List of largest Canadian cities by census

Western Canada's four most populous cities – Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg – have remained in the Top 10 since 1921, joined briefly in 2001 (only) by Surrey, British Columbia.

Through the 1970s, while a number of Canadian cities suffered population losses, the three Canadian Prairies cities on the Top 10 list – Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg – saw significant growth: the two Alberta cities primarily through consistent net migration, with Winnipeg primarily boosted by amalgamation of its surrounding municipalities prior to the 1976 census.

Numerous amalgamations took place in Ontario during the 1990s and 2000s that affected city population figures.

A significant change is that, after holding the position of largest city in Canada on all 19 previous censuses, covering the first 129 years of the nation of Canada, Montreal drops to second place on the list, displaced by Toronto.

A wave of amalgamations took place in Quebec since the previous census, affecting city population figures.