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Highlights
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In 2001, 30.4 percent of Canada's population lived in predominantly rural regions.
- Each Atlantic province, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories had more than half of their population living in predominantly rural regions.
- More than half of the population living in predominantly rural regions lived in rural metro-adjacent regions.
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In 2001, more than 9 million Canadians lived in predominantly rural regions 1. This represented 30.4 percent of the population, a decrease of one percent from 1996. Figure 1 shows the slow shift in population structure toward predominantly urban regions and away from predominantly rural regions.
A distinguishing factor between different regions of rural Canada is distance from a major city. This note examines three types of predominantly rural regions: rural metro-adjacent regions, rural non-metro-adjacent regions, and rural
northern and remote regions2.
In 2001, 15 percent of the total Canadian population lived in rural metro-adjacent regions. Fourteen percent of Canadians lived in rural non-metro-adjacent regions and 2 percent in rural northern and remote regions (Figure 2).
When predominantly rural regions are disaggregated into rural metro-adjacent, rural non-metro-adjacent and rural northern and remote regions, a tendency towards urbanisation becomes apparent (Figure 3). Rural metro-adjacent regions now have more than half of the predominantly rural population and this share has been increasing over all census periods since 1981 accounting for the decline of other rural regions.
The share of rural population living in rural non-metro-adjacent regions has been declining. The 2001 Census data show an absolute decline in total population living in rural non-metro-adjacent regions. The share of rural population living in northern and remote regions is more or less constant with a small downward trend (Figure 3).
The proportion of Canadians living in rural areas varies by province and territory (see Appendix 1). In all Atlantic provinces, northern territories and Saskatchewan, the predominantly rural population is the majority. Ontario, followed by Quebec, has the smallest share of people living in predominantly rural areas.
Nationally, the share of the population living in predominantly rural areas is falling, but the national population trends hide significant differences among the provinces and territories. Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario had significant population gains in 2001 in rural metro-adjacent and rural non-metro-adjacent regions. Most provinces with rural metro-adjacent regions saw growth in those regions between every census from 1981 and 2001, with the exceptions of Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Newfoundland and Labrador had an overall population decline in all their regions in 2001.
1 Rural regions can be defined in a few different ways. In this work, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of rural is used (Box 1).
2 In this work, the OECD definition of predominantly rural regions is subdivided according to the Ehrensaft and Beeman definitions defined in Box 1.
BOX 1. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of Rural
An OECD "rural community" refers to individuals in communities with less than 150 person per square kilometre. This includes individuals living in the countryside, towns and small cities inside and outside of the commuting zones of urban centres.
OECD "predominantly rural regions" refer to regions, which have over 50% of their population living in rural communities. In Canada, this includes all census divisions without a major city.
OECD "intermediate regions" have 15% to 50% of their populations living in rural communities.
OECD "predominantly urban regions" refer to regions in which less than 15% of their population living in rural communities.
Source:
OECD (1994) Creating Rural Indicators for Shaping Territorial Policies (Paris: OECD).
In this work, the OECD "predominantly rural regions" are further divided into "rural metro-adjacent regions", "rural non-metro-adjacent regions" and "rural northern and remote regions" developed by Ehrensaft and Beeman (1992).
"Rural metro-adjacent regions" contain census divisions adjacent to metropolitan regions (50,000 or more).
"Rural non-metro-adjacent regions" contain census divisions non-adjacent to any metropolitan region.
"Rural northern and remote regions" designate census divisions that are entirely or in major part above the following lines of latitude by region: Newfoundland, 50th; Quebec and Ontario, 49th; Manitoba, 53rd; Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, 54th; and all of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Source:
Ehrensaft, Philip and Jennifer Beeman (1992) "Distance and Diversity in Nonmetropolitan Economies." Chapter 9 in Ray D. Bollman (ed.) Rural and Small Town Canada (Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing).
