The Montreal metropolitan area lost many inhabitants during the first full year of the pandemic, while the other regions saw their populations increase, show data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) released on Thursday. morning.
Posted at 8:58 am
Updated at 9:14 a.m.
“Several regions have recorded their strongest gains in their migratory exchanges with other regions of Quebec since the data became available, ie 2001-2002”, underlines the ISQ in its presentation.
“This is particularly the case for regions adjacent to Montreal such as the Laurentians and Lanaudière, but also Estrie, Mauricie and certain more remote regions such as Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Bas-Saint -Laurent and Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean. ”
The Laurentides administrative region has recorded the greatest gains in its migratory exchanges with other regions, ie 12,700 people, or the equivalent of 2% of its population, reports the ISQ.
With its 4.3 million inhabitants, the Montreal metropolitan region still accounts for more than half of the population of Quebec, estimated at 8,574,571 inhabitants, show the ISQ data at 1er July 2021. But it is the only one of the six census metropolitan areas of Quebec to have seen its population decrease during the 12 preceding months, of 25,212 inhabitants.
The regions of Saguenay, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Ottawa-Gatineau all saw their populations increase during this period.
The city of Montreal, with 1,778,528 inhabitants, lost more than 45,000 residents between the 1er July 2020 and 2021. Montreal thus has fewer inhabitants than in 2018. The cities of Quebec and Longueuil recorded very small declines, while Gatineau, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières recorded increases. This is also the case for several cities on the outskirts of Montreal, including Terrebonne, Brossard, Blainville, Mirabel, Mascouche, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Repentigny and Saint-Jérôme.