New data from Stats Canada shows the nation’s population is rising exponentially, with an increase of 430,635 people in the third quarter of 2023. Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, through its Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ministry, has a target of bringing in 465,000 immigrants a year. The population, which was already a record number of people compared to earlier years, grew more in the first nine months of 2023 than it did in all of 2022. From January to September 2023 the population grew by 1,030,378 people, a higher number than any full year period since Confederation in 1867. The “record-high population growth” is “fuelled by strong permanent and temporary immigration,” the government-run institution said in a press release. In a steep hike the country hasn’t seen since 1957, population data from July to October revealed Canada’s total population is now estimated at 40,528,396 people. “This was the highest population growth rate in any quarter since the second quarter of 1957” when Canada's population was at 16.7 million people and grew by 198,000, Stats Can noted. That spike in population growth was attributed to the post-war “baby boom,” as well as a high volume of refugees during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Immigration is by far the primary source for the rapidly-growing population, making up 96% of growth in the third quarter of 2023. The remaining 4% was from the difference between births and deaths. “The contribution of natural increase to population growth is expected to remain low in the coming years because of population aging, lower fertility levels and the high number of immigrants and non-permanent residents coming to Canada,” StatsCan said. Canada’s current growth rate on average by province is +1.1%, with every province and territory except Northwest Territories seeing an increase. Third quarter population growth is highest in Alberta, at a rate of +1.3%, followed by Prince Edward Island and Ontario, each at +1.2%. NWT dropped -0.5%.
