Demographics of Alberta

Alberta has experienced a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces.^[1] Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions.^[2] Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced high rates of growth in recent history. From a population of 73,022 in 1901, Alberta has grown to 4,262,635 in 2021 and in the process has gone from less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%.^[3] It is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the Alberta population grew by 4.8%.

Population density of Alberta, 2016

Population history

See or edit source data.

Year	Population [4]	Five-year % change	Ten-year % change	Percentage of Canadian pop.	Rank among provinces
1901	73,022†	n/a	n/a	1.4	9
1911	374,295	n/a	412.6	5.2	7
1921	588,454	n/a	57.2	6.7	5
1931	731,605	n/a	24.3	7.0	4
1941	796,169	n/a	8.8	6.9	5
1951	939,501	n/a	18.0	6.7	4
1956	1,123,116	19.5	n/a	n/a	4
1961	1,331,944	18.6	41.8	7.3	4
1969	1,463,203	9.9	30.3	n/a	4
1971	1,627,875	11.3	22.2	7.5	4
1976	1,838,035	12.9	25.6	n/a	4
1981	2,237,724	21.7	37.5	9.2	4
1986	2,365,830	5.7	28.7	9.3	4
1991	2,545,553	7.6	13.8	9.3	4
1996	2,696,826	5.9	14.0	9.3	4
2001	2,974,807	10.3	16.9	9.9	4
2006	3,290,350	10.6	22.0	10.4	4
2011	3,645,257	10.8	22.5	10.9	4
2016	4,067,175	11.6	23.6	11.6	4
2021	4,262,635	4.8	16.9	11.5	4

† 1901 population for District of Alberta, part of the then-named North-West Territories.

Population geography

Census divisions

Main article: List of census divisions of Alberta

Alberta's census divisions by population

Census metropolitan areas

As of the 2011 census, Alberta had two census metropolitan areas (CMAs) recognized by Statistics Canada. A third one was added in the 2016 census.

The following is a list of the recent population history of the Calgary and Edmonton CMAs.

CMA name [5]	2021 [6]	2016 [7]	2011 [5]	2006 [8]	2001 [9]	1996 [10]	Census division
Calgary	1,481,806	1,374,655	1,214,839	1,079,310	951,395 [CMA 1]	821,628	Division No. 6
Edmonton	1,418,118	1,297,280	1,159,869	1,034,945	937,845	862,597	Division No. 11

The third CMA added in 2016 is Lethbridge, and its population history is as follows:

CMA name [5]	2021 [6]	2016 [7]	Census division
Lethbridge	123,847	113,920	Division No. 2

The fourth CMA added in 2021 is Red Deer, and its population history is as follows:

CMA name	2021 [6]	Census division
Red Deer	100,844	Division No. 8

CMA notes:

1. In the 2006 census, the 2001 population of the Calgary was adjusted to 951,494 due to a boundary expansion.

Census agglomerations

Main article: List of census agglomerations in Alberta

Census subdivisions

Population growth of Alberta's census subdivisions between 2006 and 2011 censuses

As of the 2006 census, Alberta had 453 census subdivisions (municipalities and municipal equivalents) recognized by Statistics Canada. The following is a list of those census subdivisions with a population of 10,000 or greater.

Name [11]	Municipal status [12]	2011 [13]	2006 [11]	2001 [14]	1996 [15]	Notes
Calgary	City	1,096,833	988,193	878,866	768,082
Edmonton	City	812,201	730,372	666,104	616,306
Strathcona County	Specialized municipality	92,490	82,511	71,986	64,176	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Red Deer	City	90,564	82,772	67,707	60,075
Lethbridge	City	83,517	74,637	67,374	63,053
Wood Buffalo	Specialized municipality	65,565	51,496	41,466	35,213
St. Albert	City	61,466	57,719	53,081	46,888	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Medicine Hat	City	60,005	56,997	51,249	46,783
Grande Prairie	City	55,032	47,076	36,983	31,140
Airdrie	City	42,564	28,927	20,382	15,946	Located within the Calgary CMA
Rocky View County	Municipal district	36,461	34,171	30,688	23,326	Located within the Calgary CMA
Parkland County	Municipal district	30,568	29,265	27,252	24,769	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Spruce Grove	City	26,171	19,496	15,983	14,271	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Okotoks	Town	24,511	17,145	11,664	8,510
Leduc	City	24,279	16,967	15,032	14,305	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Foothills No. 31	Municipal district	21,258	19,736	16,764	13,714
County of Grande Prairie No. 1	Municipal district	20,347	17,970	15,638	13,750
Sturgeon County	Municipal district	19,578	18,621	18,067	15,945	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Fort Saskatchewan	City	19,051	14,957	13,121	12,408	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Red Deer County	Municipal district	18,351	19,108	18,639	17,126
Lloydminster	City	18,032	15,910	13,148	11,317	Population totals do not include the part of the city located within Saskatchewan
Cochrane	Town	17,580	13,780	11,798	7,424	Located within Calgary CMA
Camrose	City	17,286	15,620	14,854	13,728
Stony Plain	Town	15,051	12,363	9,589	8,274	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Chestermere	Town	14,824	9,564	3,414	1,911
Beaumont	Town	13,284	8,961	7,006	5,810	Located within the Edmonton CMA
Cold Lake	City	13,839	11,991	11,520	4,089
Brooks	City	13,676	12,498	11,604	10,093
Leduc County	Municipal district	13,541	12,730	12,528	12,361	Located within the Edmonton CMA
High River	Town	12,920	10,716	9,345	7,359
Wetaskiwin	City	12,525	11,673	11,154	10,959
Mountain View County	Municipal district	12,359	12,391	12,134	11,277
Sylvan Lake	Town	12,327	10,208	7,493	5,178
Strathmore	Town	12,305	10,225	7,621	5,282
Canmore	Town	12,288	12,039	10,792	8,354
Clearwater County	Municipal district	12,278	11,826	11,505	10,915
Lacombe	City	11,707	10,742	9,384	8,018
Yellowhead County	Municipal district	11,469	10,045	9,881	9,352
Bonnyville No. 87	Municipal district	11,191	10,194	9,473	17,352
Mackenzie County	Specialized municipality	10,927	10,002	8,829	7,980
County of Wetaskiwin No. 10	Municipal district	10,866	10,535	10,695	10,467
Lacombe County	Municipal district	10,312	10,451	10,159	10,081
Lethbridge County	Municipal district	10,061	10,302	9,930	9,290

