Canada’s population grew faster last year than at any time since the 1950s, amid an increase in the number of temporary residents, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.
The federal agency points out that the Canadian population jumped by 3.2% in 2023, its fastest rate since 1957 (when it increased by 3.3%). This increase brought the Canadian population to 40,769,890 inhabitants on January 1, 2024, an increase of 1,271,872 people in one year.
Statistics Canada specifies that most of this growth of 3.2% last year was due to temporary immigration. Without it, the growth rate of the Canadian population would have been 1.2%, indicates the federal agency.
Growth rates above 3% have “never been observed in a developed country” since the 1950s, underlined Frédéric Payeur, demographer at the Institut de la tourisme du Québec (ISQ).
Canada’s increase in migration is comparable to that of Israel in the 1960s and that of Ireland in 2006 and 2007 — when that country experienced an immigration boom during a period of growth rapid economic growth — declared Mr. Payeur. But even then, none of these countries saw population growth above 3%, he says.
“Our conclusion is that in absolute numbers, this is the strongest growth ever seen,” said Mr. Payeur. As a proportion of population, in 1957 there was somewhat higher overall growth, but this was mainly due to the baby boom, combined with a wave of migration linked to the events in Hungary. » More than 37,000 Hungarian refugees fled to Canada when Soviet troops crushed an uprising against communist rule in November 1956.
Across Canada, the population increased by 1,271,872 between January 1, 2023 and January 1, 2024. Statistics Canada says that 97.6% of this population growth was the result of immigration: 471,771 immigrants settled in the country last year and the number of temporary residents — most of whom are foreign workers — increased by 804,901.
In absolute numbers, this is the strongest growth ever seen.
The weight of Quebec in decline
In Quebec, the population growth rate stood at 2.5% at the end of 2023, compared to 3.4% in the rest of Canada.
“The demographic weight of Quebec in all of Canada thus decreases slightly again to stand at 22.0% on January 1, 2024, compared to 22.2% on January 1, 2023,” underlines the ISQ in a press release on Wednesday. .
The population of Quebec increased by 218,000 people in 2023, to reach 8.98 million inhabitants. This growth is based almost exclusively on international migration — especially temporary immigration (+174,200), “which is more than three times higher than permanent immigration (+52,800),” indicates the ISQ.
The number of these “non-permanent residents” reached 560,000 people in Quebec on January 1. According to the ISQ, this group is notably made up of 234,000 temporary foreign workers, 177,000 asylum seekers and 124,000 international students, some of whom have work permits. “By using administrative data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Statistics Canada estimates that as of January 1, 2024, Quebec had 19% of Canada’s temporary foreign workers, 54% of asylum seekers and 12% of international students. », Indicates the ISQ.
Quebec’s population growth, although record, has been lower than that of any other province except Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta experienced the highest population growth in 2023, at 4.3%, according to Statistics Canada data adapted by the ISQ; Prince Edward Island follows with a rate of 3.6%.
Ontario’s population increased by 3.4%, although it lost 36,197 residents to other provinces, Statistics Canada says. Alberta welcomed 55,107 people from other provinces, the largest increase since comparable data became available in 1972.
Quebec reported only 400 more births than the 77,550 deaths in 2023. “A total of 77,950 births were recorded in Quebec in 2023, the lowest number since 2005,” indicates the ISQ. The general trend has been downward since 2013, and it is also observed internationally and elsewhere in Canada. »