Saskatchewan’s population is growing but we are just holding our own nationally.
The latest population estimate from StatsCanada shows we grew at a rate of 2.8 per cent in the past year. That is exactly the same pace as the rest of the country so, while we’re growing in numbers, we are not proportionately gaining any ground.
In other words, we are not adding to our clout – whether that is political or economic.
We now stand at 1.22 million people. That’s up 33,000 in the past year – that would be the fifth largest city in the country if they all landed in one place. But it is #8 in terms of expansion among the provinces.
Saskatchewan historically represents three per cent of the national population so these numbers – while growing – are not enough to change that ranking, which makes it more difficult for us to argue for better air service and so on.
While international immigration is the big factor in our growth, one stat that tends to get overlooked is that Saskatchewan saw about one thousand more birth announcements than obituaries in the second quarter of the year.
