OTTAWA – New census data shows the population of the metropolitan area of Calgary outpaced the national growth rate over the last five years – a period of time that saw the country spiral into the most serious economic tailspin since the Great Depression.

Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2011 census on Wednesday and the population of what the government agency refers to as the census metropolitan area of Calgary increased by 12.6 per cent since the last census in 2006.

The area’s growth rate was above the national growth rate of 5.9 per cent, while the population of Alberta increased by 10.8 per cent.

Census metropolitan areas do not conform to established municipal boundaries. Statistics Canada defines them as a metropolitan area with a population of at least 100,000, where the urban core of that area has at least 50,000 people. Commuting patterns and other factors are used in determining these census metropolitan areas. Looking at metropolitan areas this way takes in to account the growing impact of suburban areas on Canada’s largest cities.

When the 2011 census was taken last May 10, the population of the census metropolitan area of Calgary was 1,214,839, compared with 1,079,310 from the 2006 census. The population of the actual city of Calgary was 1,096,833 up from 988,812 in 2006.

The census indicated that Calgary ranked No. 5 among the country’s 33 census metropolitan areas.

Canada’s population on census day was 33,476,688, Statistics Canada reported.

The national census is conducted every five years. The information published Wednesday is the first of several releases of data to come from Statistics Canada over the next year and longer that will eventually paint a detailed picture of the country, right down to the local level – including age breakdowns of the population, family makeup, languages spoken, immigration and ethnic origin, the level of education attained and income earned.

At the national level, the 2011 census showed Canada’s population grew the fastest of the G8 countries over the last five years – ahead of the United States (4.4 per cent), the United Kingdom (3.5 per cent), Italy (3.2 per cent), France (2.8 per cent), Russia (0.1 per cent), Japan (no change) and Germany (which had a population decrease of 0.8 per cent).

The western provinces, where the recession had less of an impact than in central and eastern Canada, led the way in population growth. Alberta saw the highest increase at 10.8 per cent, followed by British Columbia (7.0 per cent) and Saskatchewan (6.7 per cent).

Manitoba (5.2 per cent) was the only western province with a population increase below the national average. Other provinces below the national growth rate were Nova Scotia (0.9 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (1.8 per cent), New Brunswick (2.9 per cent), Prince Edward Island (3.2 per cent), Quebec (4.7 per cent) and Ontario (5.7 per cent). Among the northern territories, the population changed by 0.0 per cent in the Northwest Territories, 11.6 per cent in the Yukon and 8.3 in Nunavut.

Ontario is still the country’s most populous province, with a population of 12,851,821. The population of other provinces and territories: Quebec, 7,903,001; British Columbia, 4,400,057; Alberta, 3,645,257; Manitoba, 1,208,268; Saskatchewan, 1,033,381; Nova Scotia, 921,727; New Brunswick, 751,171; Newfoundland and Labrador, 514,536; Prince Edward Island, 140,204; Northwest Territories, 41,462; Yukon, 33,897 and Nunavut, 31,906.

Here is a local breakdown of census population information for communities in the Calgary region:

Community
2011
2006
Per cent change

Calgary
1,096,833
988,812
10.9

Airdrie
42,564
28,927
47.1

Chestermere
14,824
9,923
49.4

Cochrane
17,580
13,760
27.8

Okotoks
24,511
17,150
42.9

Black Diamond
2,373
1,900
24.9

Turner Valley
2,167
1,908
13.6

High River
12,920
10,716
20.6

Banff
7,584
6,700
13.2

Canmore
12,288
12,039
2.1

Carstairs
3,442
2,699
27.5

Didsbury
4,957
4,305
15.1

Strathmore
12,305
10,280
19.7

Pincher Creek
3,685
3,625
1.7

Beiseker
785
804
-2.4

Crossfield
2,853
2,668
6.9

Irricana
1,162
1,243
-6.5

Rocky View County
36,461
33,173
9.9