Immigration and not fertility have made a positive contribution to Canada’s population. As per a study conducted by Statistics Canada, foreign-born Canadians have been the main driver of Canada’s population growth in the past five years.

“Although the pandemic halted Canada’s strong population growth in 2020, it continued to be the fastest among G7 countries,” said in a statement released by Statistics Canada.

For many years, Canada has witnessed a substantial inflow of immigrants of various nationalities, groups, and demographics. The immigration population in Canada is primarily restricted to big cities rather than small communities. Therefore, rural areas are experiencing a slow population growth compared to urban areas. Although, the government of Canada is working on several initiatives and programs to attract immigrants to rural areas. 

Immigration also boosted almost three-quarters of Canada’s overall population last year. Canada added 1.8 million newcomers between 2016 and 2021, retaining its fastest-growing G7 country.

Quick facts of the report:

• Prince Edward Island has witnessed the highest population growth, followed by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia over the past five years.
• Population growth slowed a bit in provinces like Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Canada’s most popular provinces, Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, have experienced the highest population growth.
• Moreover, British Columbia is the only province that has welcomed the highest number of newcomers between 2016 and 2021.
• The territory of Yukon was surprised with its remarkable population growth (+12.1%) and its impressive economic performance in entire Canada.
• Quebec, Canada’s French-speaking and most populated province, constantly saw a decline in population for the 11th census period.
• Canadian population growth is primarily seen in large urban areas due to high levels of immigration compared to other places. The reports said that 9 out of 10 newcomers prefer to settle in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver.
• Four out of the five most popular cities in Canada are British Columbia. Kelowna (+14.0 per cent to 222,162), Chilliwack (+12.1 per cent to 113,767), Nanaimo (+10.0 per cent to 115,459) and Kamloops (+10.0 per cent to 114,142).
• Many tourist destinations in Canada have also witnessed an impressive increase in population. The majority of these cities are close to nature and are generally near urban cities.

On 14th February 2022, Canada immigration minister Sean Fraser announced a new 2022-2024 immigration intake levels plan, wherein he highlighted the importance of immigrants and their contributions to shaping the Canadian economy. He also outlined several pathways under which Canada will welcome new permanent residents.

According to the new plan, Canada will welcome 431,645 permanent residents in 2022, 447,055 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024. Initially, Canada also tabled plans to speed up the processing time of immigration applications and work on the backlog created due to the pandemic. The speedy and streamlined processing time will help people finally land as permanent residents and start their new life in Canada. To know more, you can connect with us on 8595338595 or drop an email at [email protected].