Canada’s population recently increased from 38,516,138 to 39,566,248 people. The rise of over a million residents to the country’s population recorded last year is happening for the first time, according to the Canadian government.
Canadian Visa Expert reported that the 2.7% annual population growth rate is the highest recorded since 1957.
According to Statistics Canada, this population increase is partly driven by immigration. In other words, the Canadian government has been making tireless efforts to recruit immigrants to the country. This move is in order to ease labor shortages across Canada and support the country’s aging population.
Plans to Attract More Immigrants
Since Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, gained power in 2015, there have been tremendous efforts in the country to gain more immigrants. The drive to attract more newcomers has been on the rise since then, according to Canadian Visa Expert.
Just last year, the government made known its plan to bring in half a million newcomers a year by 2025.
The government has been welcoming people affected by conflicts. Some of these are the people involved in the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, the Ukraine war, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The program for the temporary resettlement of Ukrainians and their family members was extended until July to accommodate more newcomers.
Impact of the Rapid Population Increase in Canada
Statistics Canada reported the impact of the drastic population growth in Canada last year. The increase in population made Canada rank first in the 2022 population growth ranking for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This is an outstanding achievement for Canada as the organization comprises 38 member countries.