Population growth is higher in the Western provinces than in the Eastern provinces

Until quite recently, the weight of the Eastern provinces (the Atlantic provinces and Quebec) exceeded that of the Western provinces (the Prairie provinces and British Columbia). In 1951, for example, the Eastern provinces accounted for 40.5% of the Canadian population, while the Western provinces accounted for 26.5%. By 2011, the weight of the Western provinces reached 30.8%, exceeding that of the Eastern provinces for the first time, which stood at 30.2%. On July 1, 2013, the gap widened slightly further to shares of 31.2% and 29.9%, for the Western and Eastern provinces, respectively.^Note 18
According to the most recent population projections, the weight of Ontario, British Columbia and the Prairie provinces could continue to increase in the coming years, while that of the Atlantic provinces and Quebec could further decrease. The gap between Quebec and Ontario could therefore continue to widen. In 1951, Ontario’s weight was only a few percentage points higher than that of Quebec (32.8% compared to 28.9%), but by 2031, it could be nearly double that of Quebec (40.2% compared to 21.5%).
A few factors explain these trends. First, interprovincial migration is generally more favourable to the Western provinces, especially Alberta and British Columbia. With the exception of British Columbia, the Western provinces also generally have higher fertility than the Eastern provinces. Lastly, more immigrants tend to settle in Ontario and British Columbia.

Notes