Alberta has experienced a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces.StatCan - Alberta population Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced high rates of growth in recent history. From a population of 73,022 in 1901, Alberta has grown to 4,262,635 in 2021 and in the process has gone from less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%.https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/index-eng.cfm - Statistics Canada It is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the Alberta population grew by 4.8%.
Population history
YearPopulation Five-year %changeTen-year %changePercentage of Canadian Rank among provinces1901 73,022† n/a n/a 1.4 91911 374,295 n/a 412.6 5.2 71921 588,454 n/a 57.2 6.7 51931 731,605 n/a 24.3 7.0 41941 796,169 n/a 8.8 6.9 51951 939,501 n/a 18.0 6.7 41956 1,123,116 19.5 n/a n/a 41961 1,331,944 18.6 41.8 7.3 41969 1,463,203 9.9 30.3 n/a 41971 1,627,875 11.3 22.2 7.5 41976 1,838,035 12.9 25.6 n/a 41981 2,237,724 21.7 37.5 9.2 41986 2,365,830 5.7 28.7 9.3 41991 2,545,553 7.6 13.8 9.3 41996 2,696,826 5.9 14.0 9.3 42001 2,974,807 10.3 16.9 9.9 42006 3,290,350 10.6 22.0 10.4 42011 3,645,257 10.8 22.5 10.9 42016 4,067,175 11.6 23.6 11.6 42021 4,262,635 4.8 16.9 11.5 4 † 1901 population for District of Alberta, part of the then-named North-West Territories.
Population geography
Census divisions
Census metropolitan areas As of the 2011 census, Alberta had two census metropolitan areas (CMAs) recognized by Statistics Canada. A third one was added in the 2016 census.
The following is a list of the recent population history of the Calgary and Edmonton CMAs. CMA name 2021 2016 2011 2006 2001 1996 Census division Calgary 1,481,806 1,374,655 1,214,839 1,079,310 951,395 821,628 Division No. 6 Edmonton 1,418,118 1,297,280 1,159,869 1,034,945 937,845 862,597 Division No. 11
The third CMA added in 2016 is Lethbridge, and its population history is as follows: CMA name 2021 2016 Census division Lethbridge 123,847 113,920 Division No. 2
The fourth CMA added in 2021 is Red Deer, and its population history is as follows: CMA name 2021 Census division Red Deer 100,844 Division No. 8 CMA notes:
Census agglomerations
Census subdivisions
As of the 2006 census, Alberta had 453 census subdivisions (municipalities and municipal equivalents) recognized by Statistics Canada. The following is a list of those census subdivisions with a population of 10,000 or greater. Name Municipalstatus 2011 2006 2001 1996 Notes Calgary City 1,096,833 988,193 878,866 768,082 Edmonton City 812,201 730,372 666,104 616,306 Strathcona County Specializedmunicipality 92,490 82,511 71,986 64,176 Located within the Edmonton CMA Red Deer City 90,564 82,772 67,707 60,075 Lethbridge City 83,517 74,637 67,374 63,053 Wood Buffalo Specializedmunicipality 65,565 51,496 41,466 35,213 St. Albert City 61,466 57,719 53,081 46,888 Located within the Edmonton CMA Medicine Hat City 60,005 56,997 51,249 46,783 Grande Prairie City 55,032 47,076 36,983 31,140 Airdrie City 42,564 28,927 20,382 15,946 Located within the Calgary CMA Rocky View County Municipaldistrict 36,461 34,171 30,688 23,326 Located within the Calgary CMA Parkland County Municipaldistrict 30,568 29,265 27,252 24,769 Located within the Edmonton CMA Spruce Grove City 26,171 19,496 15,983 14,271 Located within the Edmonton CMA Okotoks Town 24,511 17,145 11,664 8,510 Leduc City 24,279 16,967 15,032 14,305 