There are more newcomers in Canada than ever before
Statistics on population growth appeared.
On September 28, Statistics Canada released its population figures for the second quarter of 2022. The population growth compared to the first quarter was 0.7%, which is about 285,000 people. The statistics show that this is the highest quarterly growth since 1957.
Immigration accounted for 94.5 percent of the increase — 269,000 people, also a record. More than half of those arriving from other countries, 157,000, are temporary residents. They include asylum seekers, foreign workers and students, and Ukrainian citizens who arrived on a simplified entry permit because of war. Another 118,000 of those who arrived are immigrants.
The provinces of Nova Scotia (1.2%) and New Brunswick (1.1%) had the largest population growth, both temporary and permanent.
Such numbers were expected because, in 2022, the Canadian government set a record goal of more than 431,000 new permanent residents. In this way, the country wants to support the economy and its aging population after a low immigration rate during the pandemic.
In addition to the growth, Canada's median age dropped for the first time in more than 50 years. It was 41 years old. Because of the aging of the population, the country has seen a steady increase in the average age of residents all this time. The government is banking on the immigration of the working-age population to take the jobs of those who are retiring.
