Toronto Population 2024

2,928,879

The estimated 2024 population of Toronto is 2,928,879. The population of Toronto was recorded at 2,731,570 in the 2016 Canadian Census, and was recorded at 2,615,060 in the 2011 census. This is a change in population of 116,510, which is an annual growth rate of 0.88%.

Toronto has an estimated population of just over 2.8 million in 2016, which makes it the 4th most populous city in North America and the most populous Great Lakes city. Toronto, which is located on Lake Ontario, is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario.

Toronto has an estimated population of 2.81 million in 2016. The greater census metropolitan area (CMA) has a much larger population of 5.9 million.

City Size and Population Density

It is the most populous city in Canada and the largest urban and metro area, with a population density of 4,149.5 people per square kilometer (10,750/sq mi). The metro area of the city sprawls outward to a total surface area of 5,905.71 km² (2,280.21 sq mi).

Toronto Demographics

According to the 2016 Census, the racial composition of Toronto was:

  • White: 50.2%
  • East Asian: 12.7% (10.8% Chinese, 1.4% Korean, 0.5% Japanese)
  • South Asian: 12.3%
  • Black: 8.5%
  • Southeast Asian: 7.0% (5.1% Filipino)
  • Latin American: 2.8%
  • West Asian: 2.0%
  • Arab: 1.1%
  • Aborginal: 0.7% (0.5% First Nations, 0.2% Metis)
  • Two or more races: 1.5%
  • Other race: 1.3%

The most common ancestry groups were: English (12.9%), Chinese (12.0%), Canadian (11.3%), Irish (9.7%), Scottish (9.5%), East Indian (7.6%), Italian (6.9%), Filipino (5.5%), German (4.6%), French (4.5%), and Polish (3.8%). Other common groups include Portuguese, Jamaican, Jewish, Ukranian and Russian.

Given its diverse population, Toronto is home to many ethnic neighborhoods such as Little India, Greektown, Corso Italia, Chinatown and Little Jamaica.

Foreign-born people account for nearly half of the population of Toronto. This gives Toronto the second-highest percentage of foreign-born residents of all world cities after Miami. Unlike Miami, Toronto has no dominant culture or nationality, which also makes it one of the world's most diverse cities. 49% of the city's population belong to a visible minority group (compared to 14% in 1981), and visible minorities are expected to hit a majority of 63% of the Toronto CMA population by 2017.

Christianity is the most common religion in the city at 54.1%, with 28% of the population being Catholic, followed by Protestant (12%), Christian Orthodox (4.3%) and other denominations (10%). Other common religions include Islam (8%), Hinduism (5.6%), Judaism (4%), and Buddhism (3%). Almost a quarter of the city's population has no religious affiliation.

Women outnumber men significantly (48% male versus 52% female) in Toronto.

Toronto History

The Toronto area was inhabited by the Iroquois when Europeans first arrived, who had displaced the Wyandot people centuries before. By 1701, the Mississauga has displaced the Iroquois. French traders constructed Fort Rouille in the area in 1750, although it was abandoned just nine years later.

During the American Revolutionary War, the area saw a large influx of British settlers, and the British negotiated the Toronto Purchase in 1787 to secure 1,000 square kilometers of land in the area. In 1793, the town of York was established as the capital of Upper Canada.

In 1813, during the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended when the town was captured by the United States. Its surrender was negotiated and much of the town was destroyed. In 1834, York was eventually incorporated as the City of Toronto, reverting to the original native name, which is likely a derivative of the Iroquis word tkaronto ("place where trees stand in the water.")

At the time, the population was just 9,000 and it included many escaped African American slaves. The first real population boom came during the Great Irish Famine, when many Irish people came to the city, and by 1851, became the single largest ethnic group in Toronto. Through the late 19th century and early 20th century, more immigrants came to Toronto, including Italians, French, Germans, and Jews, and later Poles, Russians, Chinese and others.

Toronto Population Growth

In 2013, Toronto's population overtook Chicago's, taking its place as the 4th largest city in North America with a population of 2.79 million to Chicago's 2.7 million. Toronto added 38,000 people in 2013, compared to just 11,000 in Chicago. Toronto's growing population and economy is also leading to more people choosing to stay in the city rather than leave to surrounding areas.

