According to a Statistics Canada research released as Ottawa prepares to publish its new immigration intake levels plan for 2022-2024, immigration, not fertility, fuelled Canada’s population increase during the last five years.

“Although the pandemic slowed Canada’s rapid population growth in 2020, it remained the fastest among the G7 countries,” according to the analysis released on Wednesday.

Immigrants are significantly more likely to settle in a city than in a rural environment, according to the report’s authors. As a result, the population of rural Canada has risen at a slower rate than that of metropolitan areas.

The following are some of the significant results in today’s study, which paints a picture of Canada’s population growth:

  • Over the last five years, population growth has increased in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, compared to the previous census cycle (2011–2016), while population growth has decreased in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. In Canada’s three largest provinces, Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, population growth has also increased.
  • From 2016 to 2021, British Columbia was the only province in Western Canada where more people moved in than out, with interprovincial migration gains (+97,424) reaching their greatest level since 1991 to 1996;
  • While Yukon topped the country in population growth (+12.1% to 40,232), it was the only territory that expanded faster than Canada as a whole.
  • For the 11th census period, Quebec, Canada’s second most populous province (8.5 million people), saw its percentage of the overall population fall; – Large urban regions rely on immigration far more than other parts of the country, with more than 9 out of 10 new permanent immigrants residing in a metropolitan area. Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver are home to almost a third of Canadians (13.1 million people).
  • Large urban regions rely on immigration far more than other parts of Canada, with more than 9 out of 10 new permanent immigrants residing in a metropolitan area. Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver are home to almost a third of Canadians (13.1 million people).
  • From 2016 to 2021, British Columbia has four of the top five fastest expanding metropolitan areas in the country: Kelowna (+14.0% to 222,162), Chilliwack (+12.1% to 113,767), Nanaimo (+10.0% to 115,459), and Kamloops (+10.0% to 114,142).
  • Population growth was also seen in a number of smaller urban centres that are known as tourist destinations or resort cities. These tiny urban centres are not among the most isolated, and they are often less than an hour’s drive from a bigger urban centre, meaning they are accessible to the amenities of larger urban centres.

By the end of the month, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Sean Fraser is anticipated to publish Canada’s revised 2022-2024 immigration intake levels plan, which will also include the methods via which these individuals would be accepted.

According to the most recent government data, the IRCC is now processing an estimated 1.8 million applications due to pandemic-related delays.

Before pursuing more ambitious immigrant objectives, the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) is urging Ottawa to stabilise the immigration system.

“While utilising this year to allow IRCC to catch its breath would be far from ideal, it would be useful for various reasons,” according to a statement on CILA’s website. “Many of them who have been languishing in limbo during the pandemic would be able to eventually settle down as permanent residents.”

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