Share of population living in the capital city in Canada

Canada: Share of population living in the capital city was 1.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.5%
World rank
163rd
of 170 countries
All-time high
1.5%
in 2015
All-time low
0.9%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Canada, 1950–2020

00.511.51950198520201950: 0.851 %1955: 0.911 %1960: 0.98 %1965: 1 %1970: 1.1 %1975: 1.2 %1980: 1.3 %1985: 1.3 %1990: 1.4 %1995: 1.4 %2000: 1.5 %2005: 1.5 %2010: 1.5 %2015: 1.5 %2020: 1.5 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in the capital city in Canada is 1.5%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Canada peaked at 1.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1950.

Canada ranks 163rd of 170 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Canada, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 0.9%
1955 0.9% +7.0%
1960 1.0% +7.6%
1965 1.0% +5.0%
1970 1.1% +9.4%
1975 1.2% +6.9%
1980 1.3% +6.8%
1985 1.3% +5.1%
1990 1.4% +5.3%
1995 1.4% +0.2%
2000 1.5% +2.9%
2005 1.5% +0.1%
2010 1.5% +3.2%
2015 1.5% +2.0%
2020 1.5% -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 2
1960s 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 2
1970s 1.2% 1.1% 1.2% 2
1980s 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 2
1990s 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 2
2000s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 2
2010s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 2
2020s 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 160 Switzerland 2.3% compare
  2. 161 India 2.1% compare
  3. 162 Pakistan 1.9% compare
  4. 164 Burundi 1.4% compare
  5. 165 China 1.2% compare
  6. 166 United States 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Canada?
Share of population living in the capital city in Canada was 1.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 1.5% in 2015.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1950.
How does Canada rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Canada ranks 163rd out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.