New census data released by Statistics Canada shines a light on the country’s rapidly changing demographics.
The latest set of results from the 2021 Census shows that the portion of Canadians who were immigrants is the largest it has been since the country’s founding. Immigrants now make up 23% of the population, or over 8.3 million people.
Canada now ranks as the top G7 country when it comes to percentage of immigrants. A majority of immigration to Canada is from Asia and the Middle East.
Statistics Canada cited immigration as “the main driver” of population growth, noting fertility rates below population replacement levels and an aging population.
“If these trends continue, based on Statistics Canada’s recent population projections, immigrants could represent from 29.1% to 34.0% of the population of Canada by 2041,” wrote analysts.
The Liberal government has boosted immigration levels with a goal of accepting nearly 500,000 new immigrants this year.
