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Demographics of Alberta facts for kids

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Canada Alberta Density 2016 CB
Population density of Alberta, 2016

Alberta is a province in Canada that has been growing a lot recently, mostly because its economy is strong. Between 2003 and 2004, many babies were born, many people moved to Alberta from other countries, and many people moved there from other parts of Canada. Most people in Alberta (about 81%) live in cities, while only about 19% live in rural areas. The area between Calgary and Edmonton is the most city-like part of Alberta and is one of Canada's busiest regions. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also grown quickly. In 1901, Alberta had only 73,022 people. By 2021, it had grown to 4,262,635 people. This means Alberta went from having less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%. It is now the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between 2016 and 2021, Alberta's population grew by 4.8%.

How Alberta's Population Has Grown

Here's a look at how Alberta's population has changed over the years:

Year Population  Percentage of Canadian pop. Rank among provinces
1901 73,022† 1.4 9
1911 374,295 5.2 7
1921 588,454 6.7 5
1931 731,605 7.0 4
1941 796,169 6.9 5
1951 939,501 6.7 4
1956 1,123,116 n/a 4
1961 1,331,944 7.3 4
1969 1,463,203 n/a 4
1971 1,627,875 7.5 4
1976 1,838,035 n/a 4
1981 2,237,724 9.2 4
1986 2,365,830 9.3 4
1991 2,545,553 9.3 4
1996 2,696,826 9.3 4
2001 2,974,807 9.9 4
2006 3,290,350 10.4 4
2011 3,645,257 10.9 4
2016 4,067,175 11.6 4
2021 4,262,635 11.5 4

† The 1901 population was for the District of Alberta, which was part of the North-West Territories back then.

Where People Live in Alberta

Census Divisions

Alberta Census divisions - population density
Alberta's census divisions by population density. These are large areas used for counting people.

Alberta is divided into areas called "census divisions" to help count its population.

Major City Areas

Statistics Canada looks at "census metropolitan areas" (CMAs) to count people in and around big cities. As of 2011, Alberta had two main CMAs, and by 2016, a third one was added. In 2021, a fourth was added.

Here are the populations for Alberta's largest city areas:

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 Lethbridge area became a CMA in 2016:

CMA name  2021  2016  Census division
Lethbridge 123,847 113,920 Division No. 2

The Red Deer area became a CMA in 2021:

CMA name 2021  Census division
Red Deer 100,844 Division No. 8

Smaller City Areas

Alberta CSDs 2011 Census
Population growth of Alberta's census subdivisions between 2006 and 2011. These are smaller areas like towns and cities.

Besides CMAs, there are "census agglomerations" (smaller city areas) and "census subdivisions" (like individual cities and towns). In 2006, Alberta had 453 census subdivisions. Here are some of the largest ones:

Different Backgrounds in Alberta

"Ethnic origins" means the cultural or ancestral background people identify with. In the 2021 Census, people could choose more than one origin (like "Irish-Canadian"). That's why the percentages add up to more than 100%.

