British Columbia Migration
Changes in population from migration and immigration
Positive international immigration overshadowed losses from inter-provincial migration, resulting in a net increase of 48,804 people to British Columbia’s population in the third quarter of 2022. This was an increase of 36.8% from the third quarter of 2021.
Changes in population from movement within Canada
Some 14,306 people moved to British Columbia from other provinces in the third quarter of 2022. This was down 25.6% from a year earlier. Less people moved to the province from all other areas of the country compared to the third quarter of 2021.
A total of 19,105 people left the province for elsewhere in Canada in the third quarter, an increase of 39.9% from the same period in 2021. This was due largely to a significant increase in people moving out to Alberta.
The result was a net loss of 4,799 people from British Columbia’s population in the third quarter. This was a reversal from the third quarter of 2021 and was the first time we saw a net loss in inter-provincial migration since the first quarter of 2013.
Changes in population from immigration
International immigration added 53,603 people to British Columbia’s population in the third quarter of 2022. This was an increase of 78.1% from the same period in 2021. This was also the first time in history that net international immigration surpassed 50,000 people in a quarter.
