International immigration, a demographic driver in the Atlantic

International immigration is driving population growth in the Atlantic provinces, as deaths outnumber births and interprovincial migration has fallen to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Without an influx of new residents from abroad, and to a lesser extent from other provinces, the population of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland- and Labrador is in decline, according to the most recent demographic data from Statistics Canada.

Nouveau-Brunswick

The NewBrunswick saw its population grow by 72,400 inhabitants from 2021 to 2024.

Interprovincial migration from Ontario and Alberta, in particular, peaked in 2020 and 2021. But since then, the province has lost more than 70% of these gains.

If the NewBrunswick convinced up to 65,500 Canadians from other provinces to move closer to the Bay of Fundyit retained only 17,900 at the end of last year.

In contrast, the province has welcomed 40,000 new permanent residents and 25,700 temporary foreign workers and international students since the pandemic.

Nova Scotia

The same scenario is repeating itself in Nova Scotia.

It is the 45,600 new permanent residents and the 30,500 new students and foreign workers who allowed the province in 2021 to cross the million inhabitants mark and maintain the upward trend. In the first three months of 2024, the province shattered an immigration record dating from 1946 in the aftermath of the Second World War.

COVID-19 brought some 45,000 residents of Ontario and 9,000 residents of British Columbia to Nova Scotia, while 30,000 Nova Scotians headed in the opposite direction to one or the other of these two provinces.

Furthermore, the number of births being lower than that of deaths in each quarter since the fall of 2016, thenatural increase of the population remains on a downward slope.

The question of immigration is nevertheless debated in Nova Scotia. The government of Tim Houston set itself the goal of doubling the province’s population by 2060. But during the last election, the former Liberal leader Zach Churchill expressed concern about the consequences of such rapid growth on the availability of housing, infrastructure and public services.

Prince Edward Island

In Prince Edward Island, international immigration also remains the engine of population growth in the province, according to Statistics Canada.

Permanent residents, international students and temporary foreign workers account for about three-quarters of the approximately 19,000 people who have been added to the island population over the past four years. The others come from interprovincial migration.

Prince Edward Island had a record population of 179,301 as of January 1^is October 2024.

The government of Dennis King has, however, undertaken to slow down growth to allow, he says, the housing supply and infrastructure to catch up. These measures gave rise to demonstrations by temporary foreign workers last year.

Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador, Statistics Canada data indicates that the provincial government’s efforts to increase the population have yielded results. About 20,000 more people will call the province home from 2021 to 2024.

Here again, it is international immigration that saves the day. Our economic prosperity relies on economic immigrationdeclared the provincial Minister of Immigration, Sarah Stoodleylast October.

Interprovincial migration, particularly from Ontario, brought a net gain of 3,800 people to Newfoundland and Labrador from 2021 to 2024. However, the province began losing more residents to others last fall. provinces that it cannot attract.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, too, the number of births has remained lower than the number of deaths since 2016. The picture darkened further in 2024, when the province recorded twice as many deaths as births over the last few years. first nine months of the year.

With information from CBC