# Where Do Most Canadians Live? — Population Distribution Explained
Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area but has only about 40 million people — roughly the population of California. Where Canadians live is a useful piece of geographic context for the citizenship test.
The 90% rule
About 90% of Canadians live within 160 km (100 miles) of the United States border.
Why? Climate. Most of Canada's habitable land is in the south, where winters are milder, the growing season is longer, and infrastructure (highways, railways, cities) was built first. North of the boreal forest, the climate becomes too harsh for large populations.
The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor
The most densely populated region in Canada is the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor — a 1,200 km strip running through eastern Canada:
- Quebec City (provincial capital, ~530,000 city)
- Montreal (~1.7M city, ~4.3M metro)
- Ottawa-Gatineau (national capital, ~1.5M metro)
- Kingston
- Toronto (~3M city, ~6.4M metro — Canada's largest)
- Hamilton (~570,000 city)
- London (~430,000)
- Windsor (~230,000, on the US border)
About half of Canada's population (~18 million people) lives in this corridor.
Other major population areas
Lower Mainland of British Columbia (Greater Vancouver area):
- Vancouver (~675,000 city, ~2.6M metro)
- Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, etc.
- About 60% of BC's population
Calgary–Edmonton corridor (Alberta):
- Calgary (~1.3M city, ~1.5M metro)
- Edmonton (~1M city, ~1.5M metro)
- Together about 60% of Alberta's population
Atlantic urban centres:
- Halifax (~440,000)
- St. John's (~110,000 city, ~210,000 metro)
- Moncton, Saint John, Charlottetown
Manitoba:
- Winnipeg (~750,000 city, ~830,000 metro) — about 60% of Manitoba's population
Provincial population breakdown (approximate)
| Province | Population (millions) | % of Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 15.8 | 38% |
| Quebec | 8.7 | 21% |
| British Columbia | 5.5 | 13% |
| Alberta | 4.8 | 12% |
| Manitoba | 1.5 | 4% |
| Saskatchewan | 1.2 | 3% |
| Nova Scotia | 1.1 | 3% |
| New Brunswick | 0.85 | 2% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0.55 | 1.4% |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.18 | 0.4% |
| All territories combined | 0.12 | 0.3% |
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Urban vs rural
Canada is one of the most urbanised countries in the world:
- About 82% of Canadians live in cities or towns
- About 18% live in rural areas
- The largest urban areas are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Winnipeg
Indigenous population
About 5% of Canada's population identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit). Indigenous peoples are the fastest-growing population group in Canada, with a median age of about 33 — much younger than the non-Indigenous Canadian average. Northern territories have especially high Indigenous populations:
- Nunavut: ~85% Inuit
- NWT: ~50% Indigenous
- Yukon: ~25% First Nations
What the test asks
Common citizenship-test questions:
- Where do most Canadians live? *(Within 160 km of the US border, in cities)*
- Which provinces have the most people? *(Ontario and Quebec)*
- What is Canada's largest city? *(Toronto)*
For more, see [Canada's Largest Cities](/blog/canada-largest-cities-list) and [The Five Regions of Canada](/blog/five-regions-canada-explained).
Practice the actual citizenship test
Try our [free practice test](/practice-test) — it covers population questions in the same format you will see on test day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1How close to the US border do most Canadians live?
About 90% live within 160 km (100 miles) of the US border. The reason is climate — most of Canada's habitable land is in the south, where winters are milder and the growing season is longer.
2Which province has the most people?
Ontario, with about 15 million people (~38% of Canada's total). Quebec is second at about 8.7 million (~22%). Together they hold about 60% of Canada's population.
3What is the most populous corridor in Canada?
The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor — a 1,200 km strip running from Quebec City through Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, and Windsor. It contains about half of Canada's total population (~18 million people).
4How many Canadians live in the North?
Fewer than 120,000 across all three territories combined — less than 1% of Canada's population, despite the territories covering about 40% of Canada's land area.
5Is this on the citizenship test?
General population-distribution questions can appear. Knowing that most Canadians live near the US border and in Ontario/Quebec is a useful reference point.