Population centres

Main article: List of population centres in Alberta

Designated places

Main article: List of designated places in Alberta

Vital statistics

Ethnic origins

The ethnicities most commonly reported in the 2021 Census are shown in the table below. The percentages add up to more than 100% because of multiple responses.^[16]

Ethnic groups in Alberta (1941–2021)

Ethnic group	2021[17]		2001[18]		1941[19]: 2–3
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
English	766,070	18.34%	753,190	25.61%	191,934	24.11%
German	641,025	15.34%	576,350	19.6%	77,721	9.76%
Scottish	631,015	15.1%	556,575	18.92%	112,540	14.14%
Irish	561,915	13.45%	461,065	15.68%	83,876	10.53%
Canadian	484,655	11.6%	813,485	27.66%	—	—
Ukrainian	343,640	8.23%	285,725	9.71%	71,868	9.03%
French	341,755	8.18%	333,705	11.35%	42,979	5.4%
Filipino	203,955	4.88%	36,235	1.23%	—	—
First Nations	188,315	4.51%	144,040	4.9%	12,565	1.58%
Chinese	177,990	4.26%	108,050	3.67%	3,122	0.39%
Dutch	174,625	4.18%	149,225	5.07%	20,429	2.57%
Polish	169,925	4.07%	137,625	4.68%	26,845	3.37%
Indian	155,700	3.73%	61,180	2.08%	48	0.01%
Norwegian	154,535	3.7%	120,045	4.08%	29,628	3.72%
Métis	115,455	2.76%	63,620	2.16%	8,808	1.11%
Italian	98,730	2.36%	67,655	2.3%	4,872	0.61%
Russian	97,890	2.34%	62,750	2.13%	19,316	2.43%
Swedish	92,970	2.23%	78,565	2.67%	20,505	2.58%
Welsh	76,810	1.84%	59,470	2.02%	10,896	1.37%
Danish	56,190	1.34%	50,465	1.72%	12,284	1.54%
Hungarian	51,360	1.23%	41,535	1.41%	7,892	0.99%
Spanish	40,170	0.96%	19,295	0.66%	135	0.02%
Pakistani	39,535	0.95%	5,450	0.19%	—	—
Vietnamese	39,395	0.94%	21,490	0.73%	—	—
Punjabi	37,585	0.9%	3,785	0.13%	—	—
Austrian	36,220	0.87%	27,910	0.95%	7,513	0.94%
African	34,225	0.82%	7,115	0.24%	926	0.12%
Mennonite	31,565	0.76%	—	—	—	—
Romanian	31,530	0.75%	20,235	0.69%	4,206	0.53%
Sikh	28,860	0.69%	—	—	—	—
Lebanese	28,480	0.68%	17,660	0.6%	—[a]	—
Mexican	25,450	0.61%	3,345	0.11%	1	0%
Korean	24,165	0.58%	7,925	0.27%	—	—
Swiss	22,450	0.54%	17,460	0.59%	—	—
Belgian	21,985	0.53%	14,925	0.51%	2,919	0.37%
Portuguese	21,415	0.51%	13,885	0.47%	42	0.01%
Hindu	20,535	0.49%	—	—	—	—
Czech	19,730	0.47%	15,765	0.54%	8,177[b]	1.03%
Icelandic	19,720	0.47%	13,065	0.44%	1,077	0.14%
Finnish	18,705	0.45%	12,730	0.43%	3,452	0.43%
Japanese	18,605	0.45%	11,945	0.41%	578	0.07%
Somali	16,310	0.39%	1,385	0.05%	—	—
Jamaican	15,620	0.37%	7,925	0.27%	—	—
Nigerian	14,600	0.35%	1,245	0.04%	—	—
Jewish	14,405	0.34%	15,435	0.52%	4,164	0.52%
Greek	13,980	0.33%	9,110	0.31%	605	0.08%
Croatian	13,720	0.33%	8,565	0.29%	1,704[c]	0.21%
Ethiopian	13,505	0.32%	1,460	0.05%	—	—
Muslim	12,420	0.3%	—	—	—	—
Colombian	11,115	0.27%	950	0.03%	—	—
Eritrean	11,010	0.26%	1,180	0.04%	—	—
Iranian	10,545	0.25%	3,130	0.11%	—	—
Slovak	10,525	0.25%	6,810	0.23%	—[d]	—
Afghan	10,380	0.25%	1,805	0.06%	—	—
Egyptian	9,585	0.23%	2,290	0.08%	—	—
Syrian	9,520	0.23%	1,265	0.04%	428[e]	0.05%
Total responses	4,177,720	98.01%	2,941,150	98.87%	796,169	100%
Total population	4,262,635	100%	2,974,807	100%	796,169	100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Future projections

Panethnic origin projections in Alberta (2031–2041)^{[20][21][22][23]}

Panethnic group	2031		2036		2041
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[f]	3,122,000	56.6%	3,178,000	52.89%	3,219,000	49.6%
South Asian	533,000	9.66%	649,000	10.8%	763,000	11.76%
Southeast Asian[g]	441,000	7.99%	528,000	8.79%	619,000	9.54%
Indigenous	404,000	7.32%	442,000	7.36%	480,000	7.4%
African	331,000	6%	406,000	6.76%	480,000	7.4%
East Asian[h]	311,000	5.64%	352,000	5.86%	392,000	6.04%
Middle Eastern[i]	188,000	3.41%	233,000	3.88%	280,000	4.31%
Latin American	107,000	1.94%	126,000	2.1%	144,000	2.22%
Other/multiracial[j]	78,000	1.41%	95,000	1.58%	112,000	1.73%
Projected Alberta population	5,516,000	100%	6,009,000	100%	6,490,000	100%

Visible minorities and Indigenous peoples

Indigenous and visible minority identity (2021):^[24][25]

1. European Canadian (65.4%)
2. Visible minority (27.8%)
3. First Nations (3.5%)
4. Métis (3.1%)
5. Inuit (0.1%)
6. Other Indigenous (0.2%)

Largest panethnic groups in Alberta by percentage of total population by census division, 2021 census

Visible minority and Indigenous population (2021 Canadian census)[26]
Population group		Population	%
European[f]		2,731,825	65.4%
Visible minority group	South Asian	297,650	7.1%
	Filipino	216,710	5.2%
	Black	177,940	4.3%
	Chinese	164,235	3.9%
	Arab	69,505	1.7%
	Latin American	66,520	1.6%
	Southeast Asian	54,005	1.3%
	West Asian	25,075	0.6%
	Korean	24,365	0.6%
	Japanese	13,560	0.3%
	Visible minority, n.i.e.	12,100	0.3%
	Multiple visible minorities	39,745	1.0%
Total visible minority population		1,161,420	27.8%
Indigenous group	First Nations (North American Indian)	145,640	3.5%
	Métis	127,470	3.1%
	Inuk (Inuit)	2,945	0.1%
	Multiple Indigenous responses	4,785	0.1%
	Indigenous responses n.i.e.	3,620	0.1%
Total Indigenous population		284,470	6.8%
Total population		4,177,715	100.0%

Languages

Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in Alberta (2016)
Language			Percent
English only			91.86%
French only			0.10%
English and French			6.57%
Neither English nor French			1.47%

The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census and the 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least one per cent of respondents.

Knowledge of languages in Alberta

Language	2021[27]		2016
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
English	4,109,720	98.37%	3,916,805	98.46%
French	260,415	6.23%	264,720	6.65%
Tagalog	172,625	4.13%	138,440	3.48%
Punjabi	126,385	3.03%	90,485	2.27%
Spanish	116,070	2.78%	104,445	2.63%
Hindi	94,015	2.25%	61,290	1.54%
Mandarin	82,095	1.97%	70,510	1.77%
Arabic	76,760	1.84%	62,730	1.58%
Cantonese	74,960	1.79%	74,770	1.88%
German	65,370[k]	1.56%[k]	83,010	2.09%
Urdu	51,545	1.23%	41,235	1.04%

Mother tongue

Languages of Alberta (2021):^[28]

1. English 76.6 (74.7%)
2. French 2.1 (2.05%)
3. Indigenous language 0.6 (0.59%)
4. Other language 20.9 (20.4%)
5. Multiple 2.3 (2.24%)

Of the 4,221,835 singular responses to the 2021 census question concerning mother tongue, the languages most commonly reported were:^[29]

Mother tongue in Alberta

Language	2021		2016		2011		2006		2001
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
English	3,235,065	76.6%	2,972,670	74.71%	2,780,200	78.37%	2,576,670	79.99%	2,379,515	81.84%
Tagalog (Filipino/Pilipino)	138,160	3.27%	98,360	2.47%	60,085	1.69%	29,740	0.92%	11,705	0.40%
Chinese	128,160	3.04%	119,710	3.01%	105,470	2.97%	97,275	3.02%	78,205	2.69%
Cantonese	62,835	1.49%	59,580	1.50%	34,985	0.99%	32,485	1.01%	26,255	0.90%
Mandarin	58,535	1.39%	49,990	1.26%	19,325	0.54%	12,135	0.38%	5,580	0.19%
Min Nan languages (Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)	3,080	0.07%	3,075	0.08%	785	0.02%	400	0.01%	N	N
Hakka	1,075	0.03%	940	0.02%	325	0.01%	425	0.01%	570	0.02%
Chinese, n.o.s.	1,960	0.05%	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Panjabi (Punjabi)	103,965	2.46%	68,315	1.72%	49,940	1.41%	36,320	1.13%	22,535	0.78%
French	88,010	2.08%	70,440	1.77%	68,545	1.93%	61,225	1.90%	58,645	2.02%
Spanish	67,865	1.61%	54,685	1.37%	44,020	1.24%	29,125	0.90%	19,820	0.68%
German	65,835	1.56%	63,570	1.60%	80,905	2.28%	84,505	2.62%	78,040	2.68%
Arabic	57,170	1.35%	40,695	1.02%	28,000	0.79%	20,495	0.64%	15,390	0.53%
Urdu	35,905	0.85%	26,860	0.68%	19,900	0.56%	11,275	0.35%	4,910	0.17%
Hindi	26,975	0.64%	16,495	0.41%	12,290	0.35%	8,985	0.28%	6,315	0.22%
Vietnamese	26,930	0.64%	23,015	0.58%	21,195	0.60%	19,350	0.60%	16,680	0.57%
Niger-Congo languages	25,230	0.60%	15,515	0.30%	N	N	N	N	N	N
Yoruba	5,565	0.13%	3,215	0.08%	N	N	N	N	N	N
Swahili	3,800	0.09%	2,390	0.06%	1,455	0.04%	850	0.03%	380	0.01%
Igbo	2,530	0.06%	1,160	0.03%	900	0.03%	N	N	N	N
Akan (Twi)	2,280	0.05%	1,765	0.04%	1,100	0.04%	345	0.01%	N	N
Kinyarwanda (Rwanda)	1,395	0.03%	770	0.02%	440	0.01%	60	0.01%	N	N
Rundi (Kirundi)	895	0.02%	570	0.01%	290	0.01%	50	0.01%	N	N
Selected Aboriginal languages	24,630	0.58%	22,970	0.58%	22,005	0.62%	20,890	0.65%	18,470	0.64%
Cree	16,445	0.41%	17,125	0.43%	16,745	0.47%	17,215	0.53%	15,105	0.52%
Blackfoot	4,800	0.11%	3,385	0.09%	3,035	0.09%	3,015	0.09%	2,630	0.09%
Dene	1,425	0.03%	1,570	0.04%	1,680	0.05%	1,585	0.05%	1,495	0.05%
Ojibway	485	0.01%	630	0.02%	455	0.01%	615	0.02%	645	0.02%
Korean	21,020	0.50%	17,400	0.44%	13,885	0.39%	10,845	0.33%	6,330	0.22%
Russian	20,280	0.48%	17,465	0.44%	13,840	0.38%	10,145	0.31%	6,980	0.29%
Ukrainian	19,885	0.47%	21,215	0.53%	24,575	0.69%	29,455	0.91%	33,970	1.17%
Polish	19,345	0.46%	19,780	0.50%	19,890	0.56%	21,990	0.68%	20,635	0.71%
Gujarati	18,675	0.44%	12,775	0.32%	8,675	0.24%	6,280	0.19%	4,910	0.17%
Persian	17,635	0.42%	14,835	0.37%	10,655	0.30%	7,700	0.24%	3,700	0.13%
Dutch	14,420	0.34%	16,005	0.40%	17,950	0.51%	19,980	0.62%	19,575	0.67%
Somali	12,310	0.29%	9,425	0.24%	5,515	0.16%	3,130	0.10%	810	0.03%
Tigrinya	11,510	0.27%	5,755	0.14%	2,460	0.07%	N	N	N	N
Italian	11,180	0.26%	11,475	0.29%	11,960	0.34%	13,095	0.41%	13,935	0.48%
Portuguese	11,090	0.26%	8,565	0.22%	7,380	0.21%	7,205	0.22%	6,110	0.21%
Malayalam	10,720	0.25%	6,230	0.16%	2,760	0.08%	1,550	0.05%	1,055	0.04%
Ilocano	9,765	0.23%	5,750	0.14%	3,010	0.08%	1,885	0.06%	N	N
Amharic	9,610	0.22%	7,015	0.18%	5,110	0.14%	2,785	0.09%	1,100	0.04%
Bengali	9,125	0.22%	6,940	0.17%	5.030	0.14%	2,710	0.08%	1,190	0.04%
Romanian	8,205	0.19%	8,255	0.21%	6,550	0.18%	4,370	0.14%	2,890	0.10%
Cebuano and other Bisayan languages	6,780	0.16%	5,025	0.13%	3,255	0.09%	1,370	0.04%	N	N
Nepali	6,645	0.16%	4,995	0.13%	1,605	0.05%	N	N	N	N
Tamil	6,450	0.15%	4,650	0.11%	2,645	0.07%	1,385	0.04%	1,110	0.04%
Hungarian	5,950	0.14%	6,505	0.16%	6,700	0.19%	6,770	0.21%	6,985	0.24%
Japanese	5,290	0.13%	4,575	0.11%	4,560	0.13%	4,555	0.14%	3,625	0.12%
Croatian	4,865	0.12%	4,425	0.11%	3,960	0.11%	4,150	0.13%	4,195	0.14%
Serbian	4,530	0.11%	4,115	0.10%	3,560	0.10%	3,090	0.10%	2,125	0.07%
Oromo language	4,030	0.10%	2,615	0.07%	1,405	0.04%	N	N	N	N
Turkish	3,860	0.09%	2,760	0.07%	2,460	0.07%	1,605	0.05%	810	0.03%
Afrikaans	3,730	0.09%	3,050	0.08%	2,420	0.07%	N	N	N	N
Telugu	3,550	0.08%	2,130	0.05%	1,245	0.03%	N	N	N	N
Scandinavian languages	3,535	0.08%	3,750	0.09%	4,935	0.14%	6,045	0.19%	6,795	0.23%
Danish	2,040	0.05%	2,225	0.06%	2,805	0.08%	3,510	0.11%	3,615	0.12%
Swedish	855	0.02%	785	0.02%	950	0.03%	1,145	0.04%	1,345	0.05%
Norwegian	640	0.02%	740	0.02%	1,180	0.03%	1,245	0.04%	1,670	0.06%
Pashto	3,435	0.08%	2,340	0.06%	1,850	0.05%	1,175	0.04%	275	0.01%
Greek	3,330	0.08%	3,285	0.08%	2,965	0.08%	3,305	0.10%	2,765	0.10%
Sindhi (includes Kacchi)	3,260	0.08%	2,835	0.07%	2,560	0.07%	2,000	0.06%	1,990	0.07%
Sinhalese	3,215	0.08%	2,935	0.07%	1,940	0.05%	835	0.03%	N	N
Hiligaynon	3,090	0.07%	1,160	0.03%	N	N	N	N	N	N
Czech	3,000	0.07%	2,715	0.07%	2,880	0.08%	3,100	0.08%	3,520	0.12%
Creole	2,770	0.07%	2,120	0.05%	1,560	0.05%	415	0.01%	250	0.01%
Albanian	2,625	0.06%	2,435	0.06%	1,685	0.05%	N	N	N	N
Thai	2,255	0.05%	1,700	0.04%	1,375	0.04%	190	0.01%	N	N

In addition to the table above, other mother tongues in Alberta include (including languages with more than 422 people, or 0.01 per cent of respondents):

• 2,120 Bosnian;
• 2,100 Slovak;
• 2,070 Khmer (Cambodian);
• 1,720 Pampangan;
• 1,655 Marathi;
• 1,495 Indonesian;
• 1,470 Kurdish;
• 1,435 Nilo-Saharan languages;
• 1,390 Bulgarian;
• 1,355 Sign languages;
• 1,155 Lao;
• 1,135 Hebrew;
• 1,020 Neo-Aramaic;
• 865 Kannada;
• 815 Finnish;
• 810 Karenic languages;
• 745 Tibetan;
• 730 Bilen;
• 715 Waray;
• 635 Mongolian;
• 635 Pangasinan;
• 625 Slovenian;
• 590 Armenian;
• 570 Lithuanian;
• 545 Burmese;
• 545 Malay;
• 425 Macedonian;

In addition to the single-language responses detailed above, about 88,765 people reported having more than one mother tongue. There were 74,515 responses of both English and a non-official language; 2,785 of both French and a non-official language; 10,005 of both English and French; and 1,455 of English, French and a non-official language.

Religion

Religious affiliation (2021):^[30]

1. Christian (48.1%)
2. Muslim (4.8%)
3. Sikh (2.5%)
4. Hindu (1.9%)
5. Buddhist (1%)
6. Jewish (0.3%)
7. Aboriginal spirituality (0.5%)
8. Other religions (0.8%)
9. Irreligious (40.1%)

Christian sub-affiliation (2021):^[30]

1. Roman Catholic (41.4%)
2. United Church (7.7%)
3. Anglican (4.8%)
4. Lutheran (3.9%)
5. Orthodox (3.2%)
6. Pentecostal (2.7%)
7. Latter Day Saints (2.3%)
8. Baptist (2.2%)
9. Presbyterian (1.1%)
10. Jehovah's Witnesses (0.9%)
11. Reformed (0.7%)
12. Other Christian (26.9%)

Just under 50 percent of Albertans identify as Christian, while over 40 percent of residents identify with no religion. The largest denominations are the Roman Catholic, United, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches.

Just over 1 percent of Albertans are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, descended from pioneers who emigrated from Utah around the turn of the 20th century; there are three temples in the province. Alberta also has large numbers of Pentecostal, Presbyterians, and evangelical Christians.

There are significant numbers of Mennonites and Hutterites, which are communal Anabaptist sects. There are also many Jehovah's Witnesses and Reformed Christians, as well a significant population of Seventh-day Adventists in and around Lacombe where the Canadian University College is located.

Alberta is also home to several Eastern Rite Churches as part of the legacy of Eastern European immigrants, including the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Diocese of Edmonton and Western Canada. There are 500 Doukhobors living in their few communities across Southern Alberta.

Many people of the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim faiths also make Alberta their home; one of the largest Sikh temples in Canada is located just outside Edmonton. Most of Alberta's Jewish population of 11,390 lives in Calgary and Edmonton.

Alberta's second largest religion, Islam, has roots that include Canada's first mosque, Al-Rashid Mosque, built in 1938 led by a Lebanese woman named Hilwie Hamdon.

Religion (2021) 1	Denomination	Congregation	Proportion
Christian		2,009,820	48.1%
	Anglican Church	95,560	2.3%
	Baptist	44,605	1.1%
	Catholic	833,025	19.9%
	Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox	63,775	1.5%
	Jehovah's Witnesses	18,185	0.4%
	Latter Day Saints	47,125	1.1%
	Lutheran	78,925	1.9%
	Methodist	9,640	0.2%
	Pentecostal	53,900	1.3%
	Presbyterian	22,850	0.5%
	Reformed	14,735	0.4%
	United Church	153,820	3.7%
	Other Christian	541,520	15.2%
Muslim		202,535	4.8%
Sikh		103,600	2.5%
Hindu		78,520	1.9%
Buddhist		42,830	1.0%
Jewish		11,390	0.3%
Other religions		33,220	0.8%
Aboriginal spirituality		19,755	0.5%
No religious affiliation		1,676,045	40.1%

^1 Statistics Canada. 2022. Alberta (table). National Household Survey (NHS) Profile. 2021 National Household Survey. Released October 26, 2022.^[30]

Religious groups in Alberta (1981–2021)

Religious group	2021[31]		2011[32]		2001[33]		1991[34]		1981[35]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Christianity	2,009,820	48.11%	2,152,200	60.32%	2,099,435	71.38%	1,928,745	76.56%	1,903,205	85.98%
Irreligion	1,676,045	40.12%	1,126,130	31.56%	694,840	23.62%	496,150	19.69%	260,015	11.75%
Islam	202,535	4.85%	113,445	3.18%	49,045	1.67%	31,000	1.23%	16,865	0.76%
Sikhism	103,600	2.48%	52,335	1.47%	23,470	0.8%	13,550	0.54%	5,985	0.27%
Hinduism	78,520	1.88%	36,845	1.03%	15,965	0.54%	10,770	0.43%	7,360	0.33%
Buddhism	42,830	1.03%	44,410	1.24%	33,410	1.14%	20,745	0.82%	6,200	0.28%
Indigenous spirituality	19,755	0.47%	15,100	0.42%	—	—	—	—	—	—
Judaism	11,390	0.27%	10,900	0.31%	11,085	0.38%	9,950	0.39%	10,655	0.48%
Other	33,220	0.8%	16,605	0.47%	13,900	0.47%	8,270	0.33%	2,355	0.11%
Total responses	4,177,715	98.01%	3,567,975	97.88%	2,941,150	98.87%	2,519,180	98.96%	2,213,650	98.92%
Total population	4,262,635	100%	3,645,257	100%	2,974,807	100%	2,545,553	100%	2,237,724	100%

Migration

Immigration

Alberta immigration statistics^{[36]: 239 [37]: 108}

Year	Immigrant percentage	Immigrant population	Total population
1901	42.8%	31,240	73,022
1911	56.8%	212,426	374,295
1921	46.5%	273,364	588,454
1931	41.8%	305,738	731,605
1941	32.5%	258,387	796,169
1951	25.5%	240,016	939,501
1961	21.7%	288,749	1,331,944
1971	17.3%	282,260	1,627,870

