The demographics of Toronto, Ontario, Canada make Toronto one of the most multicultural and multiracial cities in the world. In 2021, 57.0 percent of the residents of the census metropolitan area belonged to a visible minority group, compared with 51.4 percent in 2016, and 13.6 percent in 1981."Toronto in Transition: Demographic Change in the Late Twentieth Century ". (PDF). CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre. Toronto also has established ethnic neighbourhoods such as the multiple Chinatowns, Corso Italia, Little Italy, Little India, Greektown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Jamaica, Little Portugal, Little Malta, Roncesvalles (Polish), and Bloor West Village (Ukrainian), all of which celebrate the city's multiculturalism. Data from the suburban municipalities are also included for some metrics as most of these municipalities are part of the Toronto CMA (not to be confused with the Greater Toronto Area as they have different boundaries).
Population
Toronto population by year, within present boundaries Land Area 630.18 km2 1,829.05 km2 5,903.63 km2 7,124.74 km2 8,241.95 km2 10,105.03 km2 31,570.24 km2 Year CMA GTA GTHA GH GGH18349,252——————186165,085—193,844————1901238,080—440,000————1931856,955—810,000————1941951,549—900,000————19511,176,622—1,262,000————19611,824,481—1,919,000————19712,089,729—2,628,045————19762,124,291—2,803,101————19812,137,395—2,998,947————19862,192,721—3,427,1703,733,085———19912,275,771—3,893,9334,235,756———19962,385,421—4,263,7594,628,8835,096,6825,500,1866,935,49920012,481,4944,375,8994,682,8975,081,8265,572,1045,982,6787,532,24620062,503,2814,732,3615,113,1495,555,9126,060,4716,487,8928,164,59320112,615,0605,132,7945,583,0646,054,1916,574,1407,005,4868,759,31220162,731,571 5,429,5245,928,0406,417,5166,954,4337,402,3219,245,43820212,794,3565,647,6566,202,2256,712,3417,281,6947,759,6359,765,188For population figures for Toronto within its pre-1998 city limits, see Old Toronto. The last complete census by Statistics Canada, which was taken in 2021, counted 2,794,356 living in Toronto, making it the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous municipality in North America.
Toronto's population grew by 2.3 percent from 2016 to 2021, with an annual growth rate of 0.46 percent.
2011 Census population data for the City of Toronto are found readily aggregated at a finer level than the city as a whole at i. the electoral district (riding) level (2003 redistribution) and ii. the neighbourhood level. The three ridings with the largest increase in population between 2006 and 2011 in the City of Toronto have been Trinity-Spadina (25.5%), Etobicoke-Lakeshore (7.3%), and Toronto Centre (7.3%).
Age structure As of 2016 census Age GroupsTotalMaleFemale0 to 14 years398,135204,190193,9330 to 4 years136,00069,89566,1055 to 9 years135,02569,34565,68010 to 14 years127,10564,94062,16515 to 64 years1,906,495925,070981,42015 to 19 years145,52574,24071,28020 to 24 years194,75097,41597,33025 to 29 years232,945113,905119,03530 to 34 years224,580108,895115,68035 to 39 years196,31094,065102,24040 to 44 years182,39086,53595,86045 to 49 years190,92590,860100,06550 to 54 years202,40598,735103,67055 to 59 years182,80588,14594,65560 to 64 years153,86572,26581,60065 to 85 years426,945184,325242,61565 to 69 years130,54060,36070,18570 to 74 years93,60042,31551,28575 to 79 years76,16032,73043,43080 to 84 years60,63025,67034,96585 years and over66,00523,24542,75085 to 89 years40,80015,66525,13590 to 94 years19,6806,18013,50095 to 99 years4,7501,2753,470100 years and over770120650
Ethnic diversity City of Toronto
The 2021 Census indicates that 55.7 per cent of Toronto's population is composed of visible minorities, compared with 51.5 per cent in 2016. According to the 2021 Canadian census, 1,537,285, or approximately 10.7 percent of Canada's visible minority population, live in the city of Toronto; of this, roughly 67 percent are of Asian ancestry. Approximately 34.81 per cent of the city's population, or 961,325 individuals in the City of Toronto are Asian Canadians as of 2021. This makes for the second largest Asian population for a core North American city after New York City, as well as one of the highest ratios for a large city. Annually, almost half of all immigrants to Canada settle in the Greater Toronto Area. A study released by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in December 2012 found that 66 percent of students ages 4 through 18 came from visible minorities, with over 61 percent of students in 2012 identifying as Asian. East Asians made up the largest panethnicity (33 percent), with South Asians (28 percent) coming in second of the city of Toronto's overall population. 46,315 Aboriginals live in Toronto. There is a Hungarian Roma community in Toronto. Many Romani refugees live in Toronto. 61,000 Mexicans live in Toronto.
