Canada’s population grew by over a million for the first time ever last year, the government said. According to data from Statistics Canada, the population increased from 38.5 million to 39.5 million people, with a growth rate of 2.7 per cent, which is the highest annual population growth rate since 1957. 

The government said that the population would double in 26 years if it wants to maintain such a growth rate, BBC reported. 

The Statistics Canada said the population rise comes following efforts taken by the Canadian government to ease labour shortages. It added that the surge in permanent and temporary immigrants also represents additional challenges such as housing, infrastructure and transportation in some regions of the country. 

In 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a plan to bring in 1.5 million immigrants a year by 2025. It was revealed as the country was betting big on immigration to fill the gap in its economy. Like many western countries, Canada has an ageing population and a lower birth rate.

The country welcomed people affected by conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, Turkey-Syria earthquakes and the humanitarian crisis in Taliban-led Afghanistan. 

The agency said that in 2022, Canada welcomed 437,000 immigrants, while the number of temporary residents in the country increased by 607,782, accounting for a “record-breaking year for the processing of immigration applications.”

It further claimed that with this growing population, Canada might rank first among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operations and Development for 2022 population growth, while it already is the fastest-growing G7 country. 

(With inputs from agencies)