Alberta’s Young Population & Provincial Growth
- October 16, 2017
- By Cody Battershill
Alberta’s Young Population & Provincial Growth
Alberta’s young population makes it stand out from the rest of the Canadian provinces! Why's that? Because of our younger-than-normal populace!
According to 2016 census data from Statistics Canada, both Edmonton and Calgary had a lower average population age – 37.7 years and 36.4 years, respectively – when compared to the national average of 41 years while Alberta’s average age was 36.5 years.
Natural Increase
This youthfulness, while a seemingly a small age difference, has its place on the list of contributing factors for Alberta’s population growth as of late because of the high rate of natural increase (more births versus deaths), of which has come mostly from younger couples.
Alberta accounted for 27.3 percent of all of Canada’s natural population increase in 2016 but only has 11.7 percent of the nation’s total population.
Younger Woman
Alberta also has the lowest median age of all provinces – at 36.4 years – compared to the national average of 40.6 years. According to Statistics Canada, there’s also a larger number of woman in the province in their “prime reproductive years” between the ages of 25 to 34.
Approximately 16.6 percent of woman living in Alberta are in this group, nearly 3 percent points higher than the national average of 13.8 percent.
Young Population = More Births
A younger population in most instances means more births and fewer deaths. In Alberta, this has resulted in the highest amount of natural population growth in all of Canada’s provinces.
Natural increase per 100,000 people was 752 in 2016, more than double the national average of 322. As a matter of fact, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador and New Brunswick had more deaths than there were births, resulting in a natural reduction of population in those provinces.
Natural Increase in Population Per 100,000 (2016)
- Alberta – 752
- Saskatchewan – 517
- Manitoba – 513
- Canada – 322
- Ontario – 298
- Quebec – 274
- British Columbia – 183
- Prince Edward Island – 50
- New Brunswick - -57
- Nova Scotia – 113
- Newfoundland & Labrador - -147
Paired with the continually high international migration rates to Calgary, natural increase has been one of they key factors in keeping Alberta’s population growing despite the net decrease in national migration as people move to other provinces after employment opportunities have fallen through.
According to Calgary Economic Development, most Calgarians – about 47.7 percent for the CMA – will remain between the ages of 25 and 54 over the next few years!
We have a keen interest in Alberta’s population growth at Best Calgary Homes and Calgaryism. After all, we’d have to argue that it’s the best province in Canada!!
More population growth statistics:
- Alberta: Canada’s Population Powerhouse – April 2016
- Alberta’s Population Growing Despite Hurting Energy Industry – February 2016
