Canada's population is expected to grow quite steadily over the next couple decades, with Stats Canada projections showing that, by 2050, the national population could range anywhere from 43 million to 58 million people.But what does that mean for the provinces and territories? Growth is not uniform across the country, and some provinces are projected to see their current populations grow by over 40% by 2050, while others are projected to experience stagnation or even population decline.In this article we will rank each province and territory by their projected population under a medium growth scenario, basically the most likely outcome given the current data..13: Northwest Territories - 51,000 people by 2050Kicking off with the lowest projected population of any province or territory is the Northwest Territories, with an expected population of 51,000 people, representing an 11% increase to their 2025 population, which was 45,950. This number would also mean that the territory would drop from the position of the second-least-populated province or territory to the lowest-populated province or territory in the entire country..12: Nunavut - 51,100 people by 2050Currently Canada's smallest sub-national jurisdiction, Nunavut is expected to see a significant population increase relative to its size and, by 2050, is expected to slightly edge out the Northwest Territories and finally move out of the position of Canada's least populated province or territory. Although its population as of 2025 sits at just 41,830, it is expected to see a growth rate double that of the NWT, at 22%..11: Yukon - 62,300 people by 2050 The current most populous territory is expected to maintain its title into the 2050s and seemingly beyond, as the Yukon is set to experience the highest population growth rate of any of Canada's three Northern territories, 29%. Also home to the North's most populous city, Whitehorse, the Yukon has benefited from a milder average temperature when compared to the other two territories as well as its aforementioned large urban centre that has attracted Canadians from the Southern provinces. .10: Prince Edward Island - 233,800 people by 2050Canada's smallest province, in size and in population, is expected to remain in its position into the 2050s and beyond, but it will still see a substantial growth rate relative to its population and geographical size. PEI is set to see its population increase by 28% by the turn of the half century as the island has seen record levels of international and inter-provincial migration..9: Newfoundland and Labrador - 544,300 people by 2050"The Rock" is set to be only one of two provinces expected to see its population decline rather than grow as its projected population of 544,300 people is 1% lower than its 2025 population of 549,911. Newfoundland is the province with the widest per capita low-growth/high-growth gap, with the lowest 2050 estimates putting the province's population at just 492,200, while the high-growth scenario sees its population grow to 605,800, a difference of over 110,000 for a province with a relatively low total population. .8: New Brunswick - 1,058,700 people by 2050By 2050 the province of New Brunswick is expected to become just the second Maritime province, after Nova Scotia, to record a population over one million people. After PEI, the Maritime province is expected to record the highest growth rate among its regional peers, as, by 2050, it is expected its population will have grown by 21.7%. It is expected to hit the million people mark sometime in the early 2040s..7: Nova Scotia - 1,237,200 people by 2050The most populous province in Atlantic Canada is expected to retain its title despite its neighbour, New Brunswick, recording a higher overall growth rate. The home of Alexander Keiths and Trailer Park Boys will record a growth rate of 13.2% by 2050 and is home to the largest urban centre in the Maritimes, Halifax. It is expected that a majority of this population increase will be concentrated in the city, as Halifax continues to be far and away the largest metro area in the region..6: Saskatchewan - 1,587,700 people by 2050The Breadbasket of Canada is expected to see the second-highest growth rate of any Western Canadian province, as its population is expected to grow by 25.3% by 2050. Despite this, it is still expected to remain the least-populated province West of Ontario but is steadily catching up to its Eastern neighbour, Manitoba..5: Manitoba - 1,819,800 people by 2050The most Eastern province of Western Canada is set to see substantial but steady growth, with a growth rate of 20.5% expected by 2050. Similarly to Nova Scotia, much of this growth is expected to be concentrated in Manitoba's major urban centre of Winnipeg. The city is the largest metro centre for over 600 kilometres and, due to its isolation, attracts many from around the world as well as the neighbouring, less-populated areas..4: British Columbia - 6,590,200 people by 2050Probably the most significant change in the rankings of provinces by population is that, by 2050, British Columbia is expected to drop to fourth place. Despite being home to Canada's third most populous city, Vancouver, the Western-most province's growth rate, 15.7%, lags well behind the province that has pipped it to the bronze medal..3: Alberta - 7,220,100 people by 2050The most dramatic change to the demographic landscape of Canada in the year 2050 is projected to be the rise of Alberta to become the third most populated province in the country. With a projected growth rate of a staggering 43.6% by 2050, Alberta is expected to surge ahead into the third-place position by the late 2030s. This growth can be attributed to the province's aggressive campaign to encourage interprovincial migration as well as Alberta's lucrative oil and gas industry..2: Quebec - 9,047,200 people by 2050La Belle Province is an outlier as the only one of Canada's major provinces to be projected to undergo a population decline rather than population growth. Granted, this decline is minimal, a decrease of just 0.1% compared to its 2025 population of 9,058,297, but it highlights Quebec's differing attitude towards immigration and interprovincial migration. Similarly to Newfoundland, the province also has a wide gap between its low-growth scenario and its high-growth scenario, with the lowest projection being 8,271,300 and its highest being 9,954,700..1: Ontario - 19,181,700 people by 2050And finally, it appears that Canada's most populous province will retain that title well into the foreseeable future. Home to Canada's capital and most populous city, by 2050 Ontario is projected to have a population over 2x higher than the second most populated province. With a growth rate of 18%, Ontario is Canada's fastest growing province by total growth.
