3.0%), Moncton (+2.9%) and Calgary (+2.9%) led, with permanent immigration as the main driver in all three.
Large-city growth in 2024-25 versus earlier releases
| City | 2023-24 (release of 2025-01-16) | 2023-24 (release of 2026-01-14) | 2024-25 (release of 2026-01-14) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | +3.9% | +3.9% | -0.0% (-992 people) |
| Montréal | +2.9% | +2.4% | +0.5% |
| Vancouver | +4.2% | +3.7% | +0.2% |
The slowdown stems mainly from a decline in non-permanent residents, particularly study permit holders. Permanent immigration is now the largest source of growth in CMAs and census agglomerations (CAs).
Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver: a sudden slowdown
Toronto and Vancouver grew faster than the CMA average in 2023-24 (3.9% and 4.2% in the first release), while Montréal grew more slowly (2.9% in the first release). In 2024-25 their growth slowed sharply. Toronto’s census metropolitan area (CMA) recorded a net loss of 992 people, Montréal grew 0.5% and Vancouver grew 0.2%, according to Statistics Canada (2026-01-14). On July 1, 2024, Toronto was the largest of the three, with 7,106,379 residents (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-16).
| Metropolitan area | Population, July 1, 2024 | Growth 2023-24 (release of 2025-01-16) | Growth 2023-24 (revised, release of 2026-01-14) | Growth 2024-25 (release of 2026-01-14) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 7,106,379 | +3.9% | +3.9% | -992 people (about 0.0%) |
| Montréal | 4,615,154 | +2.9% | +2.4% | +0.5% |
| Vancouver | 3,108,941 | +4.2% | +3.7% | +0.2% |
Why growth slowed
- The decline came mainly from fewer non-permanent residents, particularly holders of study permits.
- Permanent immigration is now the largest source of growth in CMAs and census agglomerations (CAs).
- All 41 CMAs grew more slowly in 2024-25 than in the previous year. Canada as a whole grew 1.0% to 31,169,100 (Statistics Canada, 2026-01-14).
Contrast with the fastest-growing CMAs
In 2024-25, the fastest-growing CMAs were Edmonton (+3.0%), Moncton (+2.9%) and Calgary (+2.9%). In each, permanent immigration was the main driver (Statistics Canada, 2026-01-14). Calgary had also posted the fastest growth of any CMA in 2023-24, at +5.8% (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-16).
Calgary and Edmonton, the winners
Calgary and Edmonton were among the fastest-growing census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Canada in the two most recent Statistics Canada estimates. Between 1 July 2023 and 1 July 2024, Calgary grew 5.8%, the highest rate of any CMA since at least 2001, and Edmonton grew 4.5%. In 2024–2025, when all 41 CMAs combined grew 1.0% to 31,169,100 residents, Edmonton posted the top rate at 3.0% and Calgary followed at 2.9%.
| Period | Calgary | Edmonton | Statistics Canada release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2023 to 1 July 2024 | +5.8% | +4.5% | 2025-01-16 |
| 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2025 | +2.9% | +3.0% | 2026-01-14 |
Permanent immigration was the main driver of growth in both cities in 2024–2025, as it was in Moncton, the third-fastest CMA that year. Statistics Canada attributes the national slowdown mainly to a drop in non-permanent residents, particularly study permit holders. Permanent immigration is now the largest source of growth across CMAs and census agglomerations.
Calgary’s rate roughly halved (5.8% to 2.9%) and Edmonton’s fell from 4.5% to 3.0%, so growth slowed in both cities. Both still grew faster than the CMA average in the latest period. When comparing these cities with others, look at the growth rate alongside the absolute change, since the same rate adds very different numbers of people depending on a city’s population base.
Immigration and migration: the drivers
Population growth in Canadian cities now depends mainly on permanent immigration. According to Statistics Canada (January 2026), permanent immigration became the first source of growth in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs). The 2024-25 slowdown came mostly from a drop in non-permanent residents, especially holders of study permits.
