Alberta’s population has cracked four million, according to new figures from Statistics Canada.

Provincial population estimates released Thursday put the number of Alberta residents at 4,025,074 as of July 1.

That’s an increase of 42,834 in the last three months, a 1.08 per cent growth rate, the highest of any province and trailing only Nunavut’s, according to a report from the province’s Treasury Board and Finance department.

“This growth is extraordinary, outpacing even the robust growth rates of the mid 2000s boom years,” says the provincial report.

“In fact, Alberta has not seen comparable annual growth rates since 1982. The province’s population increase of 136,000 was the largest census year gain on record.”

More to come …

jwood@calgaryherald.com