Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has died at the age of 46 after fighting cancer, his family has said.

Mr Ford, who battled drug and alcohol addiction, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2014.

He gained international notoriety after admitting smoking crack cocaine in 2013, but he was loved by supporters.

"A dedicated man of the people, Councillor Ford spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," his family said in a statement.

He could not run for re-election as mayor in 2014 due to his cancer diagnosis, but won a city council seat in a landslide result.

His image contrasted sharply with Canada's usual calm, buttoned-up politics.

While serving as mayor, he was videotaped and photographed intoxicated in public areas.

During Canada's national election last year, he threw his support behind former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who lost to Justin Trudeau, a liberal.

Despite the crack-smoking scandal, his popularity remained high with fans lining up to take photo with him.

He appealed to conservative, working-class people with his populist message. Many of his supporters in the 2010 Toronto mayoral election came from the outer suburbs of the city.

One of his key campaign promises was to "stop the gravy train" of government spending and he pledged to end "the war on the car".

He is survived by his wife Renata and his two children, Stephanie and Doug.