Immigration Drives Canadian Population Growth

The 2006 Census of Canada took place on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Analysis of the results shows rising populations in most provinces and territories.

Between 2001 and 2006, Canada’s population grew by 1.6 million, 1.2 million of which was due to immigration. Roughly two-thirds of Canada’s population growth now comes from net international migration.

Two-thirds of Canada’s population growth between 2001 and 2006 was concentrated in just two provinces: Alberta and Ontario.

The number of Albertans increased by 10.6% between 2001 and 2006. During the 2001 to 2006 period, Alberta’s population passed the 3 million mark. During the same period, Alberta’s share of Canada’s total population topped 10% for the first time. Alberta’s booming economy, bolstered in particular by the strength of the oil industry, has clearly played a role in the province’s rapid population growth.

Since 2001, Ontario’s population increased by 750,236. That represents half of Canada’s population growth (+1.6 million) during the period. More than 600,000 immigrants settled in Ontario between 2001 and 2006. This represents about half of all those who immigrated to Canada during that period.

Ontario was still Canada’s most populous province by far in 2006. The 2006 Census enumerated 12,160,282 people, who accounted for nearly two-fifths of Canada’s population.

At the other extreme, two provinces experienced a population decline between 2001 and 2006: Newfoundland & Labrador and Saskatchewan