Ethnic groups in Alberta (1941–2021)
Ethnic group 2021 2001 1941
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
English 766,070 18.34% 753,190 25.61% 191,934 24.11%
German 641,025 15.34% 576,350 19.6% 77,721 9.76%
Scottish 631,015 15.1% 556,575 18.92% 112,540 14.14%
Irish 561,915 13.45% 461,065 15.68% 83,876 10.53%
Ukrainian 343,640 8.23% 285,725 9.71% 71,868 9.03%
French 341,755 8.18% 333,705 11.35% 42,979 5.4%
Filipino 203,955 4.88% 36,235 1.23% N/A N/A
First Nations 188,315 4.51% 144,040 4.9% 12,565 1.58%
Chinese 177,990 4.26% 108,050 3.67% 3,122 0.39%
Dutch 174,625 4.18% 149,225 5.07% 20,429 2.57%
Polish 169,925 4.07% 137,625 4.68% 26,845 3.37%
Indian 155,700 3.73% 61,180 2.08% 48 0.01%
Norwegian 154,535 3.7% 120,045 4.08% 29,628 3.72%
Métis 115,455 2.76% 63,620 2.16% 8,808 1.11%
Italian 98,730 2.36% 67,655 2.3% 4,872 0.61%
Russian 97,890 2.34% 62,750 2.13% 19,316 2.43%
Swedish 92,970 2.23% 78,565 2.67% 20,505 2.58%
Welsh 76,810 1.84% 59,470 2.02% 10,896 1.37%
Danish 56,190 1.34% 50,465 1.72% 12,284 1.54%
Hungarian 51,360 1.23% 41,535 1.41% 7,892 0.99%
Spanish 40,170 0.96% 19,295 0.66% 135 0.02%
Pakistani 39,535 0.95% 5,450 0.19% N/A N/A
Vietnamese 39,395 0.94% 21,490 0.73% N/A N/A
Punjabi 37,585 0.9% 3,785 0.13% N/A N/A
Austrian 36,220 0.87% 27,910 0.95% 7,513 0.94%
African 34,225 0.82% 7,115 0.24% 926 0.12%
Mennonite 31,565 0.76% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Romanian 31,530 0.75% 20,235 0.69% 4,206 0.53%
Sikh 28,860 0.69% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Lebanese 28,480 0.68% 17,660 0.6% N/A N/A
Mexican 25,450 0.61% 3,345 0.11% 1 0%
Korean 24,165 0.58% 7,925 0.27% N/A N/A
Swiss 22,450 0.54% 17,460 0.59% N/A N/A
Belgian 21,985 0.53% 14,925 0.51% 2,919 0.37%
Portuguese 21,415 0.51% 13,885 0.47% 42 0.01%
Hindu 20,535 0.49% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Czech 19,730 0.47% 15,765 0.54% 8,177 1.03%
Icelandic 19,720 0.47% 13,065 0.44% 1,077 0.14%
Finnish 18,705 0.45% 12,730 0.43% 3,452 0.43%
Japanese 18,605 0.45% 11,945 0.41% 578 0.07%
Somali 16,310 0.39% 1,385 0.05% N/A N/A
Jamaican 15,620 0.37% 7,925 0.27% N/A N/A
Nigerian 14,600 0.35% 1,245 0.04% N/A N/A
Jewish 14,405 0.34% 15,435 0.52% 4,164 0.52%
Greek 13,980 0.33% 9,110 0.31% 605 0.08%
Croatian 13,720 0.33% 8,565 0.29% 1,704 0.21%
Ethiopian 13,505 0.32% 1,460 0.05% N/A N/A
Muslim 12,420 0.3% N/A N/A N/A N/A
Colombian 11,115 0.27% 950 0.03% N/A N/A
Eritrean 11,010 0.26% 1,180 0.04% N/A N/A
Iranian 10,545 0.25% 3,130 0.11% N/A N/A
Slovak 10,525 0.25% 6,810 0.23% N/A N/A
Afghan 10,380 0.25% 1,805 0.06% N/A N/A
Egyptian 9,585 0.23% 2,290 0.08% N/A N/A
Syrian 9,520 0.23% 1,265 0.04% 428 0.05%
Total responses 4,177,720 98.01% 2,941,150 98.87% 796,169 100%
Total population 4,262,635 100% 2,974,807 100% 796,169 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Future Projections

This table shows how the different ethnic groups in Alberta might grow in the future.

Panethnic origin projections in Alberta (2031–2041)
Group 2031 2036 2041
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European 3,122,000 56.6% 3,178,000 52.89% 3,219,000 49.6%
South Asian 533,000 9.66% 649,000 10.8% 763,000 11.76%
Southeast Asian 441,000 7.99% 528,000 8.79% 619,000 9.54%
Indigenous 404,000 7.32% 442,000 7.36% 480,000 7.4%
African 331,000 6% 406,000 6.76% 480,000 7.4%
East Asian 311,000 5.64% 352,000 5.86% 392,000 6.04%
Middle Eastern 188,000 3.41% 233,000 3.88% 280,000 4.31%
Latin American 107,000 1.94% 126,000 2.1% 144,000 2.22%
Other/multiracial 78,000 1.41% 95,000 1.58% 112,000 1.73%
Projected Alberta population 5,516,000 100% 6,009,000 100% 6,490,000 100%

Visible Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

"Visible minorities" are people who are not Indigenous and are not white. "Indigenous peoples" include First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

Indigenous and visible minority identity (2021):      European Canadian (65.4%)     Visible minority (27.8%)     First Nations (3.5%)     Métis (3.1%)     Inuit (0.1%)     Other Indigenous (0.2%)

Visible minority and Indigenous population (2021 Canadian census)
Population group Population  %
European 2,731,825 65.4%
Visible minority group
 South Asian 297,650 7.1%
Chinese 164,235 3.9%
Black 177,940 4.3%
Filipino 216,710 5.2%
Arab 69,505 1.7%
Latin American 66,520 1.6%
Southeast Asian 54,005 1.3%
West Asian 25,075 0.6%
Korean 24,365 0.6%
Japanese 13,560 0.3%
Visible minority, n.i.e. 12,100 0.3%
Multiple visible minorities 39,745 1.0%
Total visible minority population 1,161,420 27.8%
Indigenous group
 First Nations (North American Indian) 145,640 3.5%
Métis 127,470 3.1%
Inuk (Inuit) 2,945 0.1%
Multiple Indigenous responses 4,785 0.1%
Indigenous responses n.i.e. 3,620 0.1%
Total Indigenous population 284,470 6.8%
Total population 4,177,715 100.0%

Languages Spoken in Alberta

Knowing Official Languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in Alberta (2016)
Language Percent
English only
  
 91.86%
French only
  
 0.10%
English and French
  
 6.57%
Neither English nor French
  
 1.47%

People could choose more than one language they knew in the census. Here are the languages spoken by at least one percent of people in Alberta.

Knowledge of languages in Alberta
Language 2021 2016
Pop. % Pop. %
English 4,109,720 98.37% 3,916,805 98.46%
French 260,415 6.23% 264,720 6.65%
Tagalog 172,625 4.13% 138,440 3.48%
Punjabi 126,385 3.03% 90,485 2.27%
Spanish 116,070 2.78% 104,445 2.63%
Hindi 94,015 2.25% 61,290 1.54%
Mandarin 82,095 1.97% 70,510 1.77%
Arabic 76,760 1.84% 62,730 1.58%
Cantonese 74,960 1.79% 74,770 1.88%
German 65,370 1.56% 83,010 2.09%
Urdu 51,545 1.23% 41,235 1.04%

Mother Tongue

"Mother tongue" is the first language you learned at home. Here are the most common mother tongues reported in Alberta in 2021:

Languages of Alberta (2021):      English (76.6%)     French (2.1%)     Indigenous language (0.6%)     Other language (20.9%)     Multiple (2.3%)

Mother tongue in Alberta
Language 2021 2016 2011
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
English 3,235,065 76.6% 2,972,670 74.71% 2,780,200 78.37%
Tagalog (Filipino/Pilipino) 138,160 3.27% 98,360 2.47% 60,085 1.69%
Chinese 128,160 3.04% 119,710 3.01% 105,470 2.97%
Panjabi (Punjabi) 103,965 2.46% 68,315 1.72% 49,940 1.41%
French 88,010 2.08% 70,440 1.77% 68,545 1.93%
Spanish 67,865 1.61% 54,685 1.37% 44,020 1.24%
German 65,835 1.56% 63,570 1.60% 80,905 2.28%
Arabic 57,170 1.35% 40,695 1.02% 28,000 0.79%
Urdu 35,905 0.85% 26,860 0.68% 19,900 0.56%
Hindi 26,975 0.64% 16,495 0.41% 12,290 0.35%
Vietnamese 26,930 0.64% 23,015 0.58% 21,195 0.60%
Niger-Congo languages 25,230 0.60% 15,515 0.30% N N
Selected Aboriginal languages 24,630 0.58% 22,970 0.58% 22,005 0.62%
Korean 21,020 0.50% 17,400 0.44% 13,885 0.39%
Russian 20,280 0.48% 17,465 0.44% 13,840 0.38%
Ukrainian 19,885 0.47% 21,215 0.53% 24,575 0.69%

Many people (about 88,765) reported having more than one mother tongue.

Religions in Alberta

Almost half of Albertans (just under 50%) are Christian, while over 40% say they have no religion.

Religious affiliation (2021):      Christian (48.1%)     Muslim (4.8%)     Sikh (2.5%)     Hindu (1.9%)     Buddhist (1.0%)     Jewish (0.3%)     Aboriginal spirituality (0.5%)     Other religions (0.8%)     Irreligious (40.1%)

Among Christians, the largest groups are Roman Catholic, United Church, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Christian sub-affiliation (2021):      Roman Catholic (41.4%)     United Church (7.7%)     Anglican (4.8%)     Lutheran (3.9%)     Orthodox (3.2%)     Pentecostal (2.7%)     Latter Day Saints (2.3%)     Baptist (2.2%)     Presbyterian (1.1%)     Jehovah's Witnesses (0.9%)     Reformed (0.7%)     Other Christian (26.9%)

Alberta also has many Mennonites and Hutterites, who are Christian groups living in communities. There are also many Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists.

Many people who follow Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim faiths live in Alberta. One of the largest Sikh temples in Canada is near Edmonton. Most of Alberta's Jewish population lives in Calgary and Edmonton.

Islam is Alberta's second largest religion. Canada's first mosque, the Al-Rashid Mosque, was built in Edmonton in 1938, thanks to a Lebanese woman named Hilwie Hamdon.

Religion (2021) Group Population Proportion
Christian 2,009,820 48.1%
Catholic 833,025 19.9%
United Church 153,820 3.7%
Anglican Church 95,560 2.3%
Lutheran 78,925 1.9%
Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox 63,775 1.5%
Pentecostal 53,900 1.3%
Latter Day Saints 47,125 1.1%
Baptist 44,605 1.1%
Presbyterian 22,850 0.5%
Jehovah's Witnesses 18,185 0.4%
Reformed 14,735 0.4%
Methodist 9,640 0.2%
Other Christian 541,520 15.2%
Muslim 202,535 4.8%
Sikh 103,600 2.5%
Hindu 78,520 1.9%
Buddhist 42,830 1.0%
Jewish 11,390 0.3%
Other religions 33,220 0.8%
Aboriginal spirituality 19,755 0.5%
No religious affiliation 1,676,045 40.1%
Religious groups in Alberta (1981–2021)
Religious group 2021 2011 2001
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Christianity 2,009,820 48.11% 2,152,200 60.32% 2,099,435 71.38%
No religion 1,676,045 40.12% 1,126,130 31.56% 694,840 23.62%
Islam 202,535 4.85% 113,445 3.18% 49,045 1.67%
Sikhism 103,600 2.48% 52,335 1.47% 23,470 0.8%
Hinduism 78,520 1.88% 36,845 1.03% 15,965 0.54%
Buddhism 42,830 1.03% 44,410 1.24% 33,410 1.14%
Indigenous spirituality 19,755 0.47% 15,100 0.42% N/A N/A
Judaism 11,390 0.27% 10,900 0.31% 11,085 0.38%
Other 33,220 0.8% 16,605 0.47% 13,900 0.47%
Total responses 4,177,715 98.01% 3,567,975 97.88% 2,941,150 98.87%
Total population 4,262,635 100% 3,645,257 100% 2,974,807 100%

People Moving to Alberta

Immigration from Other Countries

"Immigrants" are people who were born outside of Canada and then moved here. In 2021, about 23.2% of Alberta's population were immigrants.