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Appendix 1: Population by type of region, Canada and provinces 1981-2001 |
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1981 |
1986 |
1991 |
1996 |
2001 |
Canada |
24,083,540 |
25,022,000 |
26,994,035 |
28,528,115 |
30,007,094 |
Predominantly urban regions |
11,389,130 |
11,985,370 |
13,110,350 |
13,939,995 |
14,944,855 |
Intermediate regions |
4,604,615 |
4,861,585 |
5,343,675 |
5,618,015 |
5,932,162 |
All predominantly rural regions |
8,089,795 |
8,175,045 |
8,540,010 |
8,970,105 |
9,130,077 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
3,783,375 |
3,875,860 |
4,146,870 |
4,415,860 |
4,615,955 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
3,714,745 |
3,711,875 |
3,785,405 |
3,921,120 |
3,896,493 |
Rural northern regions |
591,675 |
587,310 |
607,735 |
633,125 |
617,629 |
Newfoundland/ Labrador |
563,755 |
564,005 |
563,945 |
547,165 |
512,930 |
Intermediate regions |
236,470 |
243,185 |
250,280 |
248,785 |
242,875 |
All predominantly rural regions |
327,285 |
320,820 |
313,665 |
298,380 |
270,055 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
270,320 |
266,270 |
258,470 |
246,550 |
222,100 |
Rural northern regions |
56,965 |
54,550 |
55,195 |
51,830 |
47,955 |
Prince Edward Island (1) |
121,220 |
125,095 |
128,100 |
132,855 |
135,294 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
59,600 |
62,395 |
66,020 |
69,330 |
71,619 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
61,620 |
62,700 |
62,080 |
63,525 |
63,675 |
Nova Scotia |
839,810 |
864,150 |
890,940 |
899,965 |
908,007 |
Intermediate regions |
286,085 |
303,395 |
327,890 |
340,165 |
359,183 |
All predominantly rural regions |
553,725 |
560,755 |
563,050 |
559,800 |
548,824 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
267,575 |
269,845 |
270,825 |
270,860 |
264,928 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
286,150 |
290,910 |
292,225 |
288,940 |
283,896 |
New Brunswick |
689,370 |
701,840 |
716,490 |
729,630 |
729,498 |
Predominantly urban regions |
84,555 |
81,190 |
80,145 |
78,035 |
76,501 |
Intermediate regions |
73,755 |
76,655 |
81,795 |
85,220 |
87,212 |
All predominantly rural regions |
531,060 |
543,995 |
554,550 |
566,375 |
565,785 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
258,145 |
270,200 |
281,785 |
293,060 |
300,076 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
272,915 |
273,795 |
272,765 |
273,315 |
265,709 |
Quebec |
6,369,080 |
6,454,485 |
6,810,295 |
7,045,085 |
7,237,479 |
Predominantly urban regions |
3,405,440 |
3,479,070 |
3,718,070 |
3,842,210 |
3,985,936 |
Intermediate regions |
1,307,320 |
1,341,220 |
1,435,580 |
1,492,595 |
1,536,022 |
All predominantly rural regions |
1,656,320 |
1,634,195 |
1,656,645 |
1,710,280 |
1,715,521 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
653,670 |
657,145 |
688,385 |
727,120 |
748,456 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
923,045 |
899,280 |
891,345 |
904,570 |
889,269 |
Rural northern regions |
79,605 |
77,770 |
76,915 |
78,590 |
77,796 |
Ontario |
8,534,270 |
9,001,150 |
9,977,065 |
10,642,785 |
11,410,046 |
Predominantly urban regions |
4,427,050 |
4,705,955 |
5,155,915 |
5,514,185 |
5,951,711 |
Intermediate regions |
2,311,735 |
2,470,840 |
2,809,500 |
3,003,870 |
3,249,991 |
All predominantly rural regions |
1,795,485 |
1,824,355 |
2,011,650 |
2,124,730 |
2,208,344 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
1,210,215 |
1,247,795 |
1,392,860 |
1,487,770 |
1,576,467 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
430,140 |
431,285 |
467,525 |
481,580 |
484,861 |
Rural northern regions |
155,130 |
145,275 |
151,265 |
155,380 |
147,016 |
Manitoba |
1,013,500 |
1,049,120 |
1,079,390 |
1,100,290 |
1,119,583 |
Predominantly urban regions |
558,430 |
587,415 |
610,265 |
613,205 |
621,451 |
All predominantly rural regions |
455,070 |
461,705 |
469,125 |
487,085 |
498,132 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
177,530 |
186,520 |
198,020 |
208,485 |
221,294 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
216,600 |
210,810 |
207,155 |
210,505 |
210,216 |
Rural northern regions |
60,940 |
64,375 |
63,950 |
68,095 |
66,622 |
Saskatchewan |
956,660 |
996,900 |
976,020 |
976,625 |
978,933 |
