Alberta sees WILD growth with nearly 170K new residents in 2024
Alberta is growing at a faster pace than the rest of the country, with the province welcoming nearly 170,000 new residents in the past year.
Statistics Canada just released its population estimates for the fourth quarter of 2024. At the start of last year, Alberta’s population was 4,791,876. By Jan. 1, 2025, the province had grown to a population of 4,960,097, marking a 3.45 per cent increase, or 168,221 people.
Much of this growth came from interprovincial migration. Alberta saw the largest net gain from other provinces and territories, with 36,082 people moving to the province. Although this was a slight drop from the one in 2023 of 42,243, Alberta still led the way for Canadians seeking someplace new to call home.
In the final quarter of 2024, Alberta gained 5,292 migrants, marking the largest net gain from other provinces and territories. Nova Scotia (+344), New Brunswick (+252), and Nunavut (+64) were the only other provinces and territories to have net gains, according to Statistics Canada.
Alberta also recorded the fastest overall population growth in the fourth quarter, increasing by 0.6 per cent. Yukon and Nunavut grew the second-fastest, increasing by 0.4 per cent.
This marks the sixth consecutive quarter where Alberta maintained its position as the fastest-growing province in Canada.
International migration also played a major role in Alberta’s rapid growth. For the full year, 483,591 new permanent residents arrived in Canada — the highest number since 1972. Alberta welcomed 66,359 of those newcomers, marking a record high.