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Canada's population estimates: Age and gender, July 1, 2024

Released: 2024-09-25

Population growth in Canada shows signs of slowing while remaining high

The population of Canada reached an estimated 41,288,599 on July 1, 2024. With a quarterly growth rate of 0.6%, this means that 250,229 people were added to the Canadian population from April 1 to July 1, 2024.

This growth rate was slower than the same quarter of 2023 (+334,606; +0.8%) and 2022 (+253,510; +0.7%). This marked the first time since 2020 that quarterly growth has been slower than in the same quarter a year earlier (Infographic 1). In 2020, population growth was almost halted following border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the population growth rate in the second quarter of 2024 showed signs of slowing, it remained higher than in any other second quarter before 2022 (since the second quarter of 1972 when comparable data became available).

Infographic 1  Thumbnail for Infographic 1: Population growth from April 1 to July 1 (second quarter), 1972 to 2024, Canada
Population growth from April 1 to July 1 (second quarter), 1972 to 2024, Canada

Population growth in Canada in the second quarter of 2024 was almost entirely due to international migration (96.0%; +240,303). The remaining growth came from natural increase, or the difference between births and deaths (4.0%; +9,926).

In the second quarter, there was a net increase of 117,836 non-permanent residents. This was the smallest net increase since the first quarter of 2023 (+97,845 people) and marks the third quarter in a row of smaller net increases in the number of non-permanent residents. While the total number of non-permanent residents in the country continues to grow (3,002,090 on July 1, 2024), the rate has been slowing since October 2023. This lower rate of growth was mainly due to a decrease in the number of study permit holders during the second quarter of 2024.

Canada welcomed 134,138 immigrants in the second quarter—the highest number since the first quarter of 2023 (145,496).

Differences between data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Statistics Canada collaborates closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other federal departments to estimate the number of non-permanent residents living in Canada. The demographic estimates from Statistics Canada are updated on an ongoing basis, as new or revised data become available from its partners. Caution should be exercised when comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with data on temporary residents from IRCC due to the different objectives of the two data sources.

Statistics Canada also released today Non-permanent residents data at Statistics Canada and Statistics on non-permanent residents at Statistics Canada. These products define non-permanent residents at Statistics Canada and the various data sources available to users.

Fastest growth in Alberta, slowest in the Northwest Territories

Among the provinces and territories, Alberta (+1.0% in the second quarter) was the fastest-growing province or territory from April 1 to July 1, 2024, for the fourth quarter in a row. In the second quarter, Alberta had high levels of international migration (+31,877), interprovincial migration (+9,654) and natural increase (+4,669).

The slowest growth in the second quarter was in the Northwest Territories (+0.1%), where natural increase (+40) and international migration (+170) offset losses to interprovincial migration (-165).

Growth over the last 12 months high, driven by growth in the third quarter of 2023

With the second quarter 2024 data released today, it is possible to analyze growth over the year from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024. The population growth rate was 3.0% over this 12-month period, representing an increase of 1,205,115 people. The growth rate slowed over this period, from a 1.1% increase in the third quarter of 2023 to a 0.7% increase in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 0.6% increases in the first and second quarters of 2024. This trend signals a gradual slowdown of population growth.

Natural increase (births minus deaths) has decreased in importance to population growth since the mid-1990s as the fertility rate has trended downward and international migration has increased. In 2023, fertility in Canada was 1.26 children per woman, the lowest level ever observed. More information on births, fertility and the most popular baby names in 2023 was released today and can be found in the Fertility indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard and Baby Names Observatory.

Number of interprovincial migrants closer to pre-pandemic levels

In the two years following the start of the pandemic, the number of migrants between provinces and territories increased in Canada, totalling 348,777 in 2021/2022 and 343,079 in 2022/2023. The number of people who moved to another province or territory in 2023/2024 (+306,756) was closer to, albeit still slightly above, pre-pandemic levels, which ranged from around 250,000 to around 305,000 from 2000/2001 to 2020/2021.

Canada's age structure continues to be influenced by international migration

The estimates released today can also be used to analyze the changes in the age and gender structure of the population. For the third year in a row, the median age in Canada decreased slightly (by -0.3 years in 2023/2024), reaching 40.3 years on July 1, 2024, while the average age saw no change from July 1, 2023 (41.6 years). This contrasts with the general trend of an increasing median and average age from 1967 to 2021.

The decrease in the median age and stability of the average age of the population are the result of high levels of international migration in recent years. However, this is a temporary phenomenon, since population aging is unavoidable.

Higher growth among the adult population shows the population is continuing to age

Consistent with declining fertility rates, the number of Canadians aged 0 to 14 years is increasing more slowly than the number of those aged 15 to 64 years and 65 years and older.

From July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, there were 1.2% more Canadians aged 0 to 14 years (+77,411 people) and 3.2% more Canadians aged 15 to 64 years (+865,310 people). People aged 65 and older increased by 3.4% (+262,394 people), mainly because of the aging of the large cohorts of baby boomers.

According to the latest population projections (M1 medium-growth scenario), Canadians aged 65 and older are the group expected to increase at the fastest pace almost every year until the projections end in 2073.

At the provincial and territorial level, Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest median (47.8 years) and average (45.7 years) ages, while the lowest median (26.8 years) and average (29.3 years) ages were in Nunavut.

