Population growth

Ontario’s population reached 16,182,641 on January 1, 2025, with an increase of 10,839 residents during the fourth quarter of 2024. This compares to an increase of 125,914 people recorded in the same quarter of 2023.

During calendar year 2024, the provincial population grew by 238,262 residents, an annual increase of 1.5 per cent. In 2023, Ontario’s population had grown by 542,284 people or 3.5 per cent.

Among the provinces, Ontario had the third slowest population growth rate in 2024, after New Brunswick (1.1%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (0.7%). Canada’s population grew by 744,324 (1.8%) over the period. Compared to 2023, Ontario and Prince Edward Island recorded the most significant slowdowns in annual population growth rate (2.0 percentage points slower each). British Columbia also experienced a notable decrease in its growth rate (1.7 percentage points slower).

Components of Demographic Change for Ontario
ComponentQ4 2023Q4 2024Calendar Year 2023Calendar Year 2024
Natural increase8351,3698,32811,840
Natural increase – Births34,74536,045136,858144,016
Natural increase – Deaths33,91034,676128,530132,176
Net migration125,0799,470533,956226,422
Migration – Net international migration128,04511,589561,941250,007
Migration – International migration – Immigration43,89247,958206,863205,854
Migration – International migration – Emigration*5,6735,84523,95624,670
Migration – International migration – Net change in non-permanent residents89,826-30,524379,03468,823
Migration – International migration – Non-permanent resident Inflow141,20871,272572,388407,037
Migration – International migration – Non-permanent resident Outflow51,382101,796193,354338,214
Migration – Net interprovincial migration-2,966-2,119-27,985-23,585
Migration – Interprovincial migration – Inflow12,31211,29780,19573,857
Migration – Interprovincial migration – Outflow15,27813,416108,18097,442
Population Growth125,91410,839542,284238,262
Population Growth Rate  3.5%1.5%

Source: Statistics Canada.  *Emigration refers to the net of emigration minus returning emigration.

Natural increase

There were 36,045 births during the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 34,745 in same quarter of 2023. The number of deaths also increased, reaching 34,676 in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 33,910 over the same period of the previous year.

Natural increase (births minus deaths) was 1,369 in the quarter, up from 835 in the same quarter of 2023.

International migration

There were 47,958 new immigrants to Ontario in the fourth quarter, up from 43,892 in the same quarter of 2023. In 2024, there were 205,854 immigrants to the province, down from 206,863 in the previous year. Ontario received 42.6 per cent of all immigrants to Canada over this period, down from 43.8 per cent in the previous year.

There were 5,845 emigrants in the fourth quarter, compared to 5,673 in the same quarter of 2023.

The number of non-permanent residents in Ontario decreased by 30,524 in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the past 50 years, the only quarter when Ontario experienced a larger decrease in non-permanents residents was the third quarter of 2020 (-33,458), which reflected international travel restrictions during the pandemic. The number of asylum claimants living in the province increased by 11,808 in that quarter. Holders of a work permit fell by 2,292, holders of a study permit declined by 25,307, and the number of those holding both a study and a work permit decreased by 12,895.

There were 1,345,300 non-permanent residents living in Ontario on January 1, 2025, an increase of 68,823, or 5.4 per cent, over the previous 12 months.

Net Change in the Number of Non-Permanent Residents in Ontario
Net Change by CategoryQ4 2023Q4 2024Calendar Year 2023Calendar Year 2024
Asylum Claimants20,64711,80854,31363,849
Holders of Work Permit Only39,135-2,292197,86872,714
Holders of Study Permit Only11,883-25,30757,010-62,984
Holders of Both Work & Study Permit10,249-12,89548,821-12,250
Other7,912-1,83821,0227,494
Total Net Change89,826-30,524379,03468,823
Non-Permanent Residents Living in Ontario
Number of People as of:January 1, 2023January 1, 2024January 1, 2025
Asylum Claimants100,438154,751218,600
Holders of Work Permit Only342,804540,672613,386
Holders of Study Permit Only284,928341,938278,954
Holders of Both Work & Study Permit136,212185,033172,783
Other33,06154,08361,577
Total897,4431,276,4771,345,300
Change from Previous Year+42.6%+42.2%+5.4%

Source: Statistics Canada.

Overall, there was a net international migration gain of 11,589 in the fourth quarter, down from a net gain of 128,045 in the same quarter of 2023. Net international migration is the sum of all new immigrants during the quarter, minus the number of emigrants, plus the net change in non-permanent residents.

Interprovincial migration

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Ontario saw a net interprovincial migration loss of 2,119 people to the rest of Canada, compared to a net loss of 2,966 people in the same quarter of 2023. During calendar year 2024, Ontario’s total net interprovincial migration loss was 23,585. While this net loss is above the average for the last 10 years, it is the smallest net loss recorded in the last four years.

