Half of Quebec’s regions have experienced “record” demographic growth over the past year, particularly Montreal which shows the strongest growth, according to data from the Institut de la tourisme du Québec (ISQ) published Wednesday.
The Quebec population in 2023 is estimated at 8,874,683 people by the ISQ. Between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, half of the regions of the province experienced “their strongest growth since data became available”, i.e. since 1986-1987.
This is particularly the case for Montreal, which displays by far the strongest growth of all regions, according to the ISQ.
The population of Montreal increased by 89,600 people over the last year, to reach 2,124,865 people in 2023, an increase of 4.3%, compared to 2.3% for all of Quebec.
“Never before has a region recorded such a high annual growth rate. Montreal’s growth alone accounts for 44% of the total growth observed in Quebec during the year,” the ISQ indicated in a press release.
The Capitale-Nationale region is in second position, with growth of 2.6%. The ISQ also emphasizes that “until then it had never climbed this high”.
The regions of Estrie (1.9%), Centre-du-Québec (1.7%), Chaudière-Appalaches (1.6%), Mauricie (1.6%), Montérégie (1.6%), Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (1.4%) and Bas-Saint-Laurent (1%) also reached record growth rates.
Growth was also significant in Lanaudière (1.8%), Laval (1.8%), Outaouais (1.7%) and the Laurentians (1.6%), without however representing a record.
Population growth was more moderate in the regions of Nord-du-Québec (0.7%), Abitibi-Témiscamingue (0.4%) and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine ( 0.3%). The North Shore is the only region where the population did not increase between 2022 and 2023.
These records can be explained in particular by international migration, particularly due to an increase in the number of non-permanent residents (temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, international students, etc.), it was explained.
More deaths than births
The data also shows that deaths outnumbered births in 10 of the province’s 17 regions. This is particularly the case in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Mauricie where the population is the oldest. The phenomenon now affects the Capitale-Nationale, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Centre-du-Québec.
The ISQ notes that fertility “has reached one of the lowest levels in its history” in Quebec in 2023, or 1.38 children per woman, and that it has decreased in all regions.
It is in Montreal that the fertility index is lowest (1.16 children per woman). In contrast, Nord-du-Québec maintains much higher fertility than the other regions (2.17).
