Statistics Canada has released the first results of its 2021 census focusing on population trends, and it shows significant increases in London and Windsor.
The London metropolitan census area’s population went from 494,069 in 2016 to 543,551 five years later. It’s a ten per cent jump and makes the city the 15th largest in Canada.
Windsor also saw considerable growth at 6 per cent. In 2016, 398,718 lived in the metropolitan census area, including Tecumseh and LaSalle, to 422,630 in 2021. Windsor is now the 23rd largest city in the country.
The number of metropolitan census areas with more than 100,000 residents was up by six in five years to 41. Over 27.2-million Canadians live in one of those centres. Toronto remains the country’s most populous city with over 6.2-million residents, Montreal with 4.2-million, and Vancouver with 2.6-million rounded out the top three.
The census was taken in May 2021 during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the agency said 98 per cent of Canadians responded.
The census provides governments with valuable insights used to shape public policy.
The pandemic did impact population growth across the country. In 2019, it grew by a record 1.6 per cent or 583,000. However, when COVID-19 restrictions took effect a year later, it was the lowest in a century. The number of Canadians only increased by 0.4 per cent, or 160,000.
Despite the abrupt slowdown, growth was still the fastest of the G7 nations and seventh globally. As of 2021, the population of Canada was 36,991,981. Only Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia and Mexico outpaced Canada’s growth.
Almost all of Canada’s growth can be attributed to immigration as the country welcomed 1.8-million new Canadians.
In Ontario, the population grew by 5.8 per cent to 14,223,942, a faster rate than the overall Canadian rate. The province became home to twice as many permanent and temporary residents as the rest of the country.
Today’s report also mentioned the loss of more than 30,000 Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus was the third leading cause of death behind cancer and heart disease.
