, Québec Province, Canada (Quebec)
1667 - The result of Canada's first census is 3215 non-native inhabitants.

By 1667, New France conducted its first census, revealing a total of 3,215 non-Indigenous inhabitants. This early population count included French settlers, soldiers, fur traders, missionaries, and a small number of farming families who were beginning to establish permanent communities along the St. Lawrence River and in surrounding areas.

The census highlighted both the fragility and growth of the colony. While still small, the population had roughly doubled since the 1650s, reflecting gradual immigration, natural growth, and the colony’s increasing stability under royal administration following the 1663 transformation into a royal province. The count also provided valuable information for the French crown, helping authorities plan for settlement expansion, resource allocation, defense, and governance.

This early demographic snapshot shows New France as a small but organized society, dependent on the cooperation of settlers and alliances with Indigenous nations. Though vulnerable to disease, conflict, and the harsh North American environment, the colony’s population was beginning to lay the foundations for future growth, setting the stage for the establishment of towns, parishes, and a more permanent French presence in North America.

fccs.ok.ubc.ca/ about/ links/ resources/ canadian-history/ prehistory-to-1800.html

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