(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

1.4 per cent population growth

Stats Canada: Red Deer sees largest international migration growth in 20 years

Jan 11, 2023 | 4:15 PM

Last year, Red Deer’s population saw its largest growth of international migration in 20 years, according to Statistics Canada.

The newly released data shows annual demographic estimates for census metropolitan areas (CMA).

Between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, Red Deer’s population grew by 1.4 per cent (1,469) for a total population 107,073. Red Deer had the fourth highest increase in the number of new residents, behind Calgary (49,754), Edmonton (36,560) and Lethbridge (2,976), respectively.

Of that growth, 1,075 were due to international migration, 441 from interprovincial migration, and 168 from natural increase. However, 215 individuals left the city for another in the province.

Just over two-thirds of the population are between the ages of 15-64, while 15.3 per cent are 0-14 years old and 16.9 per cent are above the age of 65.

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Statistics for other CMAs in central Alberta include:

• Lacombe:
  • Population: 12,956
  • Percentage change: 0.1 per cent
  • Number change: 16
• Sylvan Lake:
  • Population: 16,477
  • Percentage change: 2.8 per cent
  • Number change: 448
• Wetaskwin:
  • Population: 12,935
  • Percentage change: 0.5 per cent
  • Number change: 62

In Alberta, Calgary saw the largest population increase of 3.1 per cent with the addition of 49,754 people for a new total population of 1,608,342.

Similarly to Red Deer, Canada as a whole also saw their largest increase in international migration (657,833) in the past 20 years. Natural increase contributed to 45,571, for a total of 703,404 new residents. With a total population growth of 1.8 per cent, 38,929,902 people now live in the nation.