Demographics of Toronto

The demographics of Toronto, Ontario, Canada make Toronto one of the most multicultural and multiracial cities in the world. In 2021, 57.0 percent of the residents of the metropolitan area belonged to a visible minority group, compared with 51.4 percent in 2016, and 13.6 percent in 1981. Toronto also has established ethnic neighbourhoods such as the multiple Chinatowns, Corso Italia, Little Italy, Little India, Greektown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Jamaica, Little Portugal, Little Malta, Roncesvalles (Polish), and Bloor West Village (Ukrainian), all of which celebrate the city's multiculturalism. Data from the suburban municipalities are also included for some metrics as most of these municipalities are part of the Toronto CMA (not to be confused with the Greater Toronto Area).
The last complete census by Statistics Canada, which was taken in 2021, estimated there were 2,794,356 living in Toronto, making it the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous municipality in North America.
Toronto's population grew by 2.3 percent from 2016 to 2021, with an annual growth rate of 0.46 percent.
2011 Census population data for the City of Toronto are found readily aggregated at a finer level than the city as a whole at i. the electoral district (riding) level (2003 redistribution) and ii. the neighbourhood level. The three ridings with the largest increase in population between 2006 and 2011 in the City of Toronto have been
As of 2016 census
The 2021 Census indicates that 55.7 per cent of Toronto's population is composed of visible minorities, compared with 51.5 per cent in 2016. According to the 2021 Canadian census, 1,537,285, or approximately 10.7 percent of Canada's visible minority population, live in the city of Toronto; of this, roughly 67 percent are of Asian ancestry. Approximately 34.81 per cent of the city's population, or 961,325 individuals in The City of Toronto are Asian Canadians as of 2021. This makes for the second largest Asian population for a core North American city after New York City, as well as one of the highest ratios for a large city. Annually, almost half of all immigrants to Canada settle in the Greater Toronto Area. A study released by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in December 2012 found that 66 percent of students ages 4 through 18 came from visible minorities, with over 61 percent of students in 2012 identifying as Asian. East Asians made up the largest panethnicity (33 percent), with South Asians (28 percent) coming in second of the city of Toronto's overall population. 46,315 Aboriginals live in Toronto. There is a Hungarian Roma community in Toronto. Many Romani refugees live in Toronto. 61,000 Mexicans live in Toronto.
Change between 2011 and 2016:
Increase:
Decrease:
The most prevalent ethnic origins in the City of Toronto are as follows:
The top visible-minority groups per Community Council (2016 Census) are as follows:
The progression of the percentage of visible minorities in the aforementioned Community Councils (pre-1998-amalgamation municipalities or pairs thereof) has been far from uniform:
The finest granularity of visible minority data in Toronto readily available by the 2016 Census is that of the federal electoral district (riding; 2013 redistribution). The per-riding data based on the 2003 redistribution was available for the 2001 and 2006 censuses and the 2011 NHS, thus enabling useful comparisons. For instance, visible minorities as a percentage of the population only marginally increased, or even decreased (Toronto-Danforth, Parkdale-High Park, Toronto Centre, and, in the 2006–2011 period, Davenport) in the Old Toronto, East York and South Etobicoke ridings, while on the other hand increased significantly in Scarborough and North York. Since the 2016 Census used the then-new 2013 redistribution, such a direct comparison is no longer possible.
