Temporary residents continue to climb, pushing Canada’s population past 41 million

By Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire

Canada surpassed 41 million people in the first quarter of 2024 as the country continues to experience rapid growth driven almost exclusively by international migration.

According to Statistics Canada, the population stood at 41,012,563 as of April 1, 2024, increasing by 242,673 people, or 0.6%, from the previous quarter.

The new milestone of 41 million people comes less than a year after Statistics Canada announced that Canada’s population had reached 40 million people.

The quarterly population growth follows Canada’s annual population increasing at rates not seen in 66 years.

99.3% of Canada’s population growth in the first quarter of 2024 is thanks to international migration. 121,758 permanent residents immigrated to Canada, eclipsed by the 131,810 non-permanent residents added to the population in the first quarter of the year.

Interprovincial migration slowed by 8.7%, but Alberta continued to lead the way.

While almost 90,000 Canadians migrated provincially, most provinces and territories saw net losses in their exchanges with other provinces or territories.

Alberta gained 12,500 more interprovincial migrants than it lost, followed by New Brunswick, which saw a net gain of 1,627, and Yukon, which gained 60 more people than it lost.