Located within the Edmonton CMA Foothills No. 31 Municipaldistrict 21,258 19,736 16,764 13,714 County of Grande Prairie No. 1 Municipaldistrict 20,347 17,970 15,638 13,750 Sturgeon County Municipaldistrict 19,578 18,621 18,067 15,945 Located within the Edmonton CMA Fort Saskatchewan City 19,051 14,957 13,121 12,408 Located within the Edmonton CMA Red Deer County Municipaldistrict 18,351 19,108 18,639 17,126 Lloydminster City 18,032 15,910 13,148 11,317 Population totals do not include the part of the city located within Saskatchewan Cochrane Town 17,580 13,780 11,798 7,424 Located within Calgary CMA Camrose City 17,286 15,620 14,854 13,728 Stony Plain Town 15,051 12,363 9,589 8,274 Located within the Edmonton CMA Chestermere Town 14,824 9,564 3,414 1,911 Beaumont Town 13,284 8,961 7,006 5,810 Located within the Edmonton CMA Cold Lake City 13,839 11,991 11,520 4,089 Brooks City 13,676 12,498 11,604 10,093 Leduc County Municipaldistrict 13,541 12,730 12,528 12,361 Located within the Edmonton CMA High River Town 12,920 10,716 9,345 7,359 Wetaskiwin City 12,525 11,673 11,154 10,959 Mountain View County Municipaldistrict 12,359 12,391 12,134 11,277 Sylvan Lake Town 12,327 10,208 7,493 5,178 Strathmore Town 12,305 10,225 7,621 5,282 Canmore Town 12,288 12,039 10,792 8,354 Clearwater County Municipaldistrict 12,278 11,826 11,505 10,915 Lacombe City 11,707 10,742 9,384 8,018 Yellowhead County Municipaldistrict 11,469 10,045 9,881 9,352 Bonnyville No. 87 Municipaldistrict 11,191 10,194 9,473 17,352 Mackenzie County Specializedmunicipality 10,927 10,002 8,829 7,980 County of Wetaskiwin No. 10 Municipaldistrict 10,866 10,535 10,695 10,467 Lacombe County Municipaldistrict 10,312 10,451 10,159 10,081 Lethbridge County Municipaldistrict 10,061 10,302 9,930 9,290
Population centres
Designated places
Vital statistics
Life expectancy in the province in 2019 was 82.0 years (79.9 for male, 84.1 for female)
Ethnic origins
The ethnicities most commonly reported in the 2021 Census are shown in the table below. The percentages add up to more than 100% because of multiple responses.Profile table, Census Profile 2021, Ethnic or cultural origin.
+ Ethnic groups in Alberta (1941–2021)Ethnic group202120011941 English 766,070 753,190 191,934 German 641,025 576,350 77,721 Scottish 631,015 556,575 112,540 Irish 561,915 461,065 83,876 Canadian 484,655 813,485 Ukrainian 343,640 285,725 71,868 French 341,755 333,705 42,979 Filipino 203,955 36,235 First Nations 188,315 144,040 12,565 Chinese 177,990 108,050 3,122 Dutch 174,625 149,225 20,429 Polish 169,925 137,625 26,845 Indian 155,700 61,180 48 Norwegian 154,535 120,045 29,628 Métis 115,455 63,620 8,808 Italian 98,730 67,655 4,872 Russian 97,890 62,750 19,316 Swedish 92,970 78,565 20,505 Welsh 76,810 59,470 10,896 Danish 56,190 50,465 12,284 Hungarian 51,360 41,535 7,892 Spanish 40,170 19,295 135 Pakistani 39,535 5,450 Vietnamese 39,395 21,490 Punjabi 37,585 3,785 Austrian 36,220 27,910 7,513 African 34,225 7,115 926 Mennonite 31,565 Romanian 31,530 20,235 4,206 Sikh 28,860 Lebanese 28,480 17,660 Mexican 25,450 3,345 1 Korean 24,165 7,925 Swiss 22,450 17,460 Belgian 21,985 14,925 2,919 Portuguese 21,415 13,885 42 Hindu 20,535 Czech 19,730 15,765 8,177 Icelandic 19,720 13,065 1,077 Finnish 18,705 12,730 3,452 Japanese 18,605 11,945 578 Somali 16,310 1,385 Jamaican 15,620 7,925 Nigerian 14,600 1,245 Jewish 14,405 15,435 4,164 Greek 13,980 9,110 605 Croatian 13,720 8,565 1,704 Ethiopian 13,505 1,460 Muslim 12,420 Colombian 11,115 950 Eritrean 11,010 1,180 Iranian 10,545 3,130 Slovak 10,525 6,810 Afghan 10,380 1,805 Egyptian 9,585 2,290 Syrian 9,520 1,265 428 Total responses 4,177,720 2,941,150 796,169 Total population 4,262,635 2,974,807 796,169
