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Canada's population estimates, third quarter 2022

Released: 2022-12-21

Quarterly population estimate — Canada

39,292,355

October 1, 2022

0.9% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — N.L.

528,818

October 1, 2022

0.5% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — P.E.I.

172,707

October 1, 2022

1.2% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — N.S.

1,030,953

October 1, 2022

1.1% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — N.B.

820,786

October 1, 2022

1.1% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Que.

8,751,352

October 1, 2022

0.6% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Ont.

15,262,660

October 1, 2022

1.0% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Man.

1,420,228

October 1, 2022

0.8% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Sask.

1,205,119

October 1, 2022

0.9% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Alta.

4,601,314

October 1, 2022

1.3% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — B.C.

5,368,266

October 1, 2022

0.9% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Y.T.

43,964

October 1, 2022

0.4% increase

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — N.W.T.

45,602

October 1, 2022

-0.0% decrease

(quarterly change)

Quarterly population estimate — Nvt.

40,586

October 1, 2022

0.1% increase

(quarterly change)

Canada's population was estimated at 39,292,355 people on October 1, 2022, an increase of 362,453 people (+0.9%) from July 1, 2022. This was the highest quarterly population growth rate since the second quarter of 1957 (+1.2%). At the time, Canada's population was 16.7 million people and it increased by 198,000 people. This rapid population growth was related to the high number of births during the post-war baby boom and the high immigration of refugees following the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.

This recent three-month growth of over 362,000 people is a similar level of growth that Canada used to see in an entire year about one decade ago. For example, during the whole of 2011, Canada's population grew by 350,253 people.

Canada's total population growth for the first nine months of 2022 (+776,217 people) has already surpassed the total growth for any full-year period since Confederation in 1867. This high level of growth was mostly (94.0%) due to international migration (+340,666 people), which pushed Canada's population over 39 million for the first time.

In the third quarter of 2022, Canada welcomed 122,145 immigrants, about the same number as in the third quarter of 2021 (122,911) and the second-highest number of immigrants in any third quarter since 1946, the year quarterly data became available. Immigration levels remained elevated, reflecting higher targets from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

However, the record population growth in the third quarter of 2022 was mainly driven by an increase of 225,198 non-permanent residents (NPRs). This increase was almost 68,000 more people than the last record increase, in the second quarter of 2022 (+157,310).

The increase of NPRs in the third quarter of 2022 was larger than any full-year increase since 1971 (when data on NPRs became available). This increase was driven by work permit holders, but all types of NPRs increased, and Canada continued welcoming people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. All provinces and territories saw an increase in the number of NPRs, with Ontario (+106,459), British Columbia (+39,429) and Quebec (+34,299) accounting for 80.0% of the increase.

Ontario continued experiencing net losses to interprovincial migration, which began in the first quarter of 2020. The loss in the third quarter of 2022 (-11,581) was the largest net loss for Ontario in a third quarter since the third quarter of 1980 (-18,244). Alberta (+19,285) had the highest net gain from interprovincial migration in a third quarter since 1980 (+20,706), while British Columbia (-4,799) had net losses to interprovincial migration for the first time in any quarter for almost one decade (first quarter of 2013, -383).

In addition to new demographic estimates for the third quarter of 2022, revised estimates are also available for deaths by age and sex from 2020/2021 and for the population by age and sex from October 1, 2020. The estimates released today are based on 2016 Census of Population counts, adjusted for census net under-coverage and incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements. To these counts, the population growth estimates for the period from May 10, 2016, to the date of the estimate are added. They are not to be confused with the 2021 Census of Population counts released on February 9, 2022. Population estimates based on the 2021 Census of Population results will be disseminated in September 2023, when census coverage study results become available.

  Note to readers

These are preliminary data and will be revised over the coming year.

The estimation methods for deaths continue to be adjusted to account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic following what is outlined in "Technical Supplement: Production of Demographic Estimates for the Second Quarter of 2020 in the Context of COVID-19."

Canada's population clock (real-time model)

Canada's population clock (real-time model) was updated today with the most recent data from quarterly population estimates released by Statistics Canada.

Canada's population clock is an interactive learning tool aiming to give Canadians a sense of the pace of the country's population renewal. The population estimates and census counts remain the measures used by various government programs.

Definitions

For the purpose of calculating rates, the denominator is the average population during the period (the average of the start-of-period and end-of-period populations). For the sake of brevity, the terms growth, population growth and population growth rate have the same meaning.

Total population growth in Canada is equal to natural increase (births minus deaths) plus international migratory increase (immigrants plus net non-permanent residents minus net emigration). At the provincial and territorial level, total population growth also includes interprovincial migratory increase.

Natural increase is the difference between the number of births and deaths.

Net international migration refers to the total number of moves between Canada and abroad that result in a change in the usual place of residence. It is calculated by adding immigrants, returning emigrants and net non-permanent residents, then subtracting emigrants and net temporary emigration.

An immigrant (or permanent immigrant) refers to a person who is or has been a landed immigrant (permanent resident) and who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Immigrants are either Canadian citizens by naturalization (the citizenship process) or permanent residents under Canadian legislation. Some immigrants have resided in Canada for a number of years, while others have arrived recently. Most immigrants are born outside Canada, but a small number are born in Canada. Also, children born in other countries to parents who are Canadian citizens who are temporarily residing in another country are not included in the category as they are Canadian citizens at birth. The terms immigrant, landed immigrant and permanent resident are equivalent.

A non-permanent resident (or temporary immigrant) is a person lawfully in Canada on a temporary basis under the authority of a valid document (work permit, study permit, ministerial permit) issued to that person along with members of their family living with them. This group also includes individuals who seek refugee status upon or after their arrival in Canada and remain in the country pending the outcome of processes relative to their claim. Note that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses the term temporary resident rather than non-permanent resident. The number of net non-permanent residents is calculated by subtracting the number of non-permanent residents estimated at the beginning of the period from the number estimated at the end of the period.

Interprovincial migration represents all movement from one province or territory to another involving a change in the usual place of residence.

Products

The product Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is available.

The product Canada's population clock (real-time model) (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The updated Population and demography statistics and Older adults and population aging statistics portals are also available.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).

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