+ Panethnic groups in the City of Toronto (2001−2021)Panethnicgroup20212016201120062001 European 1,201,075 1,282,750 1,292,365 1,300,330 1,394,310 South Asian 385,440 338,965 317,100 298,370 253,920 East Asian 351,625 354,510 327,930 329,260 301,060 Black 265,005 239,850 218,160 208,555 204,075 Southeast Asian 224,260 194,360 179,270 140,050 120,330 Middle Eastern 111,360 96,355 79,155 65,240 59,560 Latin American 92,455 77,160 71,205 64,855 54,350 Indigenous 22,925 23,065 19,265 13,605 11,370 Other/Multiracial 107,135 84,650 71,590 56,295 57,840 Total: Visible minority 1,537,280 55.7% 1,385,850 51.5% 1,264,410 49.1% 1,162,625 47% 1,062,505 42.8% Total responses 2,761,285 2,691,665 2,576,025 2,476,565 2,456,805 Total population 2,794,356 2,731,571 2,615,060 2,503,281 2,481,494
Change between 2011 and 2016:
Increase: Filipino: +20,270 (+0.6%) Black: +21,690 (+0.4%) Chinese: +21,070 (+0.3%) South Asian: +21,865 (+0.3%) Multiple visible minorities: +9,755 (+0.3%) Arab: +7,110 (+0.2%) Latin American: +5,955 (+0.1%) Korean: +4,415 (+0.1%) Aboriginal: +3,800 (+0.2%) Visible minority, : 3,305 (+0.1%) Japanese: +1,095 (-)
Decrease: White: -9,615 (-2.5%) Southeast Asian: -5,180 (-0.3%)
The most prevalent ethnic origins in the City of Toronto are as follows:
Top 20 Ethnic origins in the City of Toronto Population (2016) PercentageRiding with Highest ConcentrationPercentage Chinese 332,830 12.5Scarborough—Agincourt47.0 English 331,890 12.3Beaches—East York24.2 Canadian 323,175 12.0Beaches—East York19.7 Irish 262,965 9.8Parkdale—High Park20.0 Scottish 256,250 9.5Beaches—East York18.9 East Indian 202,675 7.5Etobicoke North22.2 Italian 182,495 6.8Etobicoke Centre15.1 Filipino 162,605 6.0York Centre17.0 German 130,900 4.9Parkdale—High Park9.8 French 122,615 4.6Parkdale—High Park8.9 Polish 114,530 4.3Eglinton—Lawrence12.0 Portuguese 100,420 3.7Davenport22.7 Jamaican 90,065 3.3Humber River—Black Creek8.5 Russian 74,465 2.8York Centre9.5 Ukrainian 72,340 2.7Etobicoke Centre8.1 Sri Lankan58,180 2.2Scarborough—Rouge Park11.1 Greek57,4252.1Toronto—Danforth7.3 Spanish56,8152.1< 5.0 British Isles origins (other)52,9002.0< 5.0 Iranian45,5401.7Willowdale12.1Total population 2,691,665100
Community Councils The top visible-minority groups per Community Council (2016 Census) are as follows:
Toronto & East York (847,045): White: 65.3%, Chinese: 8.9%, South Asian: 6.7%, Black: 5.6% North York (638,100): White: 47.4%, Chinese: 14.0%, South Asian: 8.5%, Filipino: 8.0%, West Asian: 5.3%, Black: 5.2% Scarborough (623,135): White: 26.5%, South Asian: 25.4%, Chinese: 19.0%, Black: 10.8%, Filipino: 8.4% Etobicoke York (583,395): White: 48.9%, Black: 15.7%, South Asian: 11.9%, Latin American: 5.6%
The progression of the percentage of visible minorities in the aforementioned Community Councils (pre-1998-amalgamation municipalities or pairs thereof) has been far from uniform: Community Council1996Percent change2001Percent change2006Percent change2011Total percent change (1996–2011)Toronto & East York28.7%+3.9%32.6%+0.5%33.1%0.0%33.1%+4.4%Etobicoke York31.1%+6.0%37.1%+3.4%40.5%+2.8%43.3%+12.2%North York39.7%+2.9%42.6%+5.1%47.7%+3.5%51.2%+11.5%Scarborough51.9%+8.1%60.0%+7.4%67.4%+2.9%70.3%+18.4%
Ridings The finest granularity of visible minority data in Toronto readily available by the 2016 Census is that of the federal electoral district (riding; 2013 redistribution). The per-riding data based on the 2003 redistribution was available for the 2001 and 2006 censuses and the 2011 NHS, thus enabling useful comparisons. For instance, visible minorities as a percentage of the population only marginally increased, or even decreased (Toronto-Danforth, Parkdale-High Park, Toronto Centre, and, in the 2006–2011 period, Davenport) in the Old Toronto, East York and South Etobicoke ridings, while on the other hand increased significantly in Scarborough and North York. Since the 2016 Census used the then-new 2013 redistribution, such a direct comparison is no longer possible.
