The exceptional increase in the population affected almost all regions of Quebec during the period from July 2022 to July 2023. Half of the regions have experienced the strongest growth since these statistics were recorded, i.e. since 1986-1987, reveals the Institute of Statistics of Quebec.
The phenomenon has particularly affected Montreal, the ISQ indicated on Wednesday in its demographic report of the regions of Quebec. The population grew by 89,600 people during this period, an increase of 4.3%. “Never before has a region recorded such a high annual growth rate,” underlines the ISQ.
For comparison, for all of Quebec, growth is 2.3% (or 202,500 people) during this period.
“Montreal’s growth alone accounts for 44% of the total growth observed,” noted Martine St-Amour, demographer at the ISQ, in an interview. However, “Montreal has been losing residents to other regions for a very long time” such as the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Laval, notes Ms. St-Amour. But “these internal losses are offset by international migratory gains”.
In second place behind Montreal, but far behind, comes Quebec. The Capitale-Nationale region saw its population grow by 2.6%. This region had until then “never risen so high in the ranking”, notes the ISQ. A particular fact, and unlike Montreal, Quebec has made gains to the detriment of other regions, underlines Mme St-Amour. And to these gains is added that of international migration.
Also, peaks in population growth were recorded in the regions of Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, Mauricie, Montérégie, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas- Saint Laurent. However, population growth has not reached records in Laval, Lanaudière, Outaouais and the Laurentians.
Likewise, growth was rather “moderate” in Nord-du-Québec, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine. This demographic growth is explained by international migration, especially temporary immigration such as asylum seekers, temporary foreign workers and international students, according to the ISQ.
Does this mean that this demographic growth could only be temporary, since these people may be more “mobile”? “It’s a phenomenon that is the subject of a lot of discussion. And it’s hard to know. There is a link: temporary immigration can be the first step towards permanent immigration,” but not always, explains M.me St-Amour.