Oh Canada!
Canada has hit a big milestone today after the population of this amazing country crossed the 40 million mark, according to Statistics Canada.
This comes after a significant year of growth, with Canada’s population skyrocketing by a whopping 1.1 million people in 2022. Most of this increase can be credited to both permanent and temporary immigration.
“This is an exciting milestone for Canada,” said chief statistician Anil Arora in a statement Thursday prior to reaching the 40-million mark.
If current immigration levels remain steady, experts predict that Canada could surpass the 50-million mark by 2043, a mere 20 years from now, as projected by Statistics Canada.
To put this into perspective, it took 26 years (1997) to transition from 30 to 40 million inhabitants.
An additional projection suggests that by 2041, two out of five Canadians could be born abroad, setting a new record for the country.
This demographic shift highlights the diverse and multicultural nature of Canada, making it an even more vibrant and cosmopolitan society.
The population growth rate in Canada currently stands at 2.7 percent, the highest it has been since 1957. This notable increase underscores the attractiveness of Canada as a destination for immigrants seeking new opportunities and a high quality of life.
39,999,998… 39,999,999… 40,000,000!
Canada’s population has officially reached 40 million people! 🎉 https://t.co/dR46gGFq8x #40millionCDNS #40MillionAndGrowing pic.twitter.com/V4PzrN9tHN
— Statistics Canada (@StatCan_eng) June 16, 2023
The federal statistics agency’s “population clock,” which employs modelling to estimate Canada’s population in real-time, registered the 40 millionth person just before 3 p.m. ET on Friday, July 16th.
According to the agency, approximately 96 percent of the population rise last year can be attributed to international migration, further highlighting the significance of immigration to Canada’s growth.
Canada hit the 30 million population mark back in 1997, with immigration levels on the rise. In comparison, the population of the United States stands at approximately 335 million.
Ontario takes the lead as Canada’s most populous province, boasting an impressive count of nearly 15.6 million people. Quebec follows at a considerable distance with 8.8 million residents.
As for British Columbia, its population currently stands at 5,456,615.