Millennial generation continues to grow through international migration

The millennials were born from 1981 to 1996 and were aged 27 to 43 years on July 1, 2024. Statistics Canada announced that they became Canada's largest generation as of July 1, 2023.

Except for the young Generation Alpha (people born since 2013), which can grow through births, the only way that older generations can increase in size is through international migration.

From July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2024 (the point when higher levels of international migration began), more than 1.1 million people have joined the millennials in Canada (+1,109,591; +12.2%), with 416,583 joining in the past year (+4.4% increase from 2022/2023).

As can be seen in Infographic 2, the millennial generation is now 1.4 times larger than it was in 2004. This increase was driven solely by international migration since many people aged 20 to 40 migrate for work or educational opportunities.

During 2023/2024, among all ages, the 30 to 34 age group (+162,450 people; +5.3%) grew the most numerically, while the 20 to 24 age group (+148,255 people; +5.6%) grew at the fastest pace.

Infographic 2  Thumbnail for Infographic 2: Age and gender pyramid as of July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2024, Canada
Age and gender pyramid as of July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2024, Canada

Men and women close to numerical parity

On July 1, 2024, there were 20,638,255 men and 20,650,344 women living in Canada.

The ratio of the number of men to 100 women has varied little from the late 1980s to 2016, fluctuating between 98.0 and 98.5. This ratio reached 99.9 as of July 1, 2024.

A ratio below 100 indicates more women than men, because of the longer life expectancy of women. The increase in this ratio is mostly due to the recent arrival of a significant number of non-permanent residents. On July 1, 2024, among non-permanent residents, there were 126.6 men for every 100 women, and that ratio has varied from 126.6 to 133.1 since 2021. This is partially due to the nature of the jobs of work permit holders, some of which are traditionally more often held by men, such as jobs in the agricultural sector.

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  Note to readers

The demographic estimates by age and gender released today are based on 2021 Census population counts. These estimates also take into account census net undercoverage, incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements, as well as demographic adjustments. To these counts, the population growth estimates for the period from May 11, 2021, to the date of the estimate are added.

The demographic estimates released today are considered preliminary and will be updated following the standard procedure followed by Statistics Canada for decades.

Methodological improvements have been made to the estimation of the number of non-permanent residents. A new variable is now used to determine the province or territory of residence of asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups. The terminology for asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups has also been updated.

Definitions

For the purpose of calculating rates, the denominator is the average population during the period (the average of the start-of-period and end-of-period populations). For the sake of brevity, the terms growth, population growth and population growth rate have the same meaning.

The median age is an age "x," such that exactly one half of the population is older than "x" and the other half is younger than "x."

Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Gender includes the following concepts:

  • gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually;
  • gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender.

A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's license. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender. The gender category Men+ includes men (and/or boys), as well as some non-binary persons. The gender category Women+ includes women (and/or girls), as well as some non-binary persons.

An immigrant refers to a person who is a permanent resident or a landed immigrant. Such a person has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Persons who are born abroad to a Canadian parent are not immigrants but are included in the returning emigrant component. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms immigrant, landed immigrant and permanent resident refer to the same concept.

Non-permanent resident refers to a person from another country with a usual place of residence in Canada and who has a work or study permit, or who has claimed refugee status (asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups). Family members living with work or study permit holders are also included unless these family members are already Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents), or non-permanent residents themselves. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms non-permanent resident and temporary immigrant refer to the same concept. Caution should be exercised before comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with temporary residents and asylum claimants from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), due to the different objectives of the two data sources.

Permit holders and their family members are non-permanent residents who are not asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups, but who hold a permit (for work, study or temporary residence). This classification also includes their family members who are not Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents) or non-permanent residents themselves.

Persons who claimed refugee status include asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups. Separate estimates for asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are not available. Asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are defined as:

  • Asylum claimant refers to a foreign national who has made a refugee claim while in Canada on a temporary basis and whose claim is pending decision.
  • Protected person refers to a person who has made a claim in Canada and received a positive decision. For population estimates, protected persons leave this population if they obtain permanent residence.
  • Related groups include those who received a negative decision or withdrew or abandoned their claim and have not yet regularized their status or departed Canada.

Interprovincial migration represents all movement from one province or territory to another involving a change in the usual place of residence. A person who takes up residence in another province or territory is an out-migrant with reference to the province or territory of origin and an in-migrant with reference to the province or territory of destination.

Canada's population clock (real-time model)

Canada's population clock (real-time model) was updated today with the most recent quarterly population estimates released by Statistics Canada.

Canada's population clock is an interactive learning tool aiming to give Canadians a sense of the pace of the country's population renewal. The population estimates and census counts remain the measures used by various government programs.

Acknowledgements

The Demographic Estimates Program of Statistics Canada is grateful for the ongoing partnership with IRCC, which greatly contributes to the accuracy of the estimations of immigrants and non-permanent residents.

Products

The publication Annual Demographic Estimates: Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2024 (Catalogue number91-215-X) is now available.

The product Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Demographic estimates by age and gender, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Interprovincial migration indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Canada's population clock (real-time model) (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Fertility indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Baby Names Observatory (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product Non-permanent residents data at Statistics Canada (Catalogue number91F0015M) is also available.

The product Statistics on non-permanent residents at Statistics Canada from the series ''Just the Facts'' (89-28-0001) is also available.

The Population and demography statistics and Older adults and population aging statistics portals are also available.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).

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