, Canada
1790--Population of Canada : 161,311.

By 1790, the population of Canada stood at approximately 161,311, reflecting a colony still in its early stages of development after decades of European settlement and the upheavals of the 18th century. This population included a mix of French-speaking Canadiens in what had been New France, British settlers who arrived following the cession of the territory in 1763, Indigenous peoples, and a smaller number of other European and loyalist immigrants.

The demographic composition shaped the social, political, and economic life of the colony. French-speaking populations remained concentrated along the St. Lawrence River, maintaining traditional agricultural practices, parish-based communities, and the Catholic faith, while English-speaking settlers—particularly United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution—settled in new townships, bringing different customs, legal traditions, and Protestant religious practices.

Despite the modest size of the population, these early communities laid the foundations for Canada’s future growth. Settlements were largely rural, with small towns and farming villages dominating the landscape, and the economy depended on agriculture, fur trading, and limited local commerce. The population figures of 1790 highlight both the challenges and the potential of colonial Canada: small but diverse, culturally distinct, and poised for gradual expansion and development in the decades to follow.

www.statcan.gc.ca

Visit Canada
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.