British Columbia Profile

A comprehensive demographic breakdown using data from the 2021 Statistics Canada Census.

National Rank:3 of 10

British Columbia Population

Total Population (2021)
5,000,879
Total Population (2016)
4,648,055
Population Growth
+7.6% (+352,824)
Growth Rank
#2 of 10Same geo level
Male
49.1%2,457,515
Female
50.9%2,543,365
Male-to-Female Ratio
0.966
Average Age
43.1
Median Age
42.8
Age Rank
#6 of 10Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4
216,825(4.3%)
5–9
244,290(4.9%)
10–14
255,790(5.1%)
15–19
253,690(5.1%)
20–24
294,650(5.9%)
25–29
337,090(6.7%)
30–34
358,585(7.2%)
35–39
353,350(7.1%)
40–44
319,740(6.4%)
45–49
310,035(6.2%)
50–54
329,005(6.6%)
55–59
356,345(7.1%)
60–64
355,130(7.1%)
65–69
319,405(6.4%)
70–74
272,365(5.4%)
75–79
181,075(3.6%)
80–84
121,055(2.4%)
85+
122,465(2.4%)

British Columbia Households

Household Size

Average Household Size
2.4
Total Private Dwellings
2,211,694
Occupied Private Dwellings
2,041,834

Size Distribution

1 Person
600,705 (29.4%)
2 Persons
719,865 (35.3%)
3 Persons
296,200 (14.5%)
4 Persons
256,700 (12.6%)
5+ Persons
168,355 (8.2%)

Household Composition

Couples with children
463,945(22.7%)
Couples without children
538,825(26.4%)
One-parent families
154,745(7.6%)
One-person households
600,705(29.4%)
Multigenerational
75,700(3.7%)
Multiple-family
20,325(1.0%)

British Columbia Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income
$91,100After tax
Median Household Income
$76,000After tax
Avg. Individual Income
$45,600After tax
Median Individual Income
$37,200After tax
Income Rank
#3 of 10Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income
83.2%
Employment Income
65.8%
Government Transfers
16.8%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k
385,230(9.5%)
$10k–$20k
474,245(11.6%)
$20k–$30k
627,895(15.4%)
$30k–$40k
515,780(12.7%)
$40k–$50k
442,130(10.8%)
$50k–$60k
363,335(8.9%)
$60k–$70k
284,130(7.0%)
$70k–$80k
221,755(5.4%)
$80k–$90k
172,110(4.2%)
$90k–$100k
136,185(3.3%)
$100k+
453,550(11.1%)

British Columbia Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate
57.9%
Unemployment Rate
8.4%
Total Labour Force
2,657,275
Employed
2,433,600
Unemployed
223,675
Not in Labour Force
1,543,145

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate
10.8%
Children (0–17)
11.4%
Adults (18–64)
9.7%
Seniors (65+)
13.7%
Gini Coefficient (Total)
0.3460 = perfect equality
Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)
0.306

British Columbia Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only
4,461,290 (90.1%)
French Only
1,785 (0.0%)
English & French
326,865 (6.6%)
Neither
161,720 (3.3%)

Mother Tongue

English
3,325,035 (67.1%)
French
57,420 (1.2%)
Non-official languages
1,379,145 (27.9%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English
3,325,035(67.1%)
Punjabi
240,865(4.9%)
Mandarin
205,205(4.1%)
Cantonese
192,140(3.9%)
Tagalog
82,835(1.7%)
Spanish
60,465(1.2%)
Korean
59,935(1.2%)
Persian
57,700(1.2%)
French
57,420(1.2%)
Vietnamese
32,560(0.7%)

Cities & Towns in British Columbia

All 85 census subdivisions in British Columbia, sorted by population (2021). Click any column header to re-sort.

#LocationPopulation (2021)
1Vancouver662,248
2Surrey568,322
3Burnaby249,125
4Richmond209,937
5Abbotsford153,524
6Coquitlam148,625
7Kelowna144,576
8Langley132,603
9Saanich117,735
10Delta108,455
11Nanaimo99,863
12Kamloops97,902
13Chilliwack93,203
14Victoria91,867
15Maple Ridge90,990
16North Vancouver88,168
17New Westminster78,916
18Prince George76,708
19Port Coquitlam61,498
20North Vancouver58,120
21Langford46,584
22Vernon44,519
23West Vancouver44,122
24Mission41,519
25Penticton36,885
26West Kelowna36,078
27Campbell River35,519
28Port Moody33,535
29North Cowichan31,990
30Langley28,963
31Courtenay28,420
32Squamish23,819
33White Rock21,939
34Fort St. John21,465
35Cranbrook20,499
36Salmon Arm19,432
37Pitt Meadows19,146
38Colwood18,961
39Port Alberni18,259
40Oak Bay17,990
41Esquimalt17,533
42Central Saanich17,385
43Lake Country15,817
44Sooke15,086
45Comox14,806
46Whistler13,982
47Powell River13,943
48Parksville13,642
49Dawson Creek12,323
50Sidney12,318
51Prince Rupert12,300
52North Saanich12,235
53Summerland12,042
54Terrace12,017
55Saltspring Island11,635
56View Royal11,575
57Coldstream11,171
58Nelson11,106
59Williams Lake10,947
60Sechelt10,847
61Quesnel9,889
62Qualicum Beach9,303
63Comox Valley C (Puntledge - Black Creek)9,158
64Ladysmith8,990
65Castlegar8,338
66Revelstoke8,275
67Kitimat8,236
68Kimberley8,115
69Trail7,920
70Nanaimo A7,481
71Merritt7,051
72Hope6,686
73Fernie6,320
74Kent6,300
75Southern Gulf Islands6,101
76Peachland5,789
77Creston5,583
78Osoyoos5,556
79Smithers5,378
80Armstrong5,323
81Cariboo G5,312
82Spallumcheen5,307
83Oliver5,094
84Metchosin5,067
85Duncan5,047

Discover More Insights

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