Canada · province
British Columbia population 2026
British Columbia has 5,710,598 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2026, 8,054 more than a year earlier (+0.14%). It is 3rd of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories by population, home to 13.7% of Canada’s people.
British Columbia in numbers
- Population
- 5.7 million 1 July 2026
- Change in a year
- +0.14% +8,054 people
- Change since 2021
- +9.26% from 5.2 million
- Share of Canada
- 13.7% 3rd of 13 provinces and territories
- Population density
- 6per km² 944,735 km²
That is about as many people as Central African Republic (5.7 million).
Population of British Columbia by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 4,039,230 |
| 2001 | 4,076,896 |
| 2002 | 4,100,504 |
| 2003 | 4,124,447 |
| 2004 | 4,155,630 |
| 2005 | 4,196,076 |
| 2006 | 4,241,793 |
| 2007 | 4,290,987 |
| 2008 | 4,349,338 |
| 2009 | 4,410,513 |
| 2010 | 4,465,557 |
| 2011 | 4,503,819 |
| 2012 | 4,570,866 |
| 2013 | 4,634,943 |
| 2014 | 4,712,691 |
| 2015 | 4,765,472 |
| 2016 | 4,861,269 |
| 2017 | 4,934,202 |
| 2018 | 5,020,979 |
| 2019 | 5,111,022 |
| 2020 | 5,176,101 |
| 2021 | 5,226,665 |
| 2022 | 5,356,870 |
| 2023 | 5,512,217 |
| 2024 | 5,659,205 |
| 2025 | 5,702,544 |
| 2026 | 5,710,598 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5,710,598 | +8,054 | +0.14% |
| 2025 | 5,702,544 | +43,339 | +0.77% |
| 2024 | 5,659,205 | +146,988 | +2.67% |
| 2023 | 5,512,217 | +155,347 | +2.90% |
| 2022 | 5,356,870 | +130,205 | +2.49% |
| 2021 | 5,226,665 | +50,564 | +0.98% |
| 2020 | 5,176,101 | +65,079 | +1.27% |
| 2019 | 5,111,022 | +90,043 | +1.79% |
| 2018 | 5,020,979 | +86,777 | +1.76% |
| 2017 | 4,934,202 | +72,933 | +1.50% |
| 2016 | 4,861,269 | +95,797 | +2.01% |
| 2015 | 4,765,472 | +52,781 | +1.12% |
| 2014 | 4,712,691 | +77,748 | +1.68% |
| 2013 | 4,634,943 | +64,077 | +1.40% |
| 2012 | 4,570,866 | +67,047 | +1.49% |
British Columbia among Canada’s provinces and territories
Full ranking →| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ontario | 16,262,121 | +0.28% | 38.9% | 15 |
| 2 | Quebec | 9,067,114 | +0.18% | 21.7% | 6 |
| 3 | British Columbia | 5,710,598 | +0.14% | 13.7% | 6 |
| 4 | Alberta | 5,101,050 | +1.52% | 12.2% | 8 |
| 5 | Manitoba | 1,517,379 | +0.58% | 3.6% | 2 |
| 6 | Saskatchewan | 1,278,402 | +0.96% | 3.1% | 2 |
| 7 | Nova Scotia | 1,103,419 | +0.75% | 2.6% | 20 |
| 8 | New Brunswick | 883,522 | +1.01% | 2.1% | 12 |
| 9 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 552,462 | +0.41% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 10 | Prince Edward Island | 182,989 | +0.77% | 0.4% | 33 |
| 11 | Yukon | 50,356 | +2.45% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 45,904 | −0.28% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 13 | Nunavut | 43,091 | +2.33% | 0.1% | 0 |
Largest cities in British Columbia
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Vancouver662,248
- Surrey568,322
- Victoria289,625
- Burnaby249,125
- Richmond209,937
- Coquitlam148,625
Air quality in British Columbia today
Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.
Questions
What is the population of British Columbia in 2026?
Is British Columbia’s population growing or shrinking?
How does British Columbia rank in Canada?
What is the population density of British Columbia?
What is the largest city in British Columbia?
Source and method
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0009. Statistics Canada Open Licence. Total area including inland water, Wikidata. Statistics Canada updates this table every quarter. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Canada, which uses a different method.
Cite this page: British Columbia population, Statistics Canada, 1 July 2026. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/canada/british-columbia/
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