Canada’s 6th-largest city, 7th-largest or 8th-biggest? Here’s what Mississauga says

Not long ago, Mississauga was often referred to — and accurately so — as Canada’s sixth-largest city as measured by population.

Since then, over the course of several years, the city just west of Toronto — one that has created its own distinct skyline, among other features — has experienced, when it comes to just how big it is on a national scale, a bit of an identity … crisis?

No, perhaps that’s a bit strong. It’s likely more accurate to say it’s something very few residents even think about, let alone concern themselves over.

It’s more a curious bit of current Canadian trivia as Mississauga, its neighbour to the immediate north, Brampton, and Winnipeg have jockeyed the past few years for position between the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-largest cities in the country.

The matter did have Mississauga Ward 8 Coun. and Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney wondering, albeit as an aside, during public discussion last week about “a city of our size — sixth-, seventh-largest in the country, depending on the day …” needing a permanent hospice facility.

City of Mississauga officials do have a stake in the game — and perhaps a significant one — as it relates to the city’s branding and marketing itself both within Canada and internationally as a destination for businesses and tourists.

Starting with the 2016 Canadian census (a census is conducted every five years by Statistics Canada), Mississauga occupied sixth spot nationwide with a population of 721,599. It was behind Toronto (2,731,571), Montreal (1,704,694), Calgary (1,239,220), Ottawa (934,243) and Edmonton (933,088).

Winnipeg (705,244) was seventh in 2016 followed by Vancouver in eighth spot (631,486) and Brampton in ninth (593,638). Hamilton (536,917) completed the top 10.

Fast-forward to the 2021 census (see chart below), with only two cities switching spots on the top 10 — Winnipeg leap-frogged Mississauga into sixth spot with now 749,607 residents while the latter dropped in population to 717,961, falling to No. 7 on the list of 10 most populated Canadian cities.

Brampton remained ninth on the list, but gained considerably on Vancouver as it grew to a population of 656,480. Vancouver’s people count stood at 662,248 in 2021.

(Source: Statistics Canada)

While the next Canadian census won’t be completed until 2026, numbers from Statistics Canada released back in January showed Brampton’s population surpassed that of Mississauga for the first time.

The new data showed that as of 2024, Brampton’s population is 791,486 while Mississauga’s sits at 780,747. That now makes Brampton the third-largest city in Ontario and seventh-biggest in Canada, according to those figures, while it appears Mississauga has fallen to No. 8 on the nationwide population list.

Winnipeg retained its sixth-place position nationwide, with 2024 numbers showing its population now at around 857,000, while Vancouver remains in the top 10 with a population of 756,008.

City of Mississauga spokesperson Irene McCutcheon told INsauga.com in an email that while the city views the 2024 Statistics Canada numbers as valid, it will wait until the 2026 census to see where Mississauga officially stands in terms of city size.

Until then, she added, city officials still consider Mississauga to be the seventh-largest city in Canada, per the 2021 census.

“Last year’s Statistics Canada population estimates provide a good indication of likely population changes and may be used for planning purposes, but they are not as accurate as the detailed census,” McCutcheon said. “Therefore, the city will continue referencing 2021 census population as the official figure, until the 2026 census results are released.”

As for the 2024 numbers released by Statistics Canada in January, the data show Brampton has increasingly been gaining ground on Mississauga — especially in the past eight years when its numbers started to climb due to higher levels of immigrants settling in the area.