The 2021 census has been released and that means it is time to dive right into some population trends. Canadian population numbers have changed substantially between 2016 and 2021 and this post will go into more detail about Manitoba. You can also read more about the population changes in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, PEI, Quebec and Ontario.
Manitoba saw an overall increase in population of 63,788 from 1,278,365 in 2016 to 1,342,153 in 2021.
There are 23 different census division in Manitoba – see the map to the right for locations. A census division is defined by Statistics Canada as a “group of neighbouring municipalities joined together for the purposes of regional planning and managing common services”. The boundaries and population density of each of those 49 census divisions is shown on the map above.
As a province, Manitoba’s population grew by 63,788 from 1,278,365 in 2016 to 1,342,153 in 2021. 15 of the 23 census divisions in the province saw growth.
The census division of “Division No. 2” south-east of Winnipeg saw the highest percentage increase in population at nearly 11%, but for absolute increases, “Division No. 11” which includes Winnipeg, saw the largest increase in population of 45,115 residents from 708,823 in 2016 to 753,938 in 2021 (8.9%).
| Region | Population 2016 | Population 2021 | Population Difference | Population Difference Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division No. 11 | 708,823 | 753,938 | 45,115 | 6.36 |
| Division No. 2 | 75,571 | 83,878 | 8,307 | 10.99 |
| Division No. 3 | 54,796 | 57,363 | 2,567 | 4.68 |
| Division No. 13 | 49,086 | 51,643 | 2,557 | 5.21 |
| Division No. 18 | 24,155 | 26,636 | 2,481 | 10.27 |
| Division No. 7 | 68,746 | 70,896 | 2,150 | 3.13 |
| Division No. 15 | 21,379 | 23,304 | 1,925 | 9 |
| Division No. 1 | 18,534 | 20,114 | 1,580 | 8.52 |
| Division No. 12 | 23,683 | 24,863 | 1,180 | 4.98 |
| Division No. 14 | 18,621 | 19,749 | 1,128 | 6.06 |
| Division No. 10 | 11,941 | 12,913 | 972 | 8.14 |
| Division No. 5 | 13,176 | 13,326 | 150 | 1.14 |
| Division No. 16 | 9,848 | 9,945 | 97 | 0.98 |
| Division No. 22 | 42,165 | 42,226 | 61 | 0.14 |
| Division No. 20 | 9,621 | 9,634 | 13 | 0.14 |
| Division No. 9 | 24,391 | 24,339 | -52 | -0.21 |
| Division No. 8 | 13,968 | 13,877 | -91 | -0.65 |
| Division No. 21 | 21,983 | 21,871 | -112 | -0.51 |
| Division No. 17 | 22,205 | 21,996 | -209 | -0.94 |
| Division No. 4 | 9,986 | 9,665 | -321 | -3.21 |
| Division No. 6 | 10,317 | 9,906 | -411 | -3.98 |
| Division No. 19 | 16,399 | 15,381 | -1,018 | -6.21 |
| Division No. 23 | 8,971 | 4,690 | -4,281 | -47.72 |
Which areas have seen high growth?
Of the 23 census divisions in Manitoba, 15 saw population increases between 2016 and 2021.
The next level down to consider is the census subdivision, which Statistics Canada defines as “the general term for municipalities”.
High growth area #1
Division No. 11, which includes Winnipeg, saw the largest increase in population of 45,115 residents from 708,823 in 2016 to 753,938 in 2021 (6.4%).
High growth area #2
The census division to the south-east of Winnipeg saw the second highest growth within the province. This area grew by 8,307 residents, from 75,571 in 2016 to 83,878 in 2021.
High growth area #3
The census division to the south-west of Winnipeg – on the Canada/US border – saw the second highest growth within the province. This area grew by 2,567 residents, from 54,796 in 2016 to 57,363 in 2021.
Which areas have seen the lowest growth?
8 of the 23 census divisions in Manitoba saw a drop in population. The highest decline in both percentage and absolute numbers was Division No. 23 which saw a drop of 4,281 from 8,971 in 2016 to 4,690 in 2021 for a drop of 47.7%.
Population changes in major cities
There are 6 census metropolitan areas in Manitoba. Statistics Canada defines a census metropolitan area (CMA) as “…one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core.”
Winnipeg is the largest with an overall population of 834,678.
CMA – Winnipeg
The census metropolitan area (CMA) of Winnipeg grew by 51,579 residents from 783,099 in 2016 to 834,678 in 2021.
Overall population density
