The population increased in all administrative regions of Quebec, except the North Shore where it decreased slightly, between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, according to data released Wednesday by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec (ISQ) .
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In Montreal, the population increased by approximately 14,000 people in 2021-2022, which is equivalent to a growth rate of 6.9 per thousand.
“This rate is low compared to that of several regions and contrasts with the high levels of growth that Montreal posted before the pandemic. Nevertheless, it marks a resumption of growth after the sharp slowdown in 2019-2020 and the decline of 47,000 people recorded in 2020-2021”, can we read in the ISQ document.
Montréal also received a higher number of permanent immigrants than in recent years. Gains attributable to non-permanent residents (temporary workers, foreign students and asylum seekers) also increased, but did not return to pre-pandemic levels.
The other regions where population growth had slowed after the start of the pandemic, namely the Capitale-Nationale, Outaouais, Laval and Montérégie, all show higher growth rates in 2021-2022.
The most marked increase was observed in the Capitale-Nationale, where the growth of the last year surpasses that of the pre-pandemic years.
The region was able to count on both increased gains in its migratory exchanges with the other regions of Quebec and an increase in international migration.
ISQ data also show that Lanaudière, Laurentides and Estrie are the regions where the population has increased the most in 2021-2022.
Their growth rate amounts to more than 16 per thousand, which remains however less than in 2020-2021.
“These three regions continue to make significant gains in their migratory exchanges with the other regions of Quebec, in particular with Montreal, but these gains are less significant than those of the previous year,” one can read.
Population growth in the Mauricie and Chaudière-Appalaches regions has continued its acceleration that began a few years ago with a growth rate that exceeds 13 per thousand.
The ISQ also noted a slight increase in growth in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, while the Côte-Nord is the only region to have registered a decline.