For the past five years, the population growth in the Toronto metropolitan area has outpaced the national average, during which time most of the economy was hit hard by the economic downturn.

Over the next 20 years, Toronto is expected to continue its moderate growth, surpassing 3 million by 2026, and reaching nearly 3.2 million in 2036.

Province
Density (km²)
4334.4
Area (km²)
630.2
2024 Pop (est)
2,928,879
2016 Pop
2,731,570
2011 Pop
2,615,060
Growth
116,510
Growth Rate
0.88%

Toronto Population 2024

population

Avg. Age
40.6
Median Age
39.3

Toronto Age Distribution

Marital Status

Divorced

Married

Never Married

Separated

Toronto Basic Marriage Statistics

Spoken Language

English

French

English and French

Other

Toronto Language Spoken

value

Avg. Income
$52,268
Median Income
$30,089

Toronto Income Data

Toronto Urban Area Population

Download Table Data

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Growth
19501,068,305
19511,121,9825.02%53,677
19521,178,4345.03%56,452
19531,237,5615.02%59,127
19541,299,7415.02%62,180
19551,365,0465.02%65,305
19561,433,7285.03%68,682
19571,505,6635.02%71,935
19581,581,3145.02%75,651
19591,660,7665.02%79,452
19601,744,3285.03%83,562
19611,829,5304.88%85,202
19621,892,0913.42%62,561
19631,956,7903.42%64,699
19642,023,7963.42%67,006
19652,092,9023.41%69,106
19662,165,4913.47%72,589
19672,252,4374.02%86,946
19682,343,0024.02%90,565
19692,436,9434.01%93,941
19702,534,7884.02%97,845
19712,630,8313.79%96,043
19722,665,0191.3%34,188
19732,699,5541.3%34,535
19742,734,5861.3%35,032
19752,770,0721.3%35,486
19762,807,0791.34%37,007
19772,855,9551.74%48,876
19782,905,7501.74%49,795
19792,956,4141.74%50,664
19803,008,0321.75%51,618
19813,061,7251.78%53,693
19823,132,6562.32%70,931
19833,205,2292.32%72,573
19843,279,5882.32%74,359
19853,355,4592.31%75,871
19863,433,9522.34%78,493
19873,523,6292.61%89,677
19883,615,7762.62%92,147
19893,710,0702.61%94,294
19903,806,9572.61%96,887
19913,904,1542.55%97,197
19923,975,5281.83%71,374
19934,048,0051.82%72,477
19944,121,9071.83%73,902
19954,197,1571.83%75,250
19964,274,2561.84%77,099
19974,355,0391.89%80,783
19984,437,4641.89%82,425
19994,521,4491.89%83,985
20004,607,1421.9%85,693
20014,693,5041.87%86,362
20024,776,6981.77%83,194
20034,861,3661.77%84,668
20044,947,6551.77%86,289
20055,035,2321.77%87,577
20065,124,5301.77%89,298
20075,215,7421.78%91,212
20085,308,7061.78%92,964
20095,403,0641.78%94,358
20105,499,2331.78%96,169
20115,592,6071.7%93,374
20125,660,1421.21%67,535
20135,728,3031.2%68,161
20145,797,3811.21%69,078
20155,867,2921.21%69,911
20165,938,1441.21%70,852
20176,009,8521.21%71,708
20186,082,4251.21%72,573
20196,139,4040.94%56,979
20206,196,7310.93%57,327
20216,254,5710.93%57,840
20226,312,9740.93%58,403
20236,371,9580.93%58,984
20246,431,4300.93%59,472
20256,491,2860.93%59,856
20266,551,4610.93%60,175
20276,611,8870.92%60,426
20286,672,3840.91%60,497
20296,732,7560.9%60,372
20306,792,8400.89%60,084
20316,852,5410.88%59,701
20326,911,8380.87%59,297
20336,970,7400.85%58,902
20347,029,2870.84%58,547
20357,087,5190.83%58,232
showing: 86 rows

Toronto Population Data (Urban Area)

  1. Canada Census Data - Official Canadian Census Data.
  2. World Urbanization Prospects - United Nations population estimates and projections of major Urban Agglomerations

Sources