The population of Canada, which numbered nearly 37 million in 2021, has grown almost twice as fast as that of other G7 countries thanks to record immigration, the national statistics institute announced on Wednesday (February 9).
The country had 1.8 million more inhabitants than in 2016 and 80% of them were newcomers, permanent or temporary immigrants.
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"One thing hasn't changed for five years: Canada remains the fastest growing country in the G7
," Statistics Canada said in a statement releasing its census for the period from 2016 to 2021. The Canadian population has increased by 5.2% since 2016, exceeding the growth rates recorded by France, Germany, the United States, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.
In addition, Canada's population growth ranks seventh among G20 countries, behind Mexico and Australia, and the same as India.
After peaking in 2019, Canada's population growth has been slowed by the pandemic, however, as border restrictions have curbed immigration.
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Canada's population grew 0.4% in 2020, recording its slowest rate of growth since World War I.
Statistics Canada also notes that more than 30,000 people have died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, making the virus the third leading cause of death in the country after cancer and heart disease.
But since mid-2021, growth has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with a sharp rise in immigrants since April.
The population of Ontario, the most populous province with 14 million inhabitants, increased at a faster rate (+5.8%) than that of the population of Canada because it welcomed almost twice as many immigrants compared to the last census.