Canada’s population has seen its most rapid growth in over six decades, with new data from Statistics Canada revealing an unprecedented surge largely driven by temporary immigration.
As of January 1, 2024, the nation’s population reached a staggering 40,769,890, marking a 3.2% increase from the previous year, the highest annual growth reported since 1957. Canada’s real-time population clock shows that the country’s population has now broken 41 million, just months after breaking the 40 million threshold.
Population growth in the fourth quarter of 2023 was the highest seen in the fourth quarter since 1956. Canada’s population increased by 241,494 people between October 1 and December 31, 2023.
“In 2023, the vast majority (97.6%) of Canada’s population growth came from international migration (both permanent and temporary immigration), and the remaining portion (2.4%) came from natural increase,” reads Statistics Canada’s report published Wednesday.
The influx of 471,771 permanent immigrants in 2023 aligns with the targets set by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, yet it is the temporary immigration that has primarily fueled the population increase. A record 804,901 non-permanent residents, including temporary workers and international students, were added to Canada’s demographic tally.
According to a recent report by True North’s Candice Malcolm, the number of illegal migrants has exploded tenfold since Stephen Harper was Prime Minister. She said that the total number of newcomers in Canada is approximately 2.2 million people annually.
Amidst this rapid growth, interprovincial migration has also seen notable shifts, with Alberta recording a significant net gain, the largest seen since comparable data became available in 1972.
Ontario saw the flipside of things, losing 36,197 people to other provinces. This followed a loss of 38,816 people the year prior. The only time a province lost more than 35,000 people to interprovincial migration was Quebec in 1977 and 1978, losing 38,498 and 36,955 people, respectively.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
How would you feel if your city's population suddenly grew by 3.2% due to immigration, and how would it change your daily life?
@9L8YC9ZRepublican2yrs2Y
Due to immigration not only will the city change, but the whole country will. Letting more and more illegals in is making the American population more and more "rare" in our very own country.
@9L93TCRLibertarian2yrs2Y
I wouldn't care, immigrants are good for the economy and lowering unemployment.
@9L948PN2yrs2Y
I would be extremely mad and wait for Trump to get into office to kick them all out
@9L95B72Independent2yrs2Y
I wouldn't care too much but would be concerned about certain consequences of gaining so much of a population all at once.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
What are the potential upsides and downsides of having nearly 100% of a country's population growth come from international migration?
@9L9B8B72yrs2Y
Immigration can contribute to economic growth by bringing in skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and investors who contribute to innovation, productivity, and job creation. Immigrants often fill labor shortages in key sectors of the economy and contribute to consumer spending and tax revenues
Immigration can lead to concerns about economic displacement and competition for jobs, particularly among native-born workers in certain sectors of the economy. Addressing these concerns requires policies that support workforce training, job retraining, and labor market adaptation.
@9L9476L2yrs2Y
One study that looks at the impact of migration on economic growth for 22 OECD countries between.
@9L99TR52yrs2Y
A positive is you are growing your community and the ethnicity within your country, but the downside is you could have people trying to overthrow certain government laws.
@9L948PN2yrs2Y
there are only downsides because there shouldn't be allowed illegal immigrant
@Int3grityCatPatriot2yrs2Y
@GorillaLouDemocrat2yrs2Y
The rise in foreign student immigration into Canada is extraordinary.
To give a sense of size, this would be like a surge to 10mln foreign students in the US (there are roughly 1mln these days).
@FluentChowderRepublican2yrs2Y
Do you have it broken down by country? Also, what's the breakdown for US students?
@GorillaLouDemocrat2yrs2Y
Vast majority India and China in Canada. Pretty similar to US.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
If you had to move to another province due to economic opportunities, how would you feel about leaving your home province behind?
@9L95SG22yrs2Y
I would be devastated leaving my home province behind.
@DynamicM4jorityMountain2yrs2Y
Unfortunately, lots of these youngsters are signing up for “colleges and universities” set up by unscrupulous types in strip malls, etc. They are basically being imported as cheap labour to fill low end jobs. Pretty amazing that the current government is letting/making it happen.
Serious question anyone - aren't these colleges regulated or have to pass standards? Why hasn't the government of Canada come down on these fraudsters? Or have they? If so who's initiating these frauds?
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@DrearyBl4ckBoxGreen2yrs2Y
My nephew went to Canada with the intention of just getting a degree and return home. After one semester he intends to become a Canadian citizen and doesn’t care where they send him. Every friend he made from all over the world changed their mind as well. Everyone one of them.
@WondrousMonkeyDemocrat2yrs2Y
The pressure on housing is well too high that Canada feel like a emerging country with a population growth problems, where the quality of life is back now to 2016 lvl (GDP per Cap), the economy is going toward paying rent…
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