Immigration levels to Canada hit record high

More than a million people added to North American country in 2022, with immigration accounting 95% of growth

Migrants arrive at the Roxham Road border crossing in Quebec. AFP

Canada's population increased to a record-high last year due to an influx of immigrants, the country's statistical agency has said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's liberal government doubled its target for welcoming new residents, including temporary residents and asylum seekers, as the country is working to meet fresh economic and labour challenges.

The number of immigrants reached a record 437,180 in 2022, which “is related to efforts by the Government of Canada to ease labour shortages in key sectors of the economy”, a statement by Statistics Canada said.

That number is on trend to rise to 500,000 per year by 2025 and could double Canada's population in 26 years.

As of January 1, the country's population hit 39,566,248 after adding 1,050,110 people over the previous 12 months — a sizeable gain the likes of which has not been seen since the postwar baby boom of the 1950s.

Currently, international migration accounts for about all of Canada's growth at 95.9 per cent, with Ottawa's policies to introduce immigrants to meet a labour shortage.

“This marks the first 12-month period in Canada's history where population grew by over 1 million people,” the agency said.

The number of non-permanent residents granted work or study permits in Canada also spiked last year to 607,782. That was partly due to the welcoming of many thousands of people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Statistics Canada.

The government has also made it easier for Afghans facing instability to come to Canada, as well as Turks and Syrians following recent earthquakes.

Canada is now contending with near-record low unemployment at 5 per cent as its population continues to age. One in seven people in the country are between 55 and 64 years old.

While Canadians generally have positive views of immigration, the latest influx, according to Statistics Canada, will pose challenges in areas of housing, infrastructure and transportation, and other services.

With an increase of 2.7 per cent, Canada last year by far led other Group of Seven industrialised nations and ranked among the top 20 in the world for population growth, the agency said.

AFP contributed to this report