Durham’s Population
To understand the labour market, we must have a strong understanding of the population or demographics of the Region of Durham. Some important data sets provide enlightening demographic information.
Durham Region’s population is balanced by age and sex. The graph above shows women in red on the chart and men in blue on the chart. The population distribution by sex is balanced in Durham, with slightly more residents identifying as women.
When looking at the age of the population, Durham has a larger population in the 60-64 age range, similar to residents ages 30-49. These populations are prime working populations. The chart shows that smaller populations are in the 65 to 85 age range and older.
Below is a chart of each of Durham’s municipalities and their change in population for each of the recent census years (2016 and 2021). With the exception of Scugog, each of the municipalities experienced a significant population increase in four years. Ajax was the lowest at 5.8 percent, and Clarington was the highest at 10.2 percent.
| Municipality | 2016 | 2021 | % change |
| Oshawa | 159,458 | 175,383 | 10 |
| Whitby | 128,377 | 138,501 | 7.9 |
| Ajax | 119,677 | 126,666 | 5.8 |
| Pickering | 91,771 | 99,186 | 8.1 |
| Clarington | 92,013 | 101,427 | 10.2 |
| Brock | 11,642 | 12,567 | 7.9 |
| Scugog | 21,617 | 21,581 | -0.2 |
| Uxbridge | 21,176 | 21,556 | 1.8 |
Chart Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016 – 2022.
Graphic Source: Statistics Canada. 2023. (table). Census Profile. 2021 Census of Population. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2021001. Ottawa. Released November 15, 2023. (accessed February 15, 2024).