Québec Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Québec. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:12 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Consumer Price Index

Québec, Quebec

All-items index for September 2026, up 3.3% from September 2025, calculated from the published index (2002=100). Statistics Canada publishes this series as “Québec, Quebec”. It follows that price-index area, not the municipal boundary of Québec alone.

All-items: 166.0
12-month change: +3.3%

Source: Statistics Canada table 18-10-0004-01, reference month September 2026 (2002=100). Compare consumer prices across Canada. Data sources.

Québec Population

Total Population (2021)

549,459

Total Population (2016)

531,902

Population Growth

+3.3% (+17,557)

Growth Rank

#419 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.7%267,585

Female

51.3%281,870

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.949

Average Age

43.8

Median Age

43.2

Age Rank

#395 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

25,250(4.6%)

5–9

28,145(5.1%)

10–14

27,630(5.0%)

15–19

24,665(4.5%)

20–24

31,980(5.8%)

25–29

39,470(7.2%)

30–34

36,900(6.7%)

35–39

36,280(6.6%)

40–44

36,805(6.7%)

45–49

30,685(5.6%)

50–54

30,385(5.5%)

55–59

37,125(6.8%)

60–64

39,105(7.1%)

65–69

36,000(6.6%)

70–74

32,360(5.9%)

75–79

24,930(4.5%)

80–84

15,680(2.9%)

85+

16,050(2.9%)

Québec Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.0

Total Private Dwellings

283,219

Occupied Private Dwellings

265,711

Size Distribution

1 Person

110,300 (41.5%)

2 Persons

92,215 (34.7%)

3 Persons

28,440 (10.7%)

4 Persons

24,375 (9.2%)

5+ Persons

10,375 (3.9%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

49,305(18.6%)

Couples without children

71,005(26.7%)

One-parent families

20,060(7.5%)

One-person households

110,300(41.5%)

Multigenerational

1,310(0.5%)

Multiple-family

320(0.1%)

Québec Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$72,100After tax

Median Household Income

$60,800After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,000After tax

Median Individual Income

$38,800After tax

Income Rank

#550 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

81.4%

Employment Income

65.2%

Government Transfers

18.6%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

23,705(5.3%)

$10k–$20k

46,100(10.4%)

$20k–$30k

66,355(14.9%)

$30k–$40k

59,785(13.4%)

$40k–$50k

59,880(13.5%)

$50k–$60k

51,390(11.5%)

$60k–$70k

38,075(8.6%)

$70k–$80k

27,565(6.2%)

$80k–$90k

21,495(4.8%)

$90k–$100k

15,195(3.4%)

$100k+

35,515(8.0%)

Québec Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

60.2%

Unemployment Rate

7.1%

Total Labour Force

293,655

Employed

272,665

Unemployed

20,990

Not in Labour Force

159,035

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

10.5%

Children (0–17)

7.6%

Adults (18–64)

9.4%

Seniors (65+)

16.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3070 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.263

Québec 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

452,695

No certificate, diploma or degree

56,890 (12.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

91,440 (20.2%)

Postsecondary credential

304,365 (67.2%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

78,325 (17.3%)59.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

32,630 (7.2%)24.7% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

3,710 (0.8%)2.8% 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

56,890(12.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

91,440(20.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

64,890(14.3%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

89,650(19.8%)

University certificate below bachelor

17,725(3.9%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

132,100(29.2%)

Québec 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

26.2%

71,305 people

Share of 272,665 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

71,305(26.2%)

Usual place of work

175,860(64.5%)

No fixed workplace address

25,050(9.2%)

Worked outside Canada

450(0.2%)

Québec 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

293,660

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

4,550(1.5%)

Business, finance and administration

57,590(19.6%)

Natural and applied sciences

33,185(11.3%)

Health

27,435(9.3%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

42,380(14.4%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

10,240(3.5%)

Sales and service

70,075(23.9%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

34,910(11.9%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,835(0.6%)

Manufacturing and utilities

6,840(2.3%)

Québec 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

293,660

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,325(0.5%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

545(0.2%)

Utilities

1,355(0.5%)

Construction

14,465(4.9%)

Manufacturing

17,005(5.8%)

Wholesale trade

7,745(2.6%)

Retail trade

32,945(11.2%)

Transportation and warehousing

10,475(3.6%)

Information and cultural industries

4,710(1.6%)

Finance and insurance

13,925(4.7%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

4,260(1.5%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

26,485(9.0%)

Management of companies and enterprises

300(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

12,020(4.1%)

Educational services

23,225(7.9%)

Health care and social assistance

44,870(15.3%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

4,885(1.7%)

Accommodation and food services

17,505(6.0%)

Other services (except public administration)

11,610(4.0%)

Public administration

39,380(13.4%)

Québec Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

2,150 (0.4%)

French Only

306,375 (56.5%)

English & French

231,725 (42.7%)

Neither

2,180 (0.4%)

Mother Tongue

English

7,685 (1.4%)

French

491,515 (90.6%)

Non-official languages

33,255 (6.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

French

491,515(90.6%)

Spanish

7,850(1.4%)

English

7,685(1.4%)

Arabic

6,885(1.3%)

Portuguese

2,520(0.5%)

Mandarin

840(0.2%)

Persian

780(0.1%)

Vietnamese

750(0.1%)

Russian

670(0.1%)

Italian

490(0.1%)

Québec Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

80,885(30.4%)

Semi-detached

14,020(5.3%)

Row house

6,945(2.6%)

Duplex

17,110(6.4%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

120,775(45.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

23,520(8.9%)

Other attached

1,080(0.4%)

Movable

1,380(0.5%)

Housing · Québec (CMA), Que.

These figures are published for Québec (CMA), Que., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Québec alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

386,475

Owner households

225,055 (58.2%)

Renter households

161,420 (41.8%)

Owners with a mortgage

143,195 (63.6%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

81,860 (36.4%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

16,095 (10.0%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

145,330 (90.0%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$920All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,077All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,140

Renters, median

$830

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,470

Owners without a mortgage, median

$488

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

55,215 (14.3%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

17,450 (7.8%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

37,760 (23.4%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

1,130 (0.3%)

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

59,730(15.5%)

$500 to $749

74,255(19.2%)

$750 to $999

77,550(20.1%)

$1,000 to $1,249

50,850(13.2%)

$1,250 to $1,499

41,840(10.8%)

$1,500 to $1,999

51,795(13.4%)

$2,000 to $2,499

18,800(4.9%)

$2,500 to $2,999

6,595(1.7%)

$3,000 and over

5,065(1.3%)

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.

Community snapshot

About Québec

Québec is the capital of the province of Québec, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. The old fortified city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a centre of French-language government and culture. Newer boroughs spread along the river and inland from Cap Diamant. About 550,000 people live in the city.

Known for

Fortified Old Québec (UNESCO)
National Assembly and provincial government
Winter Carnival and Château Frontenac
French as the everyday public language
A cliff-top site above the St. Lawrence

See & do

Château Frontenac
Landmark hotel above the Dufferin Terrace.
Old Québec
Walled upper town, Place Royale, and the lower town.
Plains of Abraham
Historic battlefield park on the cliffs.
Montmorency Falls
High waterfall in the Beauport borough, east of downtown.
Musée de la civilisation
Museum of history and society in the Old Port.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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