Canadian Immigration Drives Biggest Population Gain in History

Canadian immigration is fueling the fastest population growth since 1990

The number of residents in Canada increased 1.4 percent in July 2019, and accounts for the fastest increase among Group of Seven countries. There has been a total of 313,580 immigrants welcomed to the country in the past year. Non-permanent residents, including asylum and student claimants, increased by 171,536, which is also the most on record.

The influx of immigrants to the country is providing a much-needed growth to Canada’s workforce. Employment is up over 350,000 from last year. Immigrants and non-permanent residents represented 82 percent of Canada’s total population increase between 2018 and 2019. Quebec experienced the largest population totals in over 30 years, and Ontario recorded one of the highest growth rates with a rise of 1.7 percent. Similarly, growth in the Atlantic provinces in 2018-2019 was one of the highest recorded since the 1970s. International migration played a large role in the population growth in Manitoba.