Canada’s population to hit new milestone record of 40 million Friday, Statistics Canada says

Canada population increase. Representation image by Tandem on Unsplash

Toronto/CMEDIA: Canada’s population will hit a new milestone record of 40 million people on Friday, Statistics Canada says.

Statistics Canada’s Population Clock, which models population growth in real time based on a number of factors (including recent trends for births, deaths and migration data), will reach 40 million just before 3 p.m. (EDT), said a news release.

“This is an exciting milestone for Canada,” says Chief Statistician Anil Arora. “It is a strong signal that Canada remains a dynamic and welcoming country, full of potential.  As we head into Canada Day, this is certainly cause for celebration!”

Continuing to lead the G7 in population growth, StatCan says, Canada reportedly added more than one million people between January 2021 and 2022.

Last year Canada witnessed its highest population growth rate of 2.7 percent  since 1957 when it was 3.3 per cent when a high number of births occurred during the post-war baby boom.

Based on current projections, StatCan says Canada’s population could reach 50 million by 2043, sooner than previously estimated.

“The current trend is driven in a very large part by permanent and temporary migration, which accounted for nearly all growth recorded in 2022 (96%)…We may not know who the 40 millionth Canadian is, but they clearly inherit a country that is diverse and vibrant.” said the news release

Every province and territory, with the exception of the Northwest Territories, saw their populations increase last year.

The country’s Indigenous population has also risen 9.4 per cent between 2016 and 2021, much faster than the 5.3 percent among non-Indigenous Canadians over the same period, and accounted for five per cent of the country’s population in 2021.

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