Alberta tops provinces with 2.2% population growth over past year
Statistics Canada figures show Alberta outpacing every other province in year-over-year population growth, while Quebec and British Columbia both posted declines.
Why it matters
Alberta's rapid population growth signals continued migration to the province and has implications for housing, services and the job market.
Alberta led all provinces in population growth from August 2025 to August 2026, according to Statistics Canada figures cited in last week's seasonally-adjusted Labour Force Survey. The province saw a 2.2% increase in new residents, ahead of Saskatchewan's 2% rise. Ontario grew by 0.5%, but was outpaced by all four Maritime provinces, including Newfoundland and Labrador at 0.8%.
Quebec and British Columbia, two of the country's three most populous provinces, both saw population declines over the same period — Quebec by 0.3% and British Columbia by 0.1%.
As of noon Mountain time on Sunday, Canada's real-time population clock showed Alberta in fourth place among provinces with 5,103,777 residents, though the gap with third-place British Columbia (5,673,435) continues to narrow. Ontario remained the most populous province at 16,179,088, followed by Quebec at 9,044,878.
The same Labour Force Survey found Alberta's labour force grew 2.1% year-over-year, with more part-time than full-time jobs created.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.