Canada's Population Grows

On July 1, 2009, Canada's population was estimated at 33,739,900. In the second quarter of 2009, Canada's population grew by 121,200 (+0.36%).

The increase was largely due to net international migration, which totalled 84,800, the second-highest figure for a second quarter since 1972.

The number of births in Canada in the second quarter of 2009 was estimated at 96,200. This was the largest number of second-quarter births since 1996 and an increase of 1,600 compared with the second quarter of 2008. This upward trend in births is also evident in a number of other industrialized countries.

Strong demographic growth continues in the West

All four provinces in Western Canada recorded higher demographic growth than the national average from April to June 2009.

Alberta was the province with the fastest demographic growth rate from April to June 2009, at 0.59%. The main contributors to the province's growth were immigration and natural increase. Alberta's demographic growth was lower than in the second quarter of 2008 (+0.80%). The slowdown was mostly attributable to a decline in the net number of non-permanent residents and net interprovincial migration compared with the second quarter of 2008. Alberta's interprovincial migration gain of 4,700 was the largest in Canada.

Immigration was partly responsible for population increases in Manitoba (+0.48%), Saskatchewan (+0.44%) and British Columbia (+0.39%). For Saskatchewan, it was the highest second-quarter growth rate since 1975, and for Manitoba, the strongest growth since the current record-keeping system was introduced in 1971.

Moderate demographic growth for Quebec and Ontario

Ontario's population grew by 0.34% from April to June 2009, the smallest second-quarter increase since 1993. The slowdown was primarily due to interprovincial migration losses and a decrease in immigration. The migration losses in Ontario reached 4,000, the largest second-quarter migration deficit since 1990. Ontario has been experiencing losses in its quarterly interprovincial migration exchanges since the first quarter of 2003. Ontario received 30,100 immigrants from April to June 2009, a decrease compared with the 32,000 immigrants received in the second quarter of 2008. This was the seventh consecutive quarter in which Ontario's demographic growth has been below the national average.

The natural increase is the variation in population size over a given period as a result of the difference between the number of births and deaths.

International migration represents a movement of population between Canada and a foreign country that involves a change in the usual place of residence. A distinction is made with regard to immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigrants and net non-permanent residents.

Non-permanent residents (also called temporary residents) are people from another country who have a work or study permit, or who are refugee claimants, and family members living in Canada with them.

With demographic growth of 0.31%, Quebec posted the largest second-quarter increase in its population since 1991. The gain was partly attributable to an increase in the net number of non-permanent residents and immigration. At 7,200, the net number of non-permanent residents for Quebec from April to June 2009 was the highest quarterly level for this province since 1988. There were 22,400 births in Quebec from April to June 2009, the most second-quarter births the province has had since 1996.

Strong demographic growth in Prince Edward Island

From April to June, Prince Edward Island had the fastest demographic growth rate in the Atlantic provinces at 0.53%. The increase was partly due to higher net international migration following an increase in the number of immigrants. It was the province's highest second-quarter growth rate since 1978.

From April to June 2009, Newfoundland and Labrador's population climbed 0.28%, the highest second-quarter growth rate since 1983. In contrast to the other Atlantic provinces, the increase was mostly attributable to a net gain in interprovincial migration. It was also the fourth consecutive quarter in which Newfoundland and Labrador has posted gains in its exchanges with the other provinces and territories.

There were also population increases in the rest of the Atlantic provinces, as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia grew by 0.07% and 0.05% respectively. The gains were mostly due to immigration.

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