April 5th 2023 (VOICE) Canada Experiences Record-Breaking Annual Population Growth with Over One Million People Added, Stats Canada Reports
According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s population rose from 38,516,138 to 39,566,248, which is an increase of over one million people, marking the country’s highest annual population growth rate (2.7%) since 1957. The rise in population was fuelled, in part, by government initiatives aimed at recruiting migrants to address labour shortages and to support an ageing population. While the government’s policy has received criticism, Statistics Canada suggested that the surge in the number of temporary and permanent immigrants may create additional challenges for some regions of the country relating to housing, infrastructure, and transportation, as well as delivering services to the population. International migration accounted for approximately 96% of the population growth.
Since gaining power in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has attempted to attract more immigrants to the country, with the government’s recent announcement to welcome 500,000 immigrants annually by 2025. In addition to this initiative, the Canadian government has also been accepting people affected by conflicts such as the Ukraine war, the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis, and the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Recently, it announced the extension of a programme that provides temporary resettlement for Ukrainians and their families.
Canada’s positive attitude towards immigration stems from its control over borders, its ability to select the “best and brightest” migrants from around the world, and the fact that it has relatively few spatial constraints around major cities, according to Prof Randall Hansen from the University of Toronto. Furthermore, the country has shaped its “national identity” around the idea of multiculturalism to differentiate itself from attitudes in its southern neighbour, the US.
Canada welcomed 437,000 immigrants in 2022, and the number of non-permanent residents increased by 607,782. Consequently, it was the fastest-growing G7 country and would rank first among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 2022 population growth. If the 2.7% increase in population is sustained, the country’s population will double in 26 years.