For the first time ever, the government of Canada reported that its population increased by over a million people in 2017.
According to Statistics Canada, the nation’s population increased from 38,516,138 to 39,566,248 people.
Moreover, it represented Canada’s greatest 2.7% annual population growth rate since 1957.
According to Statistics Canada, the government’s initiatives to attract immigrants to the nation to address a labor shortfall contributed to the surge.
To support an ageing population, the nation also depends on immigration.
The increase in immigrants, both long-term and short-term, however, may “also represent extra issues for some regions of the country related to housing, infrastructure and transportation, and service delivery to the people,” according to Statistics Canada.
According to the news release, international migration was responsible for about 96% of the population rise.