Future projections + Panethnic origin projections in Alberta (2031–2041)Panethnic group203120362041 European 3,122,000 3,178,000 3,219,000 South Asian 533,000 649,000 763,000 Southeast Asian 441,000 528,000 619,000 Indigenous 404,000 442,000 480,000 African 331,000 406,000 480,000 East Asian 311,000 352,000 392,000 Middle Eastern 188,000 233,000 280,000 Latin American 107,000 126,000 144,000 Other/multiracial 78,000 95,000 112,000 Projected Alberta population 5,516,000 6,009,000 6,490,000
Visible minorities and Indigenous peoples
+Visible minority & Indigenous population in Alberta (1986–2021)GroupPopulation2021 census2016 census2011 census2006 census2001 census1996 census1991 census1986 census Non-Indigenous / non-visible minority group British Isles 1,497,305 1,581,265 1,537,660 1,488,090 1,267,540 1,198,160 1,340,715 1,372,495 Western European 867,440 915,185 876,045 862,460 733,625 674,445 684,725 611,415 Eastern European 620,865 685,270 638,385 609,840 507,055 455,330 433,670 379,070 French 390,010 418,480 402,070 390,895 334,045 307,285 319,040 296,020 Northern European 337,145 329,990 321,845 308,445 257,650 231,495 202,120 176,825 Southern European 241,125 215,730 182,525 168,650 132,075 112,310 107,010 88,690 European, & 77,815 22,810 24,670 21,050 19,550 17,585 19,055 15,105 Total non-Indigenous / non-visible minority population 2,731,825 2,786,340 2,690,950 2,613,790 2,455,005 2,279,335 2,133,355 2,069,665 Visible minority group South Asian 297,650 230,930 156,660 103,885 69,585 52,565 47,295 33,610 Filipino 216,710 166,195 106,030 51,090 33,940 24,380 17,575 11,235 Black 177,945 129,395 74,435 47,075 31,390 24,915 25,025 19,495 Chinese 164,230 158,205 133,390 120,270 99,095 90,480 76,950 53,595 Arab 69,510 56,700 34,920 26,180 19,320 Latin American 66,515 55,085 41,305 27,265 18,745 15,770 11,165 5,060 Southeast Asian 54,005 43,985 41,025 28,605 23,740 20,295 18,585 13,065 Multiple visible minorities 39,745 28,360 18,840 13,250 6,910 6,480 5,420 4,640 West Asian 25,080 20,980 16,025 9,655 5,230 Korean 24,370 21,275 15,000 12,045 7,800 4,705 4,125 3,585 Japanese 13,555 12,170 12,420 11,030 9,950 8,280 8,585 7,665 Visible minority, 12,105 9,905 6,270 3,850 4,220 3,575 675 1,095 Arab/West Asian 17,830 20,575 13,625 Total visible minority population 1,161,420 933,165 656,330 454,200 329,925 269,280 235,975 166,670 Indigenous group First Nations 145,640 136,585 116,675 97,280 84,990 69,145 99,655 62,990 Métis 127,470 114,375 96,870 85,495 66,060 49,490 56,310 34,165 Multiple Indigenous responses 4,780 2,905 1,870 1,220 1,100 1,325 6,045 Indigenous responses, 3,620 2,275 3,300 2,760 2,980 Inuk (Inuit) 2,950 2,500 1,985 1,605 1,090 615 2,820 760 Total Indigenous population 284,470 258,640 220,695 188,365 156,220 120,580 149,855 103,930 Total responses 4,177,715 3,978,145 3,567,975 3,256,355 2,941,150 2,669,195 2,519,185 2,340,265 Total population 4,262,635 4,067,175 3,645,257 3,290,350 2,974,807 2,696,826 2,545,553 2,365,825
Languages Knowledge of languages
The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses, and first appeared on the 1991 Canadian census.