On Wednesday, Statistics Canada published a new set of data showing that not only did Canada's population grow in 2022, it grew at a near unprecedented pace.
According to the data, Canada's population increased by 1,050,110 people between January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023, bringing the total population to 39,566,248.
That increase in 2022 equates to a growth rate of 2.7%, which is the highest rate on record since 1957, when the country registered a 3.3% growth rate. For context, Canada's population would double in just 26 years if this growth rate remained steady in the years to come.
Furthermore, this is first 12-month period in Canadian history -- no qualifiers -- where the population grew by over a million people.
On an international scale, Statistics Canada notes that Canada is leading the G7 countries -- France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and United States -- in population growth, "by far", and that the 2.7% growth rate we saw in 2022 would put us among the top 20 in the world, only behind several countries in Africa.
Statistics Canada attributes the 3.3% spike in 1957 to the post-war baby boom and a surge in immigration of refugees flowing from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, but the boom we saw last year was different.
Last year, approximately 95.9% of the population growth we saw (+1,050,100 people) came via international migration.
In 2022, Canada welcomed 437,180 new immigrants into the country and saw a net increase in non-permanent residents of 607,782 people. Both numbers are the highest on record.
"The estimated gains in non-permanent residents recorded for 2022 are the highest for a single calendar year for which comparable data are available," says Statistics Canada. "Furthermore, it is the first time these gains are superior to those from immigrants over the same period."
And this largely held true across Canada, as the estimated population of non-permanent residents -- those on study permits, work permits, or seeking asylum -- grew in all provinces and territories in 2022.
Much of this is to be expected, however. In November, the Government of Canada updated its immigration plan with new permanent resident targets of 465,000 in 2023, 485,000 in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025. The targets were largely framed around improving the Canadian economy, particularly the need to alleviate critical labour shortages around the country.
That also continues to be boosted by the federal program welcoming those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022 and continues. According to the Government of Canada, a total of approximately 200,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada, as of March 19, 2023.
While the government verbally welcomes immigrants, those looking to enter Canada have not always felt it in reality.
Some feel dehumanized by the government talking about them in terms of numbers and "targets" rather than people who are picking up and moving their lives. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has also admitted to systemic racism within its offices.
Many others who overcome those obstacles can then often get stuck in the limbo of the IRCC's backlog, during which they may not be able to be reunited with their families and do not know whether they should lay down roots in Canada.
According to government statistics, as of February 28, 2023, only about half of all IRCC applications are processed within its self-stated service standard wait-times.
