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Research and Analysis

R U R A L   R E S E A R C H   N O T E
June 2002Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Publication Number 2138/E


Canadian rural population trends

 

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Highlights

  • 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.


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.


Figure1. The population of rural Canada has steadily declined as a share of total population since 1981

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).

Figure 2. In 2001; 15% of Canada's population lived in Metro-adjacent regions

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).

Figure 3. Rural metro-adjacent regions have seen a steady increase in their share of population in the predominantly rural regions

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).


Appendix 1:
Population by type of region, Canada and provinces 1981-2001

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.


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
    Telephone: (613) 759-7368
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    E-mail: rs@agr.gc.ca

    To obtain additional data, please contact:
    Rural Data Advisory Line
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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

    This information is provided free of charge to the public. It may be reused provided that it is accurately reproduced and the source is credited. Persons using this information agree to save harmless Her Majesty in right of Canada and all her representatives against any claim resulting from its use.

    Any policy views, whether explicitly stated, inferred or interpreted from the contents of this publication, should not be represented as reflecting the views of the Rural Secretariat, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada or the Government of Canada.

 


Date Modified: 2002-08-06