Ontario Demographic Factsheet

Population (000s) - Estimatesfootnote 1
Region201120162021202220232024
Canada34,33936,11138,24038,93640,08341,289
Ontario13,26213,87714,84215,14115,62316,124
Ontario as % of Canada38.638.438.838.939.039.1
Ontario average annual growth rate (Over previous year shown)0.90.91.42.03.23.2
Population (000s) - MOF Projections footnote 2
Region202620312036204120462051
Canada41,66543,93346,35248,65150,83752,905
Ontario16,44516,90017,73718,67319,70620,805
Ontario as % of Canada39.538.538.338.438.839.3
Ontario average annual growth rate (Over previous year shown)1.00.51.01.01.11.1
Age distribution (%) - Estimatesfootnote 1
Age group201120162021202220232024
0–45.45.24.94.74.64.4
5–1411.211.010.710.610.410.2
15–2413.713.012.212.412.713.0
25–4427.126.527.628.028.829.5
45–6428.428.126.626.025.224.6
65–747.69.210.310.310.210.2
75+6.67.17.78.08.18.1
Age distribution (%) - MOF Projectionsfootnote 2
Age group202620312036204120462051
0–44.44.34.34.34.44.5
5–1410.09.69.29.09.09.2
15–2413.012.512.111.611.311.2
25–4429.629.229.128.628.428.3
45–6423.923.023.224.124.724.9
65–7410.611.310.69.59.19.2
75+8.610.111.612.813.012.8
Selected age groups (%) - Estimatesfootnote 1
Age group201120162021202220232024
0–1416.616.115.515.314.914.5
15–6469.167.666.566.566.767.1
65+14.216.318.018.318.318.3
Selected age groups (%) - MOF Projectionsfootnote 2
Age group202620312036204120462051
0–1414.413.913.513.313.413.6
15–6466.464.764.364.364.564.3
65+19.221.522.322.322.122.0
Other characteristics - Estimatesfootnote 1
Other characteristic201120162021202220232024
Total dependency ratio (%)footnote 360.362.664.264.563.763.0
Median age (years)39.840.740.740.439.939.6
Age span of baby boom (years)46-6551-7056-7557-7658-7759-78
Total fertility ratefootnote 41.571.521.371.271.22n.a.
Female life expectancy at birth (years)footnote 484.184.484.384.184.5n.a.
Male life expectancy at birth (years)footnote 479.980.479.679.680.1n.a.
Families (000s)3,7223,8184,0174,0704,1694,260
Households (000s)footnote 55,0625,3185,7415,8406,0146,175
Other characteristics - MOF Projectionsfootnote 2
Other characteristic202620312036204120462051
Total dependency ratio (%)footnote 364.668.969.368.667.968.1
Median age (years)39.841.041.942.542.642.8
Age span of baby boom (years)61-8066-8571-9076-9581-10086-105
Total fertility ratefootnote 41.181.181.211.231.261.28
Female life expectancy at birth (years)footnote 484.685.486.186.787.488.0
Male life expectancy at birth (years)footnote 480.481.382.283.083.984.6
Families (000s)n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.
Households (000s)footnote 5n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.
Regional distribution (%) - Estimatesfootnote 1
Region201120162021202220232024
Greater Toronto Area47.247.847.247.047.347.6
Central21.621.622.122.222.222.1
Eastern13.213.113.313.313.213.1
Southwestern12.011.711.912.011.911.8
Northeastern4.34.13.93.93.93.8
Northwestern1.81.71.71.61.61.6
Regional distribution (%) - MOF Projectionsfootnote 2
Region202620312036204120462051
Greater Toronto Area46.846.646.646.746.947.0
Central22.622.822.923.023.023.1
Eastern13.213.513.513.613.613.6
Southwestern12.112.012.012.011.911.9
Northeastern3.83.73.53.43.33.2
Northwestern1.51.51.41.41.31.3
Components of change (000s) — year beginning July 1
PeriodPopulation,
beginning of period		Total changeBirthsDeathsNatural increase
Five-Year: 2001–0611,897764666418249
Five-Year: 2006–1112,662600709442268
Five-Year: 2011–1613,262614706471234
Five-Year: 2016–2113,877966701543157
Annual: 2021–2214,84229913812018
Annual: 2022–2315,1414821351278
Annual: 2023–2415,62350114113110
Components of change (000s)  — year beginning July 1       
International migration
PeriodImmigrantsNet emigrantsNet NPRsNet
Five-Year: 2001–0665312544573
Five-Year: 2006–1155810458512
Five-Year: 2011–1651912387484
Five-Year: 2016–2160575221751
Annual: 2021–2222722107312
Annual: 2022–2319924328503
Annual: 2023–2419824343516
Components of change (000s) — year beginning July 1       
Interprovincial migration
PeriodInOutNet
Five-Year: 2001–06307336-30
Five-Year: 2006–11296355-59
Five-Year: 2011–16307346-39
Five-Year: 2016–2134032614
Annual: 2021–2277108-31
Annual: 2022–2377106-30
Annual: 2023–248792-25

Note: All population figures are for July 1st.

Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance and Statistics Canada.

Other Demographics Reports