Alberta has cemented its status as Canada’s top destination for internal migration for the third consecutive year, according to new data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.CBC reports the province’s population has now surpassed the five-million mark, fuelled by a combination of interprovincial migration, natural growth, and international arrivals. As of July 1, Alberta was home to 5,029,346 people, the latest estimates show.In the first half of 2025, Alberta posted a net increase of 12,800 interprovincial migrants — the largest gain in the country, though nearly half the increase recorded during the same period in 2024..Over the second quarter of 2025 (Apr. through June), Alberta’s population grew by roughly 0.4%, outpacing the national growth rate of just 0.1%.That figure represents Canada’s slowest second-quarter growth outside of pandemic years since 1946, when comparable records began.BC was the only province or territory to see a population decline during the quarter, shrinking by 0.04%.Alberta led the country in interprovincial migration once again, gaining 6,187 residents from other provinces in the second quarter — marking 12 straight quarters, or three full years, at the top. Ontario, by contrast, experienced a net loss of 6,154 residents over the same period, continuing a trend of out-migration that has persisted for 15 straight quarters.Most interprovincial movers to Alberta came from Ontario, Saskatchewan, and BC.Statistics Canada estimates that 8,780 Ontarians moved to Alberta between April and June, while 5,793 Albertans relocated to Ontario, for a net gain of 2,987 residents.Saskatchewan contributed a net gain of 1,064 residents, while BC accounted for a net gain of 1,025..International migration on a permanent basis added an even larger boost, with Alberta gaining 11,538 residents from abroad in the second quarter.Temporary international residents, however, declined by 3,818 during the same period — a trend linked to new federal rules affecting study permits for international students.The province’s population also naturally increased through more births than deaths, adding 5,361 people in the second quarter.Nationally, the number of non-permanent residents has been declining for three consecutive quarters, after peaking at 3.15 million in Oct. 2024 (7.6% of the country’s population) and falling to 3.02 million in July 2025 (7.3%).Alberta has mirrored this trend, with two straight quarters of decline..Due to a high level of spam content being posted, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