Concentrations of ethnic groups per City of Toronto ridings (2016 Census) are as follows, with the largest proportion of each group in bold. For each of the federal electoral districts in the City of Toronto, the ethnic groups with 5 percent or more of population are shown, in a rough correspondence with community councils and pre-amalgamation municipalities (highest percentage for each ethnic group as well the most populous ethnic group in a riding, if a visible minority – are shown in bold):
TORONTO & EAST YORK
NORTH YORK
SCARBOROUGH
ETOBICOKE & YORK
For each of the federal electoral districts in the City of Toronto, the ethnic origin groups with 7 percent of more of population are shown, in a rough correspondence with community councils and pre-amalgamation municipalities (highest percentage for each ethnic group as well the most populous ethnic group in a riding – if not Canadian or English, which are the most frequent ones - are shown in bold):
TORONTO & EAST YORK
NORTH YORK
SCARBOROUGH
ETOBICOKE & YORK
Top ethnic origin per Toronto ward (as designated by the City of Toronto; 2011 Census data - total responses)
Top ethnic origin per Toronto neighbourhood (as designated by the City of Toronto; 2006 Census data - total responses)
The neighbourhoods with the highest percentage of visible minorities (2016 data) are as follows:
Those with the lowest percentage of visible minorities (2016 data) are:
The following are the twenty (20) more common ethnic origins in the Toronto CMA:
The top 20 ethnic origins in the Toronto CMA, from 1996 to 2016 are as follows:
Change between 2011 and 2016:
Largest increases:
Largest decreases:
Concentrations of ethnic groups per Toronto CMA municipality are as follows, with the largest proportion of each group in bold (only percentages higher than 5% are included):
Most common ethnic origins (only percentages higher than 7% are included) per Toronto CMA municipality are as follows, with the largest proportion of each ethnic origin in bold (as well the most populous ethnic group in a riding, if not English or Canadian):
Visible minorities as percentage of population and top ethnic origins per riding, in the GTA outside the City of Toronto are as follows:
Roman Catholics accounted for 33.4% of the population of the city of Toronto in 2001, followed by Protestants with 21.2%. Members of Christian Orthodox churches accounted for 4.9%, and other Christians (those not specifically identifying as Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox) formed 3.9%. The city's religious makeup also includes Islam with 5.5%, Hinduism (4.1%), Judaism (3.5%), Buddhism (2.1%), Sikhism (1%), and other communities; 16.6% reported no religious affiliation.
In particular, the 2001 Census data showed the following data per pre-amalgamation municipality:
The 2011 National Household Survey found that Roman Catholics accounted for 28.2% of the population in the city of Toronto in 2011, followed by those of no religious affiliation at 24.1%, "Other Christian" at 9.7%, and Muslims at 8.2%. Besides those registered in the "other Christian" category there were other Christian denominations who were also registered in the census, including Anglicans (3.8%), Baptists (1.4%), Christian Orthodox (4.3%), Lutheran (0.6%), Pentecostal (1.6%), Presbyterian (1.5%), and United Church (3%). Buddhists (2.7%), Hindu (5.6%), Judaism (3.8%), Sikh (0.8%), Aboriginal spirituality (0.03%) and "Other religions" (0.5%) were also included.
The finest granularity of mother tongue and language spoken in Toronto yet provided by the 2011 Census is that of the federal electoral district (riding; 2003 redistribution). Census tracts (and hence ward and neighbourhood) data is not yet available. For each of the federal electoral districts in the City of Toronto, the top three (or more if having more than 3% of native speakers; single responses are used - it is indicated by way of using bold whether English is the mother tongue of more than 60% of the population or if another language exceeds 10% of native speakers) are as follows:
TORONTO & EAST YORK
NORTH YORK
SCARBOROUGH
ETOBICOKE YORK
Following are the corresponding data for the GTA ridings neighbouring the City of Toronto:
IN YORK REGION
IN PEEL REGION
IN DURHAM REGION
According to the 2006 census, the immigrant proportion in the City of Toronto stood at 50.0 percent The percentage and breakdown of immigrants per place of birth for each City of Toronto Community Council is as follows:
The City of Toronto ward with the highest percentage of total immigrants is Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River where 71.4% of the total population are immigrants (Eastern Asia 41.4%, Southern Asia 10.7%, Southeast Asia 6.0%, Caribbean & Bermuda 3.8%). At the other end of the spectrum is Ward 16 Eglinton-Lawrence having the lowest percentage of immigrants, 24.7% in particular (Eastern Europe 4.1%, Northern Europe 3.4%, Southern Europe 3.3%).
According to the Canadian government, Toronto has one of the highest per capita immigration rates in the world. Within Canada itself, 43% of all new immigrants to Canada settle in the Greater Toronto Area adding significantly to Toronto's population.
The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 2,862,850 persons or 46.6 percent of the total population of the Toronto CMA.
According to the 2006 Census, 45.7% of the residents of Toronto CMA were immigrants.
The 2006 Census data show the following temporal patterns in the sources of immigration to Toronto (and retention of immigrants per source country):
(highest %)
(highest %)
(highest %; single responses)
(highest %)
(highest %)