Saskatoon, Canada Population

Population in Urban Area, now

335,460
  • World: 1753rd
  • North America: 201st
  • Canada: 17th

Population in City Area, 2019-09-05

198,958
  • World: 1366th
  • North America: 59th
  • Canada: 15th

Saskatoon Urban Area Population Graph

Saskatoon Population Review

Saskatoon is a city of just over 325,000 people located in the province of Saskatchewan in Canada. Straddling the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon is the largest city in Saskatchewan and has an estimated 198,000 people in the city area. The city serves as the economic and cultural center of Saskatchewan since it’s founding in 1882.

The Toronto-based Temperance Colonization Society aimed to create a town that escaped the liquor trade. They founded Saskatoon to create a “dry” community and settlers began to travel to the growing community the following year. Since then, Saskatoon has grown quietly and steadily. While not a large city by many standards, since 1950, Saskatoon has tripled in population—going from 100,000 residents to over 300,000.

Asian population in the “Paris of the Prairies”

While almost 70% of Saskatoon’s population identifies as being from European descent, the city has a generous visible minority population made up mostly of people of Asian descent, the largest groups being South Asian and Chinese. Much of Saskatoon’s original Asian population was made up of Chinese immigrants that were working on building the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Originally, Canada was not a friendly country for these workers. Once the railway was complete, legislation was even put into place to try to force Chinese immigrants to return to China. The Chinese Immigration Act demanded newcomers pay a head tax of $500 each—an astronomical sum in the 1800s. Despite this discrimination, Chinese immigrants managed to have successful careers and build booming businesses. These days, the city has over 29,000 residents of South Asian descent and over 15,000 of Chinese descent. There are also relatively large Black, Filipino, Latin American, and Arab communities in the city.

The aboriginal people of Saskatoon

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations are an established part of Saskatoon’s culture and identity. Long before any permanent European settlers made their way to the area, First Nations people had made their home there. The five largest First Nations ethnicities in the province (and in the city) include the Cree, Assiniboine, Saulteaux, Dene and Dakota. Historically, Atsina and Blackfoot tribes were also common in Saskatchewan.

These days, over 17,000 people identify as First Nations and 12,000 identify as Métis. Like many places in Canada, the First Nations’ communities continue to urbanize. In Saskatoon alone, the First Nations population increased by 382% from 1981 to 2001. Though it should also be noted that a good portion of this increase is also due to more people identifying themselves as First Nations, something that was frowned upon in Canada for many decades and continues to hold stigma in many places.

One of the highest population growths in Canada

Saskatoon’s population grew 2% in 2019, making it the fourth fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada. Saskatoon was tied to another Canadian city, Halifax, Nova Scotia, for population growth that year. Starting from 2018, 14,000 new residents have decided to call the city home. The study ranking Saskatoon’s population growth studied 35 other metropolitan areas in the country for comparison. The city has grown 11% in the past five years.

Some of the top rated hikes in Canada

Fall in Canada can be quite beautiful, which is why Reader’s Digest collects some of the top hikes for fall in Canada. Saskatoon’s Meewasin Valley Trail easily made the list. The trail extends 90 kilometers along the east and west banks of the South Saskatchewan River. Part of the Trans Canada Trail, the Meewasin Valley Trail is within city limits and attracts families, cyclists and hikers from all walks of life. It consists of several smaller trails and conservation areas and demonstrate the diverse flora and fauna of Saskatchewan.

Review Updated: November 2, 2020

Saskatoon Urban Area Population History

1950 106,000
1951 107,000
1952 107,000
1953 108,000
1954 108,000
1955 109,000
1956 110,000
1957 110,000
1958 111,000
1959 111,000
1960 112,000
1961 113,000
1962 113,000
1963 114,000
1964 115,000
1965 115,000
1966 116,000
1967 118,000
1968 120,000
1969 122,000
1970 124,000
1971 127,000
1972 128,000
1973 129,000
1974 131,000
1975 132,000
1976 134,000
1977 138,000
1978 142,000
1979 146,000
1980 150,000
1981 155,000
1982 163,000
1983 172,000
1984 181,000
1985 191,000
1986 200,000
1987 203,000
1988 205,000
1989 207,000
1990 209,000
1991 211,000
1992 213,000
1993 214,000
1994 216,000
1995 218,000
1996 219,000
1997 221,000
1998 222,000
1999 223,000
2000 225,000
2001 226,000
2002 228,000
2003 229,000
2004 231,000
2005 233,000
2006 235,000
2007 240,000
2008 245,000
2009 250,000
2010 256,000
2011 262,000
2012 268,000
2013 275,000
2014 282,000
2015 289,000
2016 296,000
2017 304,000
2018 311,000
2019 318,000
2020 325,000
2021 331,000
2022 337,000
2023 342,000
2024 347,000

Saskatoon Urban Area Population Projections

2025 352,000
2026 356,000
2027 360,000
2028 364,000
2029 367,000
2030 370,000
2031 374,000
2032 377,000
2033 380,000
2034 383,000
2035 387,000

Map of Saskatoon, Canada

All Biggest Cities in Canada