Millennials surpass baby boomers in Canada

It’s the end of an era. Millennials now outnumber baby boomers in the country, the largest generation in 65 years. And this is not only because they are dying more, but rather because immigration is mainly made up of young adults.

More millennials

This is revealed by new data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, have officially supplanted baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, signaling the end of a reign. At their peak, they represented approximately 40% of the Canadian population. Although their numbers are increasing, millennials will never reach such demographic weight: it is expected to plateau at its current level, or 23%, according to demographic projections. Often referred to as the “forgotten generation”, Generation X, born between 1966 and 1980, will never be the most important. Even Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, has outnumbered it.

Mainly millennial immigrants

Far ahead of deaths, immigration is the main cause of these demographic changes. More specifically: the recent arrival of a record number of immigrants, many of whom are millennials. Between 2022 and 2023, the population of millennials increased by 457,354 people, an increase exclusively attributable to newcomers. This increase is even greater than the annual growth of the Alpha generation, born from 2013. To a lesser extent, the number of baby boomers is decreasing from year to year, with deaths outnumbering immigrant arrivals. .

A portrait that differs depending on the province

In Quebec, baby boomers remain the largest generation. There are currently 2.1 million, compared to 1.8 million millennials. Ditto in the Atlantic provinces. It was in Ontario and British Columbia that millennials surpassed baby boomers. In Alberta, it was done: baby boomers have lost their title of largest generation since 2014. Nunavut also has its particularities. There, Generation Z has been the largest since 2011, with the fertility rate being higher than in the rest of Canada.

Slow demographic aging

Another notable change: demographic aging has slowed down in the country. Between 2022 and 2023, the average age of the Canadian population decreased slightly, from 41.7 to 41.6 years. The median age also declined, dropping from 40.9 to 40.6 years during the same period. Here again, immigration is the main explanation. The last time such a phenomenon was observed in Canada was at the height of the baby boom. In addition, the working age population has increased in the space of a year, despite the retirement of baby boomers.

More men

The number of men has increased slightly in Canada. For many years, the ratio fluctuated between 98.0 and 98.5 men per 100 women. In 2023, it was 99.6. One of the explanations would be the increase in the number of non-permanent residents in the country, suggests Statistics Canada. Indeed, the jobs of work permit holders are traditionally more often occupied by men, for example in the agricultural sector.