The estimated 2024 population of Greater Sudbury is 168,747. The population of Greater Sudbury was recorded at 166,004 in the 2021 Canadian Census, and was recorded at 161,531 in the 2016 census. This is a change in population of 4,473, which is an annual growth rate of 0.55%.
The city of Sudbury is a city located in Ontario, Canada. Data from 2022 show that the population is 165,958, making it the largest city in Northern Ontario by population.
City Size and Population Density
It has a total area of over 1,246 square miles (3,228.35 km²), making it the largest city by area in Ontario. Its size also makes it the seventh largest city in the nation.
Sudbury Population Demographics
The median age of the people of Sudbury is 41.1 years, which is higher than the national average of 39 years. The city has eight urban areas, including the old city of Sudbury, Azilda and Capreol. About 79% of the total population of Sudbury live within these urban centers. The remainder live in rural areas within the city limits. Over 80% of Sudbury’s residents speak English at home, while 16.3% speak French. Most people that live in Sudbury are Christian, with about 81% following this religion. About 18% of the population does not follow a religion. Other religions observed in Sudbury include Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. Only about 2.7% of the population is of a visible minority group.
Almost 42% of Sudbury’s population is Canadian, while 40.3% originate from France. Other ethnic origins include English, Irish, Scottish, German, Italian, Finnish and others. Eighty percent of people in Sudbury work in the services industry, while 20% work in manufacturing. Mining is an industry that is important to the city’s economy, although its importance has dwindled in recent years. The city has since branched out into other industries including healthcare, education and government, just to name a few.
Population Growth
Sudbury’s population has grown throughout the years, although slight declines were recorded during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The 2021 Census showed that the growth rate was 2.0% higher from the 2016 Census, indicating that this city is growing at a more rapid rate than it did from 2011 to 2016. Sudbury officials contribute this growth to economic plans put in place to attract new residents, such as the affordable housing strategy and encouragement of new housing units in the community.