St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador · City reference

Population and growth

How many people live in St. John's, how fast that is changing, and how much of the city is built up. All figures are from Statistics Canada.

Last checked 2026-01-14 · Times shown in Newfoundland Time

Statistics Canada publishes two different population numbers for a city, and they measure different things. The census is a full count taken every five years, most recently in May 2021. The annual estimates are produced every year in between, using births, deaths, immigration and migration records; they are the better guide to what the population is today.

Census of Population, 2021

Population (2021)

110,525

Rank 50 in Canada by population

Change since 2016

+1.5%

From 108,860 in 2016

Private dwellings

54,067

Total dwellings, occupied or not

Land area

446 km²

Census subdivision boundary

Population density

248 / km²

Residents per square kilometre

Occupied dwellings

49,298

Usual residents, excludes vacant and seasonal

“Land area” and “density” use the census subdivision boundary, which is the legal municipal boundary rather than the built-up area. A city that has annexed a large rural fringe will show a low density for that reason alone.

Population estimates since 2001

These are Statistics Canada’s July 1 estimates on 2021 boundaries, so the whole series is comparable like for like. The most recent estimate is for 2025: 128,693 people. That is a compound annual growth rate of 2.39% over the previous five years.

Population estimates for St. John's, July 1 of each year (Statistics Canada table 17-10-0155)
Year	Population	Change from previous year	Five-year growth rate
2025	128,693	+1,942	+2.39%
2024	126,751	+5,032	+2.20%
2023	121,719	+4,653	+1.58%
2022	117,066	+2,465	+0.87%
2021	114,601	+248	+0.49%
2020	114,353	+661	+0.55%
2019	113,692	+1,172	+0.55%
2018	112,520	+399	+0.41%
2017	112,121	+314	+0.41%
2016	111,807	+564	+0.48%
2015	111,243	+638	+0.59%
2014	110,605	+346	+0.84%
2013	110,259	+382	+1.09%
2012	109,877	+696	+1.28%
2011	109,181	+1,141	+1.30%
2010	108,040	—	+1.12%

Where this sits

St. John's is the anchor of the St. John's Census Metropolitan Area. For how the city compares with its neighbours and how the wider region is growing, Statistics Canada publishes census metropolitan area tables alongside the municipal ones linked below.

Official sources

Details such as fares, fees, hours and program rules change. Always confirm against the official source before acting on anything time-sensitive.