The surge indicated the highest population growth in any quarter since 1957.
The surge indicated the highest population growth in any quarter since 1957.
Canada’s population reached 40,528,396 on Oct. 1, according to a recent report by Statistics Canada.
The surge indicated a growth rate of 1.1 percent since July 1 and represented the highest population growth in any quarter since the second quarter of 1957 when Canada’s population expanded by 1.2 percent, driven by post-war baby boom births and an influx of refugees following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, as reported by CIC News.
The population growth for the first nine months of 2023 has set a new record, totaling 1,030,378 people, including the unprecedented growth witnessed in 2022.
International migration driving population growth
During the third quarter of 2023, 96 percent of the population growth is attributed to international migration. The remaining 4 percent results from natural increase, a difference between births and deaths.
With Canada’s aging population, lower fertility levels, and a high number of immigrants, the contribution of natural increase to population growth is expected to remain low in the coming years.
In the third quarter of 2023 alone, Canada welcomed 107,972 immigrants, contributing to 79.8 percent (371,299) of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s annual target of 465,000 immigrants.
Moreover, Canada has experienced a historic surge in non-permanent residents, reaching a net increase of 312,758 in the third quarter alone, primarily driven by a rise in work and study permit holders, with a smaller increase in refugee claimants.
In Canada, the total number of international students with study permits is 807,750, with 373,599 exclusively enrolled in tertiary education, according to data from Erudera.
Out of the total study permit holders, 551,405 received permits in 2022, and India tops the list with 226,450 students.
British Columbia leads in hosting international students in 2022, with 164,875, followed by Ontario with 411,985.
In the academic year 2020-21, the majority of international students (231,291) were enrolled in Canadian universities, reflecting a 1.7 percent decrease from the previous year.
Among higher education institutions, 160,842 students pursued bachelor’s degrees in 2020-21, marking a 3.7 percent increase from the preceding year.
Provinces witnessing population growth
All provinces and territories in Canada, except for the Northwest Territories,
have experienced population growth. Notably, Alberta (1.3 percent), Prince Edward Island (1.2 percent), and Ontario (1.2 percent) witnessed growth rates surpassing the national average in the third quarter of 2023.
In terms of interprovincial migration, Alberta stands out with net gains, experiencing an increase of 17,094 in the third quarter of 2023. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter with gains exceeding 10,000, a trend not seen since 1971.
Alberta’s gains are largely attributed to interprovincial exchanges with Ontario and British Columbia. In contrast, British Columbia faced its first five consecutive quarters of interprovincial migration losses since 2013.
Despite ongoing net losses in interprovincial migration since the first quarter of 2020, Ontario displayed a smaller net loss in the third quarter of 2023 (-5,952).
The Atlantic provinces, in contrast to the growth observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced slight or negative net interprovincial migration, largely due to a decrease in migrants moving from Ontario to the Atlantic provinces.
Immigration Levels Plan 2024-26
On Nov. 1, Canada released its Immigration Levels Plan 2024-26, outlining the guidelines for the admission of new permanent residents over the next three years across economic, family, and humanitarian classes.
In 2024, Canada aims to admit 485,000 new immigrants, with targets set to rise to 500,000 in each of the following years, 2025 and 2026.
Under the economic class, Canada plans to welcome approximately 281,135 immigrants in 2024, constituting 58 percent of the annual target. By 2026, this figure is expected to rise to 301,250 immigrants, representing 60 percent of the annual target.
Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program targets are also set to increase, with the Express Entry target reaching 110,700 permanent resident admissions in 2024 and rising to 117,500 immigrants in each of 2025 and 2026.
The PNP target is set at 110,000 immigrants in 2024, increasing to 120,000 in 2025, and another 120,000 in 2026.