Visible Minorities as % of Population (2016 Census) & Top Ethnic Origins Riding (2013 Redistribution) PercentageMost Populous Ethnic OriginPercentageTop Riding for Ethnic Origin (Percentage)Most Populous Visible MinorityPercentageTop Riding for Visible Minority (Percentage) Parkdale-High Park 26.2English22.3Irish (20.0); German (9.8); French (8.9)Black5.3 Etobicoke Centre 27.1Italian15.1Italian (15.1); Ukrainian (8.1)South Asian5.9 Etobicoke-Lakeshore 27.7English17.1South Asian5.5 Toronto-St. Paul's 28.3English18.5Black5.1 Eglinton-Lawrence 31.8Canadian14.7Polish (12.0)Filipino10.7 Davenport 31.9Portuguese22.7Portuguese (22.7)Black6.4 University-Rosedale 32.7English20.6Chinese14.0 Toronto-Danforth 32.8English22.9Greek (7.3)Chinese12.3 Beaches-East York 33.6English24.2English (24.2); Canadian (19.7); Scottish (18.9)South Asian10.9 Don Valley West 41.5English19.2Pakistani (5.1)South Asian13.3 Spadina-Fort York 42.8English16.4Chinese14.8 York Centre 46.5Filipino17.0Filipino (17.0); Russian (9.5); Jewish (5.6)Filipino16.5Filipino (16.5) Toronto Centre 49.7English15.7South Asian11.8 York South-Weston 54.9Portuguese14.5Black23.2 Scarborough Southwest 56.5Canadian16.2Bangladeshi (5.0)South Asian21.6 Don Valley East 58.4East Indian10.6South Asian17.1 Willowdale 66.6Chinese25.9Iranian (12.1); Korean (10.6)Chinese25.3West Asian (10.9); Korean (10.3) Scarborough Centre 69.8Filipino13.1South Asian25.6 Don Valley North 70.4Chinese32.4Chinese31.3 Scarborough-Guildwood 71.2East Indian18.0South Asian33.2South Asian (33.2) Scarborough-Rouge Park 72.4East Indian16.7Sri Lankan (11.1)South Asian32.6 Humber River-Black Creek 74.1Italian12.8Jamaican (8.5); Vietnamese (8.0)Black22.8Latin American (9.5); Southeast Asian (8.9) Etobicoke North 75.7East Indian22.2East Indian (22.2); Somali (5.4)South Asian28.9Black (23.4) Scarborough-Agincourt 80.6Chinese47.0Chinese (47.0)Chinese45.8Chinese (45.8) Scarborough North 92.2Chinese46.6Chinese45.0
Visible Minorities as % of Population Riding (2003 Redistribution) 2011 NHS 2006 Census 2001 Census Etobicoke-Lakeshore 23.8 20.8 19.1 Parkdale-High Park 25.6 26.1 26.8 St. Paul's 25.8 23.3 22.4 Etobicoke Centre 27.5 25.3 22.3 Eglinton-Lawrence 28.9 24.7 21.1 Beaches-East York 31.7 31.3 29.4 Toronto-Danforth 32.7 33.9 36.3 Davenport 33.0 33.2 31.6 Trinity-Spadina 37.2 36.5 35.3 Toronto Centre 40.8 41.0 41.3 York Centre 41.0 37.1 30.9 Don Valley West 46.0 43.1 39.4 Scarborough Southwest 51.4 48.4 43.4 York South-Weston 54.3 50.9 47.6 Don Valley East 59.4 57.0 53.7 Willowdale 63.7 59.8 50.8 Scarborough Centre 65.0 61.2 51.8 Scarborough-Guildwood 65.8 61.0 54.2 York West 72.2 68.0 62.8 Etobicoke North 72.9 71.0 63.2 Scarborough-Agincourt 78.8 76.7 69.3 Scarborough-Rouge River 91.0 89.7 84.6