Select geography Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia New Brunswick Quebec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta British Columbia Yukon Northwest Territories Nunavut Quarterly population estimate — Canada 37,797,496 October 1, 2019 0.6% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — N.L. 521,922 October 1, 2019 0.1% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — P.E.I. 157,901 October 1, 2019 0.6% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — N.S. 976,768 October 1, 2019 0.6% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — N.B. 780,021 October 1, 2019 0.4% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Que. 8,522,800 October 1, 2019 0.4% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Ont. 14,659,616 October 1, 2019 0.6% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Man. 1,373,859 October 1, 2019 0.3% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Sask. 1,178,657 October 1, 2019 0.4% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Alta. 4,395,586 October 1, 2019 0.6% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — B.C. 5,105,576 October 1, 2019 0.7% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Y.T. 41,022 October 1, 2019 0.4% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — N.W.T. 44,895 October 1, 2019 0.2% (quarterly change) Quarterly population estimate — Nvt. 38,873 October 1, 2019 0.2% (quarterly change)

Record population growth during the third quarter of 2019

Canada's population increased by 208,234 from July 1 to October 1, 2019, driven mainly by an influx of immigrants and non-permanent residents. This was the first time that Canada's population increased by more than 200,000 in a single quarter. This gain represents a quarterly population increase of 0.6%, the largest growth observed since the beginning of the period covered by the current demographic accounting system (July 1971). On October 1, 2019, Canada's population was estimated at 37,797,496.

International migration—both permanent and temporary—accounted for 83.4% of the total Canadian population growth in the third quarter, a share that continues to increase. The rest of the gain (16.6%) was the result of natural increase, or the difference between the number of births and deaths. The contribution of natural increase is expected to continue on a downward trend, as a result of population aging and of fertility levels remaining low.

The strong international migratory increase observed during the third quarter was led by both the arrival of many new immigrants (103,751 persons) and an increase in the number of non-permanent residents (+82,438 persons). Growths of this magnitude had never before been seen in a single quarter.

Population growth was highest in British Columbia (+0.7%) and lowest in Newfoundland and Labrador (+0.1%).

While international migration was a main driver of growth in most Canadian provinces and territories, interprovincial migration had a more uneven effect. Alberta posted its strongest interprovincial migratory increase (+2,285) in four years, after several quarters of declines and a rebound in the third quarter of 2018.

In Quebec, where interprovincial migration losses are generally observed, a different portrait has recently been emerging. In each of the past three quarters, the province posted net interprovincial migration close to zero (-200 from July 1 to October 1, 2019). Ontario continued to post interprovincial migration gains in the third quarter (+2,959), but to a smaller degree than in the same quarter of the previous three years (+6,528 on average). This situation is mostly due to an increase in the number of persons who left the province to live elsewhere in Canada.

Manitoba (-3,370) and Saskatchewan (-3,477) posted their largest quarterly interprovincial migration losses since the late 1980s and early 1990s, respectively.

New today! Statistics Canada is pleased to unveil the new product Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard. This dashboard can be used to visualize Canada's population growth factors and how they have evolved over time, at the national, provincial and territorial levels.

Note to readers The estimates released today are based on 2016 Census counts, adjusted for census net undercoverage and incompletely enumerated Indian reserves, to which are added the population growth estimates for the period from May 10, 2016, to the date of the estimate. This analysis is based on preliminary data. These data will be revised over the coming year, and it is possible that some trends described in this study will change as a result of these revisions. Therefore, this analysis should be interpreted with caution. Canada's population clock (real-time model) Canada's population clock has been updated 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. Natural increase is the difference between the number of births and deaths. Net international migration basically 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 emigrants. 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 publication Quarterly Demographic Estimates, Vol. 33, no. 3 (Catalogue number91-002-X), is now available.

The product Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is 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; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).