Share of the population living in cities in Canada

Canada: Share of the population living in cities was 52.14 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
52.14
World rank
51st
of 229 countries
All-time high
52.14
in 2020
All-time low
18.07
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Canada, 1950–2020

203040501950198520201950: 18.11955: 20.41960: 22.21965: 24.31970: 26.71975: 27.51980: 29.21985: 33.41990: 37.61995: 40.12000: 43.12005: 472010: 49.72015: 51.22020: 52.1

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population living in cities in Canada is 52.14, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Canada peaked at 52.14 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.07, in 1950.

Canada ranks 51st of 229 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Share of the population living in cities in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Canada, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 18.07
1955 20.38 +12.8%
1960 22.21 +9.0%
1965 24.26 +9.2%
1970 26.71 +10.1%
1975 27.46 +2.8%
1980 29.22 +6.4%
1985 33.36 +14.2%
1990 37.63 +12.8%
1995 40.1 +6.5%
2000 43.1 +7.5%
2005 47.02 +9.1%
2010 49.74 +5.8%
2015 51.15 +2.8%
2020 52.14 +1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 19.23 18.07 20.38 2
1960s 23.23 22.21 24.26 2
1970s 27.09 26.71 27.46 2
1980s 31.29 29.22 33.36 2
1990s 38.87 37.63 40.1 2
2000s 45.06 43.1 47.02 2
2010s 50.45 49.74 51.15 2
2020s 52.14 52.14 52.14 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 48 Cameroon 53.48 compare
  2. 49 Indonesia 53.03 compare
  3. 50 Uruguay 52.7 compare
  4. 52 Morocco 51.94 compare
  5. 53 Jersey 51.32 compare
  6. 54 Spain 51.16 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Canada?
Share of the population living in cities in Canada was 52.14 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 52.14 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 18.07 in 1950.
How does Canada rank for share of the population living in cities?
Canada ranks 51st out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed