Editing Canadian Prairies (section)

== Demographics ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ [[Census geographic units of Canada#Census metropolitan areas|Census metropolitan areas]] in the Canadian Prairies<ref name="2021 Census">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Population and dwelling counts: Census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and census subdivisions (municipalities)1|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000301|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209181811/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000301|archive-date=2022-02-09|access-date=2023-06-07|website=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2"|Rank !! rowspan="2"|Census metropolitan area !! rowspan="2"|Province !! colspan="4"|Population  !! colspan="2"|Area (land)
|-
!(2021) !!(2016) !! Change !! Density !! km2 !! sq mi 
|- 
| style="text-align: center;" | 1 || [[Calgary Metropolitan Region|Calgary]] || [[Alberta]] || {{change|invert=on|1481806|1392609}} || align=right|{{Pop density|1481806|5098.68|prec=1}} || {{cvt|5098.68|km2|disp=table}} 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2 || [[Edmonton Metropolitan Region|Edmonton]] || [[Alberta]] || {{change|invert=on|1418118|1321441}} || align=right|{{Pop density|1418118|9416.19|prec=1}} || {{cvt|9416.19|km2|disp=table}} 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 3 || [[Winnipeg Metropolitan Region|Winnipeg]] || [[Manitoba]] || {{change|invert=on|834678|783099}} || align=right|{{Pop density|834678|5285.46|prec=1}} || {{cvt|5285.46|km2|disp=table}} 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 4 || [[Saskatoon metropolitan area|Saskatoon]] || [[Saskatchewan]] || {{change|invert=on|317480|295095}} || align=right|{{Pop density|317480|5864.48|prec=1}} || {{cvt|5864.48|km2|disp=table}} 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 5 || [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] || [[Saskatchewan]] || {{change|invert=on|249217|236695}} || align=right|{{Pop density|249217|4323.66|prec=1}} || {{cvt|4323.66|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 6 || [[Lethbridge]] || [[Alberta]] || {{change|invert=on|123847|117394}} || align=right|{{Pop density|123847|2958.96|prec=1}} || {{cvt|2958.96|km2|disp=table}}
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 7 || [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]] || [[Alberta]] || {{change|invert=on|100844|100418}} || align=right|{{Pop density|100844|104.34|prec=1}} || {{cvt|104.34|km2|disp=table}}
|}

In the [[2021 Canadian census]], the Canadian prairie provinces had a population of 6,737,293 consisting of 4,262,635 in Alberta, 1,342,153 in Manitoba, and 1,132,505 in Saskatchewan, up 4.6% from 6,443,892 in 2016.<ref name=StatCan2021>{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Saskatchewan%20&DGUIDlist=2021A000248,2021A000246,2021A000247&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0 |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table - Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |date=2 August 2024 |access-date=12 March 2024 }}</ref> The three provinces have a combined area of {{cvt|1,960,681|km2}} ({{cvt|1,787,543|km2}} land and {{cvt|173,138|km}} freshwater) consisting of {{cvt|661,848|km2}} in Alberta, {{cvt|647,797|km2}} in Manitoba, and {{cvt|651,036|km2}} in Saskatchewan.<ref name=area>{{cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-402-x/2010000/chap/geo/tbl/tbl07-eng.htm |title=Table 15.7 Land and freshwater area, by province and territory |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=7 October 2016 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>

=== Growth ===
Some of the prairie region of Canada has seen rapid growth from a boom in [[Petroleum|oil production]] since the mid-20th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061203.watlanticc1203/BNStory/Business/home |title=Atlantic unemployment tonic: oil sands |website=[[The Globe and Mail]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020064948/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061203.watlanticc1203/BNStory/Business/home |archive-date=2008-10-20}}</ref>

According to StatsCanada, the prairie provinces had a population of 6,443,892 in 2016. In 2021, the population had grown by 4.6% to 6,737,293<ref name=StatCan2021/>