Alberta immigration statistics
Year Immigrant percentage Immigrant population Total population
1901 42.8% 31,240 73,022
1911 56.8% 212,426 374,295
1921 46.5% 273,364 588,454
1931 41.8% 305,738 731,605
1941 32.5% 258,387 796,169
1951 25.5% 240,016 939,501
1961 21.7% 288,749 1,331,944
1971 17.3% 282,260 1,627,870

Here are the top countries where immigrants in Alberta were born:

Immigrants in Alberta by country of birth
Country of birth 2021 2016 2011
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Philippines 167,735 17.3% 123,830 14.7% 69,575 10.8%
India 122,145 12.6% 91,660 10.8% 59,020 9.2%
China 61,390 6.3% 57,695 6.8% 49,595 7.7%
United Kingdom 56,675 5.8% 59,215 7% 58,245 9%
Pakistan 30,815 3.2% 28,080 3.3% 19,110 3%
United States 30,540 3.1% 30,460 3.6% 31,050 4.8%
Vietnam 27,875 2.9% 27,080 3.2% 26,020 4%
Nigeria 21,065 2.2% 12,405 1.5% 5,575 0.9%
Hong Kong 18,725 1.9% 19,115 2.3% 17,300 2.7%
Mexico 17,985 1.9% 15,665 1.9% 10,755 1.7%
Germany 16,635 1.7% 19,200 2.3% 20,085 3.1%
South Korea 16,180 1.7% 13,850 1.6% 9,575 1.5%
Poland 15,595 1.6% 16,930 2% 16,335 2.5%
Ethiopia 14,420 1.5% 10,565 1.2% 6,375 1%
Netherlands 12,730 1.3% 14,035 1.7% 15,290 2.4%

Recent Immigration

Between 2016 and 2021, 193,170 people moved to Alberta from other countries.

Recent immigrants to Alberta by place of birth (2016 to 2021)
Rank Country Population % of recent immigrants
1 Philippines 47,605 24.6%
2 India 31,815 16.5%
3 Nigeria 9,840 5.1%
4 China 9,495 4.9%
5 Syria 7,295 3.8%
6 United States 5,175 2.7%
7 Eritrea 5,120 2.7%
8 Mexico 4,165 2.2%
9 Pakistan 4,080 2.1%
10 Ethiopia 3,960 2.1%
11 United Kingdom 3,800 2%
12 South Korea 3,430 1.8%
13 Iran 3,260 1.7%
14 Nepal 2,620 1.4%
15 Jamaica 2,130 1.1%

Moving from Other Provinces

Net cumulative interprovincial migration, 1997 to 2017, as a share of population, 2016
Net cumulative interprovincial migration per Province from 1997 to 2017. This shows how many people moved in or out of each province.

"Interprovincial migration" means people moving between different provinces in Canada. Over the last 50 years, Alberta has had more people move in from other provinces than move out. However, when the economy slows down, like when oil prices drop, more people tend to leave Alberta. The oil industry is a big reason why people move to Alberta for work.

Interprovincial migration in Alberta
People moving in People moving out Net change (in minus out)
2009–10 Decrease 57,958 ▼ 61,229 Decrease −3,271
2010–11 Increase 63,975 ▼ 55,532 Increase 8,443
2011–12 Increase 80,837 ▼ 53,185 Increase 27,652
2012–13 Increase 84,602 ▼ 46,004 Increase 38,598
2013–14 Increase 87,307 ▲ 51,925 Decrease 35,382
2014–15 Decrease 81,540 ▲ 59,946 Decrease 21,594
2015–16 Decrease 56,978 ▲ 72,086 Decrease −15,108
2016–17 Decrease 50,396 ▼ 65,955 Decrease −15,559
2017–18 Increase 55,147 ▼ 58,394 Increase −3,247
2018–19 Increase 65,778 ▲ 60,236 Increase 5,542
2019–20 Increase 85,919 ▲ 77,519 Increase 8,400

Source: Statistics Canada

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