Intermediate regions |
389,250 |
426,290 |
438,630 |
447,380 |
456,879 |
All predominantly rural regions |
567,410 |
570,610 |
537,390 |
529,245 |
522,054 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
243,715 |
247,160 |
235,215 |
231,595 |
231,617 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
298,260 |
297,990 |
275,465 |
266,565 |
258,408 |
Rural northern regions |
25,435 |
25,460 |
26,710 |
31,085 |
32,029 |
Alberta |
2,213,655 |
2,340,280 |
2,519,195 |
2,669,205 |
2,974,807 |
Predominantly urban regions |
1,417,580 |
1,509,425 |
1,666,560 |
1,764,815 |
1,996,537 |
All predominantly rural regions |
796,075 |
830,855 |
852,635 |
904,390 |
978,270 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
509,295 |
527,470 |
548,010 |
584,565 |
640,206 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
253,500 |
265,835 |
266,995 |
283,360 |
295,093 |
Rural northern regions |
33,280 |
37,550 |
37,630 |
36,465 |
42,971 |
British Columbia |
2,713,610 |
2,849,600 |
3,247,505 |
3,689,740 |
3,907,738 |
Predominantly urban regions |
1,496,075 |
1,622,315 |
1,879,395 |
2,127,545 |
2,312,719 |
All predominantly rural regions |
1,217,535 |
1,227,285 |
1,368,110 |
1,562,195 |
1,595,019 |
Rural metro adjacent regions |
403,630 |
407,330 |
465,750 |
543,075 |
561,292 |
Rural non-metro adjacent regions |
702,195 |
713,000 |
791,380 |
902,210 |
923,266 |
Rural northern regions |
111,710 |
106,955 |
110,980 |
116,910 |
110,461 |
Yukon (2) |
23,070 |
23,360 |
27,660 |
30,650 |
28,674 |
Northwest Territories (2), (3) |
45,540 |
52,015 |
57,430 |
64,120 |
35,946 |
Nunavut (2), (3) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
28,159 |
Source: Statistics Canada. Census of Population, 1981 - 2001. |
(1) Since all of Prince Edward Island is classified as "Predominantly rural regions", the total for the province provides the data for "All predominantly rural regions"
(2) Since all of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are classified as "Rural northern and remote regions", the total for each territory provides the data for "Rural northern and remote regions".
(3) In 1999, the Northwest Territories were reorganized into two new areas: Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. In this table, all references to the Northwest Territories include Nunavut before 2001.
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This rural research note is a partial update of Roland Beshiri and Ray D. Bollman. (2001) "Population Structure and Change in Predominantly Rural Regions." Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis
Bulletin Vol. 2, No. 2 (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Cat. No. 21-006-XIE).
http://www.statcan.ca/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=21-006-X&CHROPG;=1
Rural Research Notes
Rural Research Notes is an occasional publication of Rural Research and Analysis Unit, Rural Secretariat, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This Note is published in collaboration with the Research and Rural Data Section, Agriculture Division, Statistics Canada.
For more information on this note, please contact:
Jennifer Mollins
Senior Economist, Rural Research and Analysis Unit
Rural Secretariat, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
1341 Baseline Road
Tower 7, 6th floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C5
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To obtain additional data, please contact:
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Statistics Canada
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E-mail: agriculture@statcan.ca
Internet : www.statcan.ca
ISSN 1703-5880
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Publication Number 2138/E
This note is available electronically at: http://www.rural.gc.ca/research/note/note1_e.phtml
Cette note est disponible en français sous le titre
Note de Recherche rurale: Tendances démographiques rurales au Canada
http://www.rural.gc.ca/research/note/note1_f.phtml
Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada No de publication 2138/F
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2002
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Date Modified: 2002-08-06 |
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