Key figures for the year to 1 July 2025, from the same release:
- The 41 CMAs grew 1.0%, to 31,169,100 residents. All 41 grew more slowly than in the previous year.
- Edmonton (+3.0%), Moncton (+2.9%) and Calgary (+2.9%) grew fastest. Permanent immigration was the main driver in all three.
- Toronto was flat, losing 992 people (-0.0%), after growing 3.9% the year before.
The table compares CMA growth across the two years. Earlier figures are shown as they appeared in each Statistics Canada release.
| CMA | Growth, year to 1 July 2024 | Growth, year to 1 July 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary | +5.8% (Statistics Canada, January 2025) | +2.9% (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
| Moncton | +5.1% (Statistics Canada, January 2025) | +2.9% (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
| Edmonton | +4.5% (Statistics Canada, January 2025) | +3.0% (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
| Toronto | +3.9% (Statistics Canada, January 2025 and 2026) | -0.0%, or -992 people (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
| Vancouver | +4.2% in the 2025 release; +3.7% in the 2026 release | +0.2% (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
| Montréal | +2.9% in the 2025 release; +2.4% in the 2026 release | +0.5% (Statistics Canada, January 2026) |
Why population growth alone does not measure house prices
Population growth rates show demand pressure, but they do not measure prices. The Statistics Canada figures below describe people, not dwellings, and the official sources consulted do not specify how they translate into price changes. A price test therefore requires a separate local price series, matched to the same geographic boundaries.
The sharpest growth in recent years came from different cities than the largest ones. Calgary grew fastest in the year to July 1, 2024 (+5.8%), and Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver grew more slowly. The following year, growth slowed across all 41 census metropolitan areas (CMAs), and Toronto’s population was essentially flat.
| CMA | Growth 2023-24 | Growth 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary | +5.8% (2024, first release) | +2.9% |
| Edmonton | +4.5% (2024, first release) | +3.0% |
| Toronto | +3.9% | -0.0% (-992 people) |
| Vancouver | +3.7% (revised; +4.2% in first release) | +0.2% |
| Montréal | +2.4% (revised; +2.9% in first release) | +0.5% |
Sources: Statistics Canada (2025-01-16 and 2026-01-14). The 2023-24 figures for Montréal and Vancouver were revised in the 2026 release; both versions are shown.
Several points matter for a price comparison:
- Growth driver: Permanent immigration is now the main source of growth in CMAs and census agglomerations, according to Statistics Canada (2026-01-14). Temporary residents, especially study permit holders, drove much of the earlier growth and then declined. Permanent residents usually need long-term housing, so their demand may differ from that of short-stay residents.
- Test steps:
- Use the CMA boundary, not the city-proper boundary, for both population and price data.
- Compare price changes with a lag of one or more years, since growth affects demand gradually.
- Check whether price changes follow net growth or only the permanent-resident component.
- Compare cities with similar supply conditions before drawing conclusions.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Toronto show zero growth when the national figure is positive?
Toronto’s census metropolitan area lost 992 people in 2024–25, a change of -0.0%, after growing 3.9% the year before. According to Statistics Canada (January 2026), the slowdown came mainly from a drop in non-permanent residents, especially study permit holders, while the country as a whole grew 1.0%.
Which large CMAs grew fastest in 2024–25, and what drove them?
Edmonton (+3.0%), Moncton (+2.9%) and Calgary (+2.9%) posted the highest growth rates among census metropolitan areas in 2024–25, according to Statistics Canada (January 2026). In all three, permanent immigration was the main source of growth.
Why do population growth figures for the same city change between releases?
Statistics Canada revises its estimates, so the same period can show different figures in later editions. For example, Montréal’s 2023–24 growth was 2.9% in the January 2025 release and 2.4% in the January 2026 release. Check the release date before comparing a figure from one year with a figure from another, since a revision can change the ranking.
