Nunavut Profile

Nunavut's population is 36,858, up 2.5% since 2016. The largest city is Iqaluit (7,429).

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

National Rank:3 of 3

Level:Territory

Nunavut Population

Total Population (2021)

36,858

Total Population (2016)

35,944

Population Growth

+2.5% (+914)

Growth Rank

#2 of 3Same geo level

Male

50.9%18,770

Female

49.1%18,090

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.038

Average Age

28.3

Median Age

25.6

Age Rank

#1 of 3Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

4,385(11.9%)

5–9

3,990(10.8%)

10–14

3,705(10.1%)

15–19

3,085(8.4%)

20–24

2,860(7.8%)

25–29

2,990(8.1%)

30–34

3,040(8.2%)

35–39

2,370(6.4%)

40–44

2,110(5.7%)

45–49

1,930(5.2%)

50–54

1,985(5.4%)

55–59

1,615(4.4%)

60–64

1,190(3.2%)

65–69

720(2.0%)

70–74

485(1.3%)

75–79

220(0.6%)

80–84

105(0.3%)

85+

80(0.2%)

Nunavut Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

3.7

Total Private Dwellings

11,720

Occupied Private Dwellings

9,926

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,955 (19.7%)

2 Persons

1,915 (19.3%)

3 Persons

1,415 (14.3%)

4 Persons

1,400 (14.1%)

5+ Persons

3,245 (32.7%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

3,195(32.2%)

Couples without children

920(9.3%)

One-parent families

1,430(14.4%)

One-person households

1,955(19.7%)

Multigenerational

1,340(13.5%)

Multiple-family

180(1.8%)

Nunavut Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$117,400After tax

Median Household Income

$104,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$49,400After tax

Median Individual Income

$35,600After tax

Income Rank

#2 of 3Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

80.8%

Employment Income

76.2%

Government Transfers

19.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

3,825(16.2%)

$10k–$20k

3,005(12.7%)

$20k–$30k

3,220(13.6%)

$30k–$40k

2,265(9.6%)

$40k–$50k

1,630(6.9%)

$50k–$60k

1,200(5.1%)

$60k–$70k

890(3.8%)

$70k–$80k

815(3.5%)

$80k–$90k

880(3.7%)

$90k–$100k

840(3.6%)

$100k+

5,025(21.3%)

Nunavut Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

48.7%

Unemployment Rate

16.9%

Total Labour Force

14,380

Employed

11,945

Unemployed

2,435

Not in Labour Force

10,155

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

14.7%

Children (0–17)

18.9%

Adults (18–64)

12.4%

Seniors (65+)

9.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3660 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.331

Nunavut 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

24,535

No certificate, diploma or degree

12,740 (51.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

4,540 (18.5%)

Postsecondary credential

7,260 (29.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,635 (6.7%)62.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

715 (2.9%)27.4% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

35 (0.1%)1.3% 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

12,740(51.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

4,540(18.5%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,235(5.0%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

3,080(12.6%)

University certificate below bachelor

335(1.4%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,605(10.6%)

Nunavut 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

7.3%

870 people

Share of 11,945 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

870(7.3%)

Usual place of work

9,870(82.6%)

No fixed workplace address

1,205(10.1%)

Worked outside Canada

10(0.1%)

Nunavut 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

14,380

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

270(1.9%)

Business, finance and administration

2,420(16.8%)

Natural and applied sciences

475(3.3%)

Health

540(3.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

2,950(20.5%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

435(3.0%)

Sales and service

3,110(21.6%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,610(18.2%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

240(1.7%)

Manufacturing and utilities

210(1.5%)

Nunavut 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

14,380

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

150(1.0%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

400(2.8%)

Utilities

335(2.3%)

Construction

630(4.4%)

Manufacturing

80(0.6%)

Wholesale trade

100(0.7%)

Retail trade

1,610(11.2%)

Transportation and warehousing

595(4.1%)

Information and cultural industries

145(1.0%)

Finance and insurance

105(0.7%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

415(2.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

325(2.3%)

Management of companies and enterprises

15(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

380(2.6%)

Educational services

1,525(10.6%)

Health care and social assistance

1,310(9.1%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

250(1.7%)

Accommodation and food services

360(2.5%)

Other services (except public administration)

315(2.2%)

Public administration

4,220(29.3%)

Nunavut Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

33,105 (90.3%)

French Only

65 (0.2%)

English & French

1,390 (3.8%)

Neither

2,085 (5.7%)

Mother Tongue

English

12,100 (33.0%)

French

520 (1.4%)

Non-official languages

20,130 (54.9%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

12,100(33.0%)

French

520(1.4%)

Tagalog

185(0.5%)

Spanish

55(0.2%)

Arabic

35(0.1%)

Mandarin

25(0.1%)

Urdu

20(0.1%)

Russian

20(0.1%)

Cantonese

15(0.0%)

Tamil

15(0.0%)

Nunavut Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

4,275(43.1%)

Semi-detached

960(9.7%)

Row house

3,025(30.5%)

Duplex

190(1.9%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

1,345(13.6%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

110(1.1%)

Other attached

5(0.1%)

Movable

5(0.1%)

Nunavut housing

Tenure and monthly shelter costs for Nunavut 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

9,925

Owner households

1,905 (19.2%)

Renter households

8,025 (80.9%)

Owners with a mortgage

1,110 (58.3%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

795 (41.7%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

6,890 (85.9%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

1,135 (14.1%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$705All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,013All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,490

Renters, median

$408

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,540

Owners without a mortgage, median

$710

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

560 (5.6%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

140 (7.3%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

425 (5.3%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

15 (0.2%)

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

4,385(44.2%)

$500 to $749

675(6.8%)

$750 to $999

645(6.5%)

$1,000 to $1,249

715(7.2%)

$1,250 to $1,499

760(7.7%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,155(11.6%)

$2,000 to $2,499

585(5.9%)

$2,500 to $2,999

405(4.1%)

$3,000 and over

600(6.0%)

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 Nunavut, with a link to its full profile.

Population by city in Nunavut
Name	Population	Growth
Iqaluit	7,429	-4.0%

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