New Record for Interprovincial Migration to Alberta

Interprovincial Migration Levels to Alberta Set New Record!

We mentioned in our previous post related to Alberta and inbound migration that the rate of people moving to the western Canadian province was on track to beat out previous records.

Now, a few months later, the statistics are in and our premonition confirmed that the amount of inbound migrant’s as a result of interprovincial migration in 2013 did actually set a new all-time high.

We often assume that it is the Maritime Provinces and Saskatchewan responsible for this overall net growth. However, for a majority of the last two decades, Ontario has been the most dominant source of interprovincial migrants heading to Alberta.

The Stats

In 2012 and 2013, approximately 36,700 people moved to Alberta from Ontario – around one third of the total migration from all of Canada’s provinces.

Ever since 1992 Ontario has been responsible for approximately 24 percent of the total interprovincial migration to the western Canadian province.

Why Ontario?

For starters, Ontario is the most populated province in all of Canada with about 13.6 million people. This number alone is about four times that of Alberta and more than twice the amount of Quebec, the second runner up for highest population with 8.2 million. Ontario’s population alone is a good indicator as to why the central Canadian province is the source of a majority of inbound migrants to Alberta.

But a large population isn’t the only reason why this is true. Ontario’s high unemployment rates (currently about 7.5 percent), and low real GDP growth rate of 1.3 percent throughout 2012 and 2013 also has a part to play.

In comparison, Alberta’s real GDP growth rate for the same time frame was more than double and unemployment rates almost half.

It’s no wonder many Ontarioans are packing their bags and heading west to Alberta where income levels are the highest in the country and employment opportunities are abundant.

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