Canada Sees Fastest Population Growth Since the Baby Boom, Driven By Immigration: StatCan

Canada Sees Fastest Population Growth Since the Baby Boom, Driven By Immigration: StatCan
A young new Canadian holds a flag as she takes part in a citizenship ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 17, 2019. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
David Wagner
Updated:
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Canada had its highest quarterly population growth since the height of the baby boom, driven mainly by new immigrants, according to new data from Statistics Canada (StatCan).

Canada’s population grew by 0.7 percent, amounting to 284,982 people, for the second quarter of 2022—an increase of more than 3,100 people per day, according to the data released on Sept. 28. It also beats the previous record set in the third quarter of 1957, when the population grew by 0.8 percent, or 133,000 people.

International migration made up 94.5 percent of the growth, which was the highest quarterly increase of immigrants on record. However, about 60 percent of the migrants are considered non-permanent residents, with many people here for work or study, in addition to asylum seekers, including Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.

In a release, StatCan noted the higher level of immigrants “could be the result of catch-up in growth following lower levels of immigration early in the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In 2021, Canada set the record for population growth in a year, increasing by 1.8 percent, or just over 700,000 people. This broke the previous record of 1.4 percent just before the pandemic. In 2020, the population grew by only 0.6 percent.

Last year, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and New Brunswick saw their highest population growth since Confederation in 1867. The migrants entering these provinces came about equally between other parts of Canada and outside of Canada.

Many Canadians moved from Ontario to other parts of the country last year, with a total of 349,563 people leaving the province. This was the highest number since 1989, and almost 40 percent more than the year prior.

StatCan says that most of the people leaving Ontario are young adults and are likely leaving because of the ability to work from home brought about by the pandemic, as well as greater housing affordability elsewhere.