SASK. POPULATION AT RECORD HIGH
The province’s population has reached another record at 1,150,632 people. Yet, according to Statistics Canada’s Patrick Charbonneau, this 1.6 per cent surge from a year ago is no surprise as the province has consistently shown strong growth during the pas
18,410 New residents
The 1.6 per cent increase in population from a year ago is consistent with the strong growth the province has seen over the last few years, although it is notable that interprovincial movement is not a large factor in the population bump, with the majority of newcomers entering Saskatchewan from outside of Canada.
15,006 Immigrants
Immigrants make up the largest portion of this year’s population growth. Charbonneau says this year marks the highest immigration numbers coming into Saskatchewan since 1971. Statistics Canada does not keep track of the country of origin of those entering the province, but “approximately eight per cent of the immigrants are Syrian refugees,” he said.
36.9 Median age
Saskatchewan’s median age is the second lowest in Canada. Charbonneau notes this is a continuing trend to years past, with the province second only to Alberta, whose median age is 36.3. He likens this low median age to Saskatchewan’s fertility rates, which are higher than the Canadian average.
6,392 Births and deaths
With a higher fertility rate, Saskatchewan sees many more births than deaths, 15,969 to 9,577 respectively, which remains consistent to years past. These findings are reversed in Atlantic Canada, says Charbonneau, where the provinces see more deaths than births.
19,446 Residents leaving
More people left Saskatchewan for a different province this year than those who entered. This remains consistent across the board for the last five years, with the majority going to Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Those three provinces also contributed to the highest numbers of new residents entering Saskatchewan.