Population of Edmonton 2025: Metro 1.59M and City 1.24M

Edmonton reached a estimated population of approximately 1.24 million residents in 2025, according to industry and government data, representing a gain of more than 187,000 people since the 2021 census. This article presents the most current population figures for both the City of Edmonton and the wider Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area, explains the sources behind the data, and compares Edmonton’s growth trajectory with other major Canadian cities.

Last checked: 2026-05-30

Metro population 2025: 1,589,000 · City population 2025: 1,240,000 · Annual growth rate (city): 3.38% · Growth compared to Calgary: Edmonton and Calgary had highest growth among major Canadian metros

What is Edmonton’s population in 2025?

Two distinct population figures matter when answering this question. The City of Edmonton proper held approximately 1.24 million residents as of 2025, according to industry and media reporting that draws on the most recent Statistics Canada estimates. CityNews Edmonton reported in January 2026 that new federal data showed Edmonton had gained more than 187,000 residents since the 2021 census, crossing the 1.2 million mark (CityNews, Jan 2026). An industry report from BILD Edmonton Region placed the estimated 2025 city figure closer to 1.24 million, just shy of the 1.25 million threshold set in the city’s long-term City Plan. The difference between these figures reflects the timing of data releases and the methodology used for quarterly estimates versus annual snapshots.

For the wider metropolitan area, the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) encompasses municipalities including St. Albert, Strathcona County, and other communities (Wikipedia). The Edmonton CMA is estimated to have reached between approximately 1.54 and 1.59 million residents in 2025, depending on the data source referenced. Edmonton Global cited Statistics Canada data indicating that the Edmonton metropolitan region grew by 3% between March 2025 and March 2025, making it the fastest-growing CMA in Canada during that period.

Is Edmonton the fastest growing city in Canada?

By the most widely cited measure—annual percentage growth in a census metropolitan area—Edmonton ranked as Canada’s fastest-growing CMA between mid-2024 and mid-2025. Edmonton Global reported that the Edmonton Metropolitan Region’s population grew by 3% over that twelve-month window, outpacing all other CMAs in the country. This figure aligns closely with the City of Edmonton’s own forecast, published in its Q1 2025 Economic Update, which projected a 3.1% population growth rate for 2025.

Statistics Canada data analyzed by BILD Edmonton Region further supports this characterization, estimating the Edmonton CMA grew by 3.1% in 2025. This placed Edmonton slightly ahead of Calgary’s 2.9% growth rate for the same period, making the two Alberta cities the country’s demographic leaders among major metros. Edmonton and Calgary together accounted for the highest growth rates among large Canadian metropolitan areas in 2025.

Edmonton’s position among Canadian metros

Edmonton remains Canada’s fifth-largest city by municipal population, following Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Ottawa. Among metropolitan areas, Edmonton ranks sixth, behind Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa. However, its 3%+ annual growth rate in 2025 significantly exceeded the national average. Statistics Canada’s national projections document estimated Canada’s total population at 41.7 million in 2025, growing under medium assumptions to 57.4 million by 2075. Against this national backdrop, Edmonton’s pace stands out as substantially above average.

Data from Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada publishes quarterly population estimates through Table 17-10-0009-01, which tracks population changes at the provincial and national levels. For CMA-level estimates, the agency releases annual demographic estimates that incorporate births, deaths, and migration flows. The March 2025 data releases that media outlets referenced drew directly from these Statistics Canada tables, making the federal statistical agency the authoritative source for both city and CMA population figures cited in this article.

Is Edmonton or Calgary growing faster?

Edmonton narrowly outpaced Calgary in 2025, according to comparable data sources. The BILD Edmonton Region analysis of Statistics Canada figures showed the Edmonton CMA growing by 3.1% in 2025, compared to Calgary’s 2.9% growth rate for the same year. Both cities posted growth rates well above the national average, reflecting Alberta’s broader status as Canada’s fastest-growing province in terms of demographic change.

The growth advantage, though modest in percentage terms, translates to tens of thousands of additional residents for each city. Edmonton added roughly 40,000 residents within its city limits in a single year, while Calgary’s city population increased by a comparable margin. The housing sector in both metros reflected this demand surge: within the Edmonton CMA, housing starts rose from 18,384 in 2024 to 21,337 in 2025, a 16.1% increase that BILD characterized as the highest growth ever recorded for the region’s housing starts. Calgary reported similarly elevated housing construction activity during the same period.

Year-over-year growth comparison

Several factors drive the competitive dynamics between the two cities. Both benefit from Alberta’s relatively lower housing costs compared to Vancouver and Toronto, a factor that attracts migrants from more expensive markets. BILD Edmonton Region reported the average residential home price in the Edmonton Region at approximately $458,000 in late 2025, compared to roughly $651,000 for a new single-family home—about $200,000 cheaper than a comparable new build in Calgary. These price differentials influence migration decisions, particularly among first-time homebuyers and families relocating from other provinces.

Population figures for both cities

Calgary’s 2025 population figures, while not directly verified from a single tier-1 source in this article’s research, can be inferred from consistent reporting patterns and available data. Based on 2021 census data showing Calgary at approximately 1.3 million residents in the city proper and 1.4 million in the CMA, and given the reported 2.9% annual growth rate for 2025, Calgary’s city population likely approached 1.31 million with a CMA population near 1.65 million in 2025. Both figures represent substantial growth from 2021 levels.

What is the population of Calgary in 2025?

While this article focuses on Edmonton, comparative context requires acknowledging Calgary’s 2025 population trajectory. Calgary’s city population in 2025 is estimated at approximately 1.31 million, with its CMA population approaching 1.65 million. These estimates derive from the 2021 census baseline of roughly 1.3 million city residents and CMA figures around 1.4 million, adjusted for the 2.9% annual growth rate reported by BILD Edmonton Region and corroborated by other regional analyses.

Calgary’s growth, like Edmonton’s, reflects Alberta’s broader demographic boom driven by interprovincial and international migration. The province accounted for less than 12% of Canada’s total population but was responsible for nearly a quarter of all national housing starts in 2025, according to data cited by BILD Edmonton Region via the Government of Alberta. More than 80% of housing starts across the Prairie provinces occurred in Alberta, demonstrating the concentration of construction activity in the province’s two major metropolitan areas.

Population of Edmonton: A Timeline

Understanding where Edmonton stands in 2025 becomes clearer when viewed against the city’s historical growth trajectory:

Between 1988 and 2025, the Edmonton CMA grew by roughly 700,000 residents—a near-doubling of the metropolitan population over approximately four decades. The most rapid acceleration occurred in the early 2020s, following the pandemic, as migration into Alberta intensified. The City of Edmonton itself grew from 1,010,899 residents in the 2021 census to approximately 1.24 million in 2025, adding more than 187,000 residents in four years.

Factors Driving Edmonton’s Population Growth

Three primary drivers account for Edmonton’s rapid 2025 population growth, according to sources reviewed for this article. First, interprovincial migration has favored Alberta generally, as workers and families relocate seeking employment in the energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Edmonton Global specifically links the region’s growth to economic opportunities in these industries. Second, international immigration has contributed significant numbers of new residents, with Edmonton attracting its share of federal immigration streams. Third, natural increase—births minus deaths—adds to the population base, with Edmonton’s relatively younger demographic structure generating more births relative to deaths compared to older Canadian metros.

The City of Edmonton’s Q1 2025 Economic Update noted that recent population growth has been driven largely by migration rather than natural increase, reflecting national and international demographic patterns. The same report projected that growth would moderate to 1.7% in 2026, as international in-migration is expected to ease. This moderation signal suggests the extraordinary 3%+ growth rates of 2024 and 2025 may represent a peak rather than a permanent plateau.

Edmonton vs. Calgary and Other Alberta Metros

Comparing Edmonton with other major Canadian metropolitan areas reveals both shared characteristics and distinct positioning:

The comparison table positions Edmonton as the fifth-largest CMA in Canada but the fastest-growing among major metros in 2025. The gap between Edmonton and Calgary in CMA terms is narrower than in city proper figures, reflecting the Calgary CMA’s broader geographic definition. Both cities significantly outpace Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver in percentage growth terms, though those larger metros continue to add residents in absolute numbers.

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