Fredericton – New data from Statistics Canada shows that New Brunswick is experiencing a population boom.
And the federal agency revealed, on Friday, that the number of the region’s population recently exceeded 800,000 for the first time, after its number increased by more than 40,000 in the past five years alone.
Premier Blaine Higgs responded by saying that New Brunswick is experiencing higher levels of immigration and positive immigration between the provinces.
As a result, the county is experiencing its strongest rate of population growth since 1976, having added 15,000 people in the past 12 months.
This increase in New Brunswick is part of a trend observed among its neighbors.
Last month, Statistics Canada reported that over the past five years, the three Maritime Provinces have largely succeeded in reversing the decades-long population decline, thanks in part to a steady influx of Canadians from other provinces, particularly Ontario and Alberta.
And for the first time since the 1981 to 1986 census, more people moved to the Maritimes from other parts of Canada (134,841) than left (98,086), the federal agency reported Feb. 9. This is the first time since the 1940s that the Navy has grown faster than the Prairie Provinces.
In February, Statistics Canada put the population of New Brunswick at 775,610, but that number was an official census based on data collected in the second quarter of 2021.
Prime Minister Higgs said the latest estimates suggest a healthy regional economy has rebounded beyond pre-pandemic levels.
“This is an important moment for our province,” he said in a statement Friday night. Our population growth strategy is beyond expectations. […] People are looking at New Brunswick from a new angle.”
Relative to other maritime provinces, Prince Edward Island was the fastest growing Canadian province, according to census numbers released last month. For its part, Nova Scotia has experienced its fastest growth since the early 1970s.
Census figures also showed that the area succeeded in attracting more international migrants. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island welcomed record numbers of new arrivals between 2016 and 2021, with the vast majority settling before the pandemic.
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