And one only has to be able to count to realize we are NOT a shrinking population.
Without enhanced immigration, we're shrinking....FAST.
Lowest population growth rate since 1916 because of COVID-19
Canada's population growth in 2020 was vastly reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the year, the population increased by 149,461 (+0.4%) to reach 38,048,738 on January 1, 2021, about one-quarter of the growth seen in 2019 (575,038 or +1.5%). This was the lowest annual growth since 1945 (in number) and 1916 (in percent), both periods in which Canada was at war.
The population grew in most provinces and territories in 2020, albeit at a slower pace than in 2019 (except for Nunavut). Ontario (+0.4%) had its lowest annual growth rate since 1917 and British Columbia (+0.4%) had its lowest annual growth rate since 1874. Growth was negative in Newfoundland and Labrador (-0.6%), while the population was stable in Saskatchewan (-0.0%) and the Northwest Territories (+0.0%).
Deaths reach record high
In 2020, deaths in Canada surpassed 300,000 (309,893) for the first time in Canadian history. The
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported that 15,651 or 5.1% of deaths in 2020 were caused by COVID-19, meaning that the pandemic is estimated to have been the cause of about 1 in 20 deaths in Canada. This proportion was lower than what was estimated in the United Kingdom (12.3%), the United States (11.2%) and France (9.7%) but higher than in Australia (0.7%) and New Zealand (0.1%).
Despite the increase, the number of deaths in 2020 was still lower than the number of births (372,727). Accordingly, natural increase (births minus deaths, +62,834) fell to its lowest annual level since at least 1922.
However, the increased number of deaths was not the main source of lower population growth in 2020. The most significant demographic impact of the pandemic came from changes to international migration.
International migration curtailed by the pandemic
International migration has accounted for more than three-quarters of the total population growth since 2016, reaching 85.7% in 2019. Following border and travel restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, this percentage fell to 58.0%. Population increase through international migration in 2020 was over 80% lower than it was in 2019.
This trend of lower international migration is not unique to Canada and has been observed elsewhere in the world. For example, net migration in New Zealand decreased by 39.6% in 2020, even though it was not hit as hard by the pandemic as Canada was.
Canada welcomed 184,624 immigrants in 2020, down by almost half from 2019 and the lowest in any year since 1998. The pre-pandemic target for immigration set by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada was 341,000.
The decrease in the number of non-permanent residents caused by COVID-19 played a major role in the slower growth in 2020. More non-permanent residents left Canada than came to the country in 2020 (-86,535)—the largest net loss since comparable data have been available. By comparison, Canada had a net gain of 190,952 non-permanent residents in 2019. Every province and territory except Prince Edward Island had a net loss of non-permanent residents in 2020—almost entirely because there were fewer work and study permit holders.
Travel and border restrictions in 2020 also impacted the movement of Canadians leaving and returning to the country (and changing their usual place of residence minus net emigration). In 2020, the population change brought about by these movements was just over one-quarter of the levels observed in 2019.
Canadians continue to move between provinces, but fewer than in 2019
There were 8.8% fewer people moving from one province or territory to another in 2020 than there were a year earlier. British Columbia (+20,994) had the highest net gain through interprovincial migration for the sixth consecutive year. This was also the largest net gain in the province since 2016. Saskatchewan had the largest net loss to other provinces or territories (-10,318) for the third straight year.
Signs of recovery for most components of population growth, except deaths, in the fourth quarter
Deaths in the fourth quarter of 2020 reached a record high for any quarter since comparable records became available (81,759). This was mainly due to more deaths from COVID-19 in the fourth quarter (6,324 according to the PHAC) during the resurgence of the pandemic.
International migration started to rebound slightly in the fourth quarter. Both the number of immigrants and net non-permanent residents were much lower than they were during the same period one year ago, but were up from the third quarter.
Immigration was about half of what it was in 2019, but was up 2.6% from the third quarter of 2020. The net number of non-permanent residents was negative in the fourth quarter of 2020 (-2,560), following the typical seasonal pattern, but was up from the record low in the third quarter (-65,754). This change was mostly due to an increase in the number of work permit holders.
By the fourth quarter, the number of interprovincial migrants was beginning to return to its pre-pandemic levels. In the third quarter, levels were down by 21.7% from the previous year. Although they were still down in the fourth quarter, the year-over-year decrease was smaller (-10.6%) than it was in the third quarter.
Canada's population growth in 2020 was vastly reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
www150.statcan.gc.ca
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