Ontario: population, economy, jobs, income and prices
Ontario is a province of Canada, the largest of 13 by population. Ontario had an estimated 16,262,121 residents on 1 July 2026, 38.9% of Canada's population of 41,798,407; the largest of 13 provinces and territories. Over the previous 12 months it grew by 45,160 (0.28%), against 0.46% for Canada; 4th slowest-growing of 13 provinces and territories.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Ontario: The economy of Ontario (gross domestic product at market prices) was worth $1.20 trillion in 2024, 38.5% of Canada's $3.11 trillion; the largest of 13 provinces and territories. In current prices it was up 5.1% on 2023.
- Health in Ontario: Life expectancy at birth in Ontario was 82.27 years in 2022–2024, against 81.65 years for Canada; 2nd highest of 12 provinces and territories with data. Ten years earlier, in 2012–2014, it was 82.29 years (down 0.02 years).
- Education in Ontario: 70% of adults aged 25 to 64 in Ontario had a tertiary qualification (a college diploma or university degree) in 2025; the highest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian figure was 64%, and the OECD average was 41% in 2023.
- Poverty and living standards in Ontario: 12.5% of people in Ontario lived below the Market Basket Measure poverty line, Canada's official poverty line, in 2024; 3rd highest of 13 provinces and territories. The Canadian rate was 11.0%. In 2023 the rate in Ontario was 12.5%.
- Government budget and revenue in Ontario: The provincial government of Ontario took in $205.5 billion of revenue in the 2024/25 fiscal year (Statistics Canada government finance statistics, reference year 2024), or $12,770 per resident; the lowest of 13 provinces and territories per resident. Revenue was $193.1 billion a year earlier.
Is the population of Ontario growing?
Five years earlier, on 1 July 2021, Ontario had 14,842,488 residents, so its population has changed by +9.6% over five years (Canada: +9.3%). Ten years earlier, on 1 July 2016, it had 13,876,500.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow fast is the population of Ontario changing?
In the latest quarter, from 1 April 2026 to 1 July 2026, the population of Ontario rose by 17,927.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWho is the premier of Ontario?
The premier of Ontario is Doug Ford, according to the Council of the Federation, which brings together Canada's 13 provincial and territorial premiers.
Source: Council of the Federation (Canada's Premiers) · saved copyOfficial bodies in Ontario
How provinces are governed in Canada
Provinces (10) and territories (3). Elected legislatures; the premier is the leader of the majority. Create, merge and set the powers of municipalities; health, education, roads.
Every tier of government in Canada
Other provinces of Canada
- Quebec 9,067,114
- British Columbia 5,710,598
- Alberta 5,101,050
- Manitoba 1,517,379
- Saskatchewan 1,278,402
- Nova Scotia 1,103,419
- New Brunswick 883,522
- Newfoundland and Labrador 552,462
- Prince Edward Island 182,989
- Yukon 50,356
- Northwest Territories 45,904
- Nunavut 43,091
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Sources
- Statistics Canada: Table 11-10-0190-01: Market income, government transfers, total income, income tax and after-tax income by economic family type (Canadian Income Survey; Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d77937164295…)
- Council of the Federation (Canada's Premiers): About Canada's Premiers: members of the Council of the Federation, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2fe198a47f5f…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 18-10-0004-01: Consumer Price Index, monthly, not seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract: all-items, food, shelter, transportation), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a99a4ffcbbea…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 18-10-0005-01: Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5e17cf9acf05…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 36-10-0222-01: Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, provincial and territorial, annual (x 1,000,000), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 438e0832790b…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 36-10-0711-01: Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, provinces and territories (Web Data Service extract: all industries and sectors), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c16d19ffb999…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 14-10-0287-01: Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract: provinces, 15 years and over), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f433c7e7221…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 17-10-0009-01: Population estimates, quarterly, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b50bf05150e4…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 14-10-0223-01: Employment and average weekly earnings (including overtime) for all employees by province and territory, monthly, seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract: industrial aggregate excluding unclassified businesses), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fd47541913f5…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0096-01: Health characteristics, annual estimates (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8bd73f02e063…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0972-01: Health characteristics, two-year period estimates (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 69d18cb0c5d4…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 37-10-0130-01: Educational attainment of the population aged 25 to 64, by age group and gender, Canada, provinces and territories (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 aca527f04949…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0834-01: Food insecurity by economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 50afb8936fa7…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 10-10-0017-01: Canadian government finance statistics for the provincial and territorial governments (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ced6a105cfe…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 37-10-0221-01: True cohort high school graduation rate, on-time and extended-time graduation rates, by gender (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 266bc0204d0b…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0713-01: Infant deaths and mortality rates, by age group (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7630920ec549…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 13-10-0114-01: Life expectancy and other elements of the complete life table, three-year estimates, Canada, all provinces except Prince Edward Island (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 04229e3361ab…)
- Statistics Canada: Table 11-10-0135-01: Low income statistics by age, gender and economic family type (Web Data Service extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 078bc29ff3ff…)
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