The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 970,975 persons or 23.2 percent of the total population of Alberta.^[38]

Immigrants in Alberta by country of birth

Country of birth	2021[39][38]		2016[40]		2011[41][42]		2006[43][44]		2001[45][46]		1921[47]: 314–315
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Philippines	167,735	17.3%	123,830	14.7%	69,575	10.8%	36,630	7%	24,800	5.7%	—	—
India	122,145	12.6%	91,660	10.8%	59,020	9.2%	38,610	7.3%	24,670	5.6%	300	0.1%
China	61,390	6.3%	57,695	6.8%	49,595	7.7%	41,495	7.9%	27,630	6.3%	3,422	1.3%
United Kingdom	56,675	5.8%	59,215	7%	58,245	9%	60,210	11.4%	59,510	13.6%	90,131	33%
Pakistan	30,815	3.2%	28,080	3.3%	19,110	3%	12,095	2.3%	5,415	1.2%	—	—
United States	30,540	3.1%	30,460	3.6%	31,050	4.8%	28,325	5.4%	27,510	6.3%	99,879	36.5%
Vietnam	27,875	2.9%	27,080	3.2%	26,020	4%	24,270	4.6%	22,005	5%	—	—
Nigeria	21,065	2.2%	12,405	1.5%	5,575	0.9%	1,740	0.3%	985	0.2%	—	—
Hong Kong	18,725	1.9%	19,115	2.3%	17,300	2.7%	17,455	3.3%	18,600	4.2%	—	—
Mexico	17,985	1.9%	15,665	1.9%	10,755	1.7%	5,970	1.1%	3,880	0.9%	—	—
Germany	16,635	1.7%	19,200	2.3%	20,085	3.1%	21,570	4.1%	21,845	5%	14,587[l]	5.3%
South Korea	16,180	1.7%	13,850	1.6%	9,575	1.5%	8,120	1.5%	5,290	1.2%	—	—
Poland	15,595	1.6%	16,930	2%	16,335	2.5%	19,165	3.6%	19,680	4.5%	2,959	1.1%
Ethiopia	14,420	1.5%	10,565	1.2%	6,375	1%	3,655	0.7%	1,370	0.3%	—	—
Netherlands	12,730	1.3%	14,035	1.7%	15,290	2.4%	16,715	3.2%	17,385	4%	1,765	0.6%
Colombia	10,385	1.1%	9,535	1.1%	6,860	1.1%	3,155	0.6%	945	0.2%	—	—
Syria	9,975	1%	4,800	0.6%	1,185	0.2%	975	0.2%	610	0.1%	109[m]	0%
Lebanon	9,960	1%	10,390	1.2%	8,390	1.3%	7,530	1.4%	6,870	1.6%	—	—
Eritrea	9,720	1%	4,815	0.6%	2,805	0.4%	965	0.2%	845	0.2%	—	—
South Africa	8,960	0.9%	7,355	0.9%	6,010	0.9%	4,950	0.9%	4,025	0.9%	230	0.1%
Ukraine	8,915	0.9%	8,150	1%	6,430	1%	5,435	1%	5,170	1.2%	2,165	0.8%
Iran	8,865	0.9%	8,910	1.1%	5,595	0.9%	3,995	0.8%	2,400	0.5%	—	—
Jamaica	8,695	0.9%	6,845	0.8%	4,340	0.7%	3,755	0.7%	3,705	0.8%	110[n]	0%
Somalia	8,545	0.9%	7,060	0.8%	3,395	0.5%	2,120	0.4%	795	0.2%	—	—
Russia	7,470	0.8%	7,260	0.9%	5,900	0.9%	4,850	0.9%	3,635	0.8%	11,572	4.2%
Romania	7,190	0.7%	7,725	0.9%	6,235	1%	5,165	1%	3,920	0.9%	3,073	1.1%
Italy	6,990	0.7%	8,115	1%	8,050	1.2%	8,705	1.7%	9,830	2.2%	2,486	0.9%
El Salvador	6,940	0.7%	7,255	0.9%	5,535	0.9%	5,475	1%	4,695	1.1%	—	—
Egypt	6,760	0.7%	5,320	0.6%	3,120	0.5%	2,140	0.4%	1,490	0.3%	—	—
Afghanistan	6,585	0.7%	5,190	0.6%	4,345	0.7%	3,305	0.6%	1,695	0.4%	—	—
Iraq	6,215	0.6%	5,935	0.7%	3,825	0.6%	2,300	0.4%	1,490	0.3%	—	—
Kenya	6,070	0.6%	5,120	0.6%	4,005	0.6%	3,425	0.6%	2,875	0.7%	—	—
Bangladesh	6,035	0.6%	5,085	0.6%	3,680	0.6%	1,835	0.3%	690	0.2%	—	—
Nepal	4,970	0.5%	3,915	0.5%	1,260	0.2%	490	0.1%	115	0%	—	—
Sri Lanka	4,930	0.5%	4,835	0.6%	3,295	0.5%	1,600	0.3%	1,330	0.3%	—	—
Venezuela	4,800	0.5%	4,335	0.5%	1,930	0.3%	1,350	0.3%	500	0.1%	—	—
Fiji	4,690	0.5%	4,625	0.5%	4,140	0.6%	3,975	0.8%	3,395	0.8%	—	—
Tanzania	4,660	0.5%	4,510	0.5%	4,465	0.7%	4,035	0.8%	4,435	1%	—	—
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4,335	0.4%	4,555	0.5%	3,720	0.6%	3,505	0.7%	3,065	0.7%	282[o]	0.1%
Ireland	4,225	0.4%	3,940	0.5%	2,795	0.4%	2,475	0.5%	2,840	0.6%	7,374	2.7%
Chile	4,215	0.4%	4,255	0.5%	4,305	0.7%	4,345	0.8%	3,775	0.9%	—	—
Sudan	4,145	0.4%	2,580	0.3%	4,625	0.7%	3,400	0.6%	1,055	0.2%	—	—
Malaysia	3,990	0.4%	4,260	0.5%	3,500	0.5%	3,215	0.6%	2,855	0.7%	—	—
Australia	3,690	0.4%	3,360	0.4%	2,745	0.4%	2,480	0.5%	2,370	0.5%	251	0.1%
Brazil	3,800	0.4%	2,545	0.3%	1,740	0.3%	1,130	0.2%	750	0.2%	—	—
Japan	3,380	0.3%	3,060	0.4%	2,935	0.5%	2,265	0.4%	1,730	0.4%	374	0.1%
Total immigrants	970,975	23.2%	845,215	21.2%	644,115	18.1%	527,030	16.2%	438,335	14.9%	273,364	46.5%
Total responses	4,177,715	98%	3,978,145	97.8%	3,567,975	97.9%	3,256,355	99%	2,941,150	98.9%	588,454	100%
Total population	4,262,635	100%	4,067,175	100%	3,645,257	100%	3,290,350	100%	2,974,807	100%	588,454	100%

