📜 A long story
Canada, 1800 → today
Canada grew from 500,000 in 1800 to 39.3 million; a newborn can expect 43.6 more years of life than in 1831, and output per person is 32× its 1820 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 500,000 people lived in Canada.
1900
5.41 million people.
11× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1826.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1851.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1894.
1950
13.7 million people.
2.5× the 1900 level
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1929.
2023
39.3 million people, the latest year in this series.
2.9× the 1950 level
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 1982.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1831
In 1831, a newborn in Canada could expect to live 39 years, on average.
1901
48.6 years.
+9.6 years since 1831
Passed 40 years in 1841 (no data between 1831 and 1841, so it may have happened earlier).
1950
68.2 years.
+20 years since 1901
Passed 50 years in 1911 (no data between 1901 and 1911, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 60 years in 1931.
2023
82.6 years, the latest year in this series.
+14 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1955.
Passed 80 years in 2004.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1820
In 1820, Canada produced about Int$1,440 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$4,640.
3.2× the 1820 level
Reached twice the 1820 level in 1873.
1950
Int$11,600.
2.5× the 1900 level
Reached 5 times the 1820 level in 1916.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 35% between 1928 and 1933 (Int$8,240 → Int$5,370).
2022
Int$45,500, the latest year in this series.
3.9× the 1950 level
Reached 10 times the 1820 level in 1962.
Reached 20 times the 1820 level in 1987.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1800
In 1800, fossil fuels and industry in Canada emitted about 0.0073 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
3.8 t.
520× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1847.
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1853.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1858.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1862.
Reached 50 times the 1800 level in 1867.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 58% between 1867 and 1869 (0.4 t → 0.2 t).
1950
11.2 t.
2.9× the 1900 level
2024
13.4 t, the latest year in this series.
1.2× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Canada had spent 2.7 years in school, on average.
1900
4 years.
+1.3 years since 1870
1950
7.8 years.
+3.8 years since 1900
Passed 4 years in 1905.
Passed 6 years in 1930.
2015
12.8 years, the latest year in this series.
+5 years since 1950
Passed 8 years in 1955.
Passed 10 years in 1975.
Passed 12 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).