Sharply higher numbers of immigrants and students were the main reason that Canada's population jumped by an almost 70-year high in the 12 months to July 1, 2023, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday.
a lack of affordable housingStatscan had already announced the population grew by 2.9% in the 12 months to July 1, 2023 but Wednesday's release provided more details.and contributing to a Canadian economy which until recently has been overheating.
"Canada continued to lead G7 countries for population growth and was likely among the top 20 fastest growing countries in the world," Statscan said in a news release. Fertility reached record-low levels in 2022, with 1.33 children per woman, compared with 1.44 in 2021. "This represents the largest year-over-year increase in the population of non-permanent residents ... since comparable data are available , with the increase in work and study permits accounting for most of the change," said Statscan.