Recent immigration

The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 193,170 people who immigrated to Alberta between 2016 and 2021.

Recent immigrants to Alberta by place of birth (2016 to 2021)[48]
Rank	Country	Population	% of recent immigrants
1	Philippines	47,605	24.6%
2	India	31,815	16.5%
3	Nigeria	9,840	5.1%
4	China	9,495	4.9%
5	Syria	7,295	3.8%
6	United States	5,175	2.7%
7	Eritrea	5,120	2.7%
8	Mexico	4,165	2.2%
9	Pakistan	4,080	2.1%
10	Ethiopia	3,960	2.1%
11	United Kingdom	3,800	2%
12	South Korea	3,430	1.8%
13	Iran	3,260	1.7%
14	Nepal	2,620	1.4%
15	Jamaica	2,130	1.1%

Interprovincial migration

Net cumulative interprovincial migration per Province from 1997 to 2017, as a share of population of each Provinces

Main article: Interprovincial migration in Canada

Over the past five decades, Alberta has had the highest net increase from interprovincial migration of any province. However, it typically experiences population decline during economic downturns, as it did during the 1980s.^{[citation needed]} Oil is the main industry driving interprovincial migration to Alberta, as many Canadians move to Alberta to work on the oil fields. Interprovincial migration to Alberta rises and drops dependent of the price of oil. There was a dramatic reduction after the 2014 drop in oil prices.^[49]

Interprovincial migration in Alberta

	In-migrants	Out-migrants	Net migration
2009–10	57,958	61,229	−3,271
2010–11	63,975	55,532	8,443
2011–12	80,837	53,185	27,652
2012–13	84,602	46,004	38,598
2013–14	87,307	51,925	35,382
2014–15	81,540	59,946	21,594
2015–16	56,978	72,086	−15,108
2016–17	50,396	65,955	−15,559
2017–18	55,147	58,394	−3,247
2018–19	65,778	60,236	5,542
2019–20	85,919	77,519	8,400

Source: Statistics Canada^[50]

See also

BC

AB

SK

MB

ON

QC

NB

PE

NS

NL

YT

NT

NU

Demographics of Canada's provinces and territories

• Demographics of Calgary
• Demographics of Canada
• Demographics of Edmonton
• Population of Canada by province and territory

Notes

1. Included under Syrian
2. Including Slovak
3. Including all Yugoslavic ethnic groups
4. Included under Czech
5. Including Lebanese
6. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an Indigenous identity.
7. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
8. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
9. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
10. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
11. Now excluding Plautdietsch.
12. Including Austria
13. Including Lebanon
14. All individuals born in the British West Indies
15. All individuals born in Yugoslavia.