Northwest Territories Profile

Northwest Territories' population is 41,070, down 1.7% since 2016. The largest city is Yellowknife (20,340).

Income, age, households, education, commute, occupation, industry, and a full population-by-city list for Northwest Territories are below.

National Rank:1 of 3

Level:Territory

Northwest Territories Population

Total Population (2021)

41,070

Total Population (2016)

41,786

Population Growth

-1.7% (-716)

Growth Rank

#3 of 3Same geo level

Male

50.7%20,840

Female

49.3%20,230

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.030

Average Age

36.4

Median Age

35.6

Age Rank

#2 of 3Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

2,825(6.9%)

5–9

2,820(6.9%)

10–14

2,830(6.9%)

15–19

2,530(6.2%)

20–24

2,555(6.2%)

25–29

3,150(7.7%)

30–34

3,510(8.5%)

35–39

3,135(7.6%)

40–44

2,980(7.3%)

45–49

2,620(6.4%)

50–54

2,730(6.6%)

55–59

2,920(7.1%)

60–64

2,365(5.8%)

65–69

1,650(4.0%)

70–74

1,115(2.7%)

75–79

695(1.7%)

80–84

350(0.9%)

85+

290(0.7%)

Northwest Territories Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.7

Total Private Dwellings

17,603

Occupied Private Dwellings

15,207

Size Distribution

1 Person

3,985 (26.2%)

2 Persons

4,490 (29.5%)

3 Persons

2,560 (16.8%)

4 Persons

2,400 (15.8%)

5+ Persons

1,775 (11.7%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

4,310(28.3%)

Couples without children

2,920(19.2%)

One-parent families

1,765(11.6%)

One-person households

3,980(26.2%)

Multigenerational

630(4.1%)

Multiple-family

120(0.8%)

Northwest Territories Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$121,700After tax

Median Household Income

$109,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$58,300After tax

Median Individual Income

$51,200After tax

Income Rank

#1 of 3Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

87.2%

Employment Income

79.8%

Government Transfers

12.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

3,340(10.5%)

$10k–$20k

2,420(7.6%)

$20k–$30k

3,400(10.7%)

$30k–$40k

2,860(9.0%)

$40k–$50k

2,410(7.6%)

$50k–$60k

2,045(6.4%)

$60k–$70k

1,755(5.5%)

$70k–$80k

1,895(6.0%)

$80k–$90k

1,625(5.1%)

$90k–$100k

1,560(4.9%)

$100k+

8,425(26.5%)

Northwest Territories Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

64.6%

Unemployment Rate

8.6%

Total Labour Force

22,555

Employed

20,600

Unemployed

1,950

Not in Labour Force

9,360

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

7.2%

Children (0–17)

10.4%

Adults (18–64)

5.8%

Seniors (65+)

8.7%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3180 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.287

Northwest Territories Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

31,910

No certificate, diploma or degree

8,260 (25.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

7,740 (24.3%)

Postsecondary credential

15,910 (49.9%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

4,665 (14.6%)66.0% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

1,750 (5.5%)24.8% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

120 (0.4%)1.7% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

8,260(25.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

7,740(24.3%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

2,670(8.4%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

5,270(16.5%)

University certificate below bachelor

900(2.8%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

7,070(22.2%)

Northwest Territories Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

9.7%

1,990 people

Share of 20,605 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,990(9.7%)

Usual place of work

16,280(79.0%)

No fixed workplace address

2,320(11.3%)

Worked outside Canada

10(0.0%)

Northwest Territories Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

22,550

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

405(1.8%)

Business, finance and administration

4,040(17.9%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,470(6.5%)

Health

1,310(5.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

4,675(20.7%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

525(2.3%)

Sales and service

4,405(19.5%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

4,110(18.2%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

595(2.6%)

Manufacturing and utilities

390(1.7%)

Northwest Territories Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

22,550

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

170(0.8%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

980(4.3%)

Utilities

305(1.4%)

Construction

1,380(6.1%)

Manufacturing

215(1.0%)

Wholesale trade

285(1.3%)

Retail trade

2,020(9.0%)

Transportation and warehousing

1,330(5.9%)

Information and cultural industries

350(1.6%)

Finance and insurance

280(1.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

280(1.2%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

965(4.3%)

Management of companies and enterprises

10(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

745(3.3%)

Educational services

1,820(8.1%)

Health care and social assistance

2,430(10.8%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

410(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

1,055(4.7%)

Other services (except public administration)

715(3.2%)

Public administration

6,185(27.4%)

Northwest Territories Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

35,940 (88.6%)

French Only

100 (0.2%)

English & French

4,295 (10.6%)

Neither

210 (0.5%)

Mother Tongue

English

30,795 (76.0%)

French

1,130 (2.8%)

Non-official languages

6,925 (17.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

30,795(76.0%)

French

1,130(2.8%)

Tagalog

790(1.9%)

Vietnamese

165(0.4%)

Arabic

145(0.4%)

Cantonese

145(0.4%)

Punjabi

135(0.3%)

Spanish

115(0.3%)

Mandarin

105(0.3%)

Urdu

75(0.2%)

Northwest Territories Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

8,600(56.5%)

Semi-detached

1,065(7.0%)

Row house

1,630(10.7%)

Duplex

370(2.4%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

2,515(16.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

300(2.0%)

Other attached

115(0.8%)

Movable

615(4.0%)

Northwest Territories housing

Tenure and monthly shelter costs for Northwest Territories from the 2021 Census (reference period 2021), tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts.

Tenure

Private households

15,110

Owner households

8,100 (53.6%)

Renter households

7,010 (46.4%)

Owners with a mortgage

4,860 (60.0%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

3,235 (39.9%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

2,190 (31.2%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

4,820 (68.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,550All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,630All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,740

Renters, median

$1,450

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,440

Owners without a mortgage, median

$810

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

1,805 (11.9%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

705 (8.7%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

1,095 (15.6%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

0 (0.0%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

2,215(14.7%)

$500 to $749

1,310(8.7%)

$750 to $999

1,320(8.7%)

$1,000 to $1,249

1,165(7.7%)

$1,250 to $1,499

1,200(7.9%)

$1,500 to $1,999

2,805(18.6%)

$2,000 to $2,499

2,110(14.0%)

$2,500 to $2,999

1,470(9.7%)

$3,000 and over

1,515(10.0%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Population by city

1 municipality in Northwest Territories, with a link to its full profile.

Population by city in Northwest Territories
Name	Population	Growth
Yellowknife	20,340	+3.9%

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices