Source: Summary of Population Growth 1851-61, Historical Atlas of Canada Online Learning Project
Areas shown represent provinces/territories/colonies, and within these, census divisions and selected cities are shown.
Census divisions and selected cities are coloured according to their population density (persons per sq km).
Note: First nations people were under-enumerated in all the early censuses, especially in the West. The distribution of native people is better represented using other data sources in the section National Perspectives -> Native Canada.
Proportional circles represent the number of people residing in a given census division or selected city in a given year. Cities selected had a population of more than 20 000 people in 1961, and first appear as separate from the surrounding census division when their population became greater than 10 000. Note that when a city is shown as a separate area from its surrounding census division, the population of that city is not included in the census division population.
Data File Download: Population_by_CDs_1851_1961.xls
Circle sizes are proportional to number of people
by census division and selected cities