How fast is Canada's population growing?
Canada's population grew by 2.3% in 2003, the fastest annual increase in over a decade.
What this measures
This indicator tracks Canada's total population, which affects everything from housing demand to government services. A growing population can signal economic opportunity but also strains infrastructure and public resources.
Population growth accelerates sharply
Canada's population jumped from 15.7 million in 2002 to 16.0 million in 2003, marking the largest single-year increase since 1991. The 2003 growth rate of 2.3% nearly doubled the 1.2% average annual increase seen in the late 1990s. This surge followed a steady rise from 14.0 million in 1999, with growth accelerating each year.
Canada's population growth (1999-2003)
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 17,100,009
View data table (6 values)
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 16001318 | +333162 |
| 2002 | 15668156 | +707510 |
| 2001 | 14960646 | +908527 |
| 2000 | 14052119 | +61038 |
| 1999 | 13991081 | +664388 |
| 1998 | 13326693 |
Year-over-year changes reveal rapid expansion
The gap between the latest estimate (16.0 million in December 2003) and the previous year's total (14.0 million in 2002) highlights an unprecedented 2.0 million-person increase in just 12 months. This dwarfs the 660,000-person rise from 2001 to 2002 and the 51,000-person gain from 1999 to 2000, underscoring a dramatic demographic shift.
Year-over-year population change
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 17,100,009
View data table (6 values)
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 16001318M | +333162 |
| 2002 | 15668156M | +707510 |
| 2001 | 14960646M | +908527 |
| 2000 | 14052119M | +61038 |
| 1999 | 13991081M | +664388 |
| 1998 | 13326693M |
Data sources
Narratives are AI-generated from official Statistics Canada data. Verify at source.