Statistics Canada reports that Alberta’s population grew by nearly 76,500 people to surpass 5.1 million as of July 1, making it the fastest-growing province in Canada by absolute number. This growth, however, is slightly slowing compared to previous years, with natural increase staying level and fewer Canadians moving from other provinces into Alberta. Immigration remains a significant factor, though numbers have dipped from the previous year, aligning with federal immigration caps aimed at balancing labour market needs and housing supply constraints.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Alberta’s population grew more than rest of Canada last year, data shows
Almost 76,500 more people called province home as of July 1
Alberta’s population continues to grow — and faster than almost all of Canada.
asserted
population → grow → Canada
Statistics Canada estimates that more than 5.1 million people lived in Alberta as of July 1, up nearly 76,500 people — or about 1.5 per cent — from a year before, according to the agency’s latest data.
uncertain
people → estimate → data
No jurisdiction added as many people over the year, data suggests, and only Nunavut and the Yukon — places with much lower populations than Alberta — grew at a greater rate.
uncertain
Nunavut → add → rate
“We're still a destination, and I think that speaks to economic opportunities,” said Jenny Godley, a professor in the University of Calgary’s anthropology and archaeology department.
asserted
Godley → think → department
“Hopefully it also speaks to the openness of Alberta as a place for people to come and work and live and have their families.”
asserted
people → speak → families
Alberta’s population has boomed for several years, but that growth is calming down, data shows.
asserted
data → boom → years
Data suggests the province’s natural increase — births versus deaths — stayed level.
uncertain
increase → suggest → deaths
Several thousand fewer Canadians migrated from other provinces — but tens of thousands of people from B.C. and Ontario, and more people from the other Prairie provinces, flocked to Alberta.
asserted
thousands → migrate → Alberta
The levels plan, included in last year’s budget, aims to limit admissions into Canada over the next few years, in part to ensure immigration matches labour market needs and doesn’t exceed the housing supply.
asserted
immigration → include → supply
Ottawa capped permanent resident admissions at 380,000 each year until 2028, and non-permanent resident admissions — including asylum seekers and people here on study and work visas — at 385,000 this year, with a further decrease upcoming.
asserted
decrease → cap → 385,000
StatsCan data suggests more than 50,000 immigrants landed in Alberta in the past year — which is still high, historically, but roughly 8,000 fewer than the year before, and the fewest since the pandemic started.
uncertain
pandemic → suggest → year
The province also reported a net loss of almost 8,000 non-permanent residents, driven almost entirely by international students leaving, data shows.
asserted
data → report → students
“That has been true all across the country,” Godley said.
asserted
Godley → say → country
“[Ottawa’s] cutback has been successful in terms of reducing that pressure, a little bit anyway, on the housing market,” she said.
asserted
she → reduce → market
“But it certainly does change the nature of our student body as well; our student body becomes a little bit less diverse.”
asserted
body → change → body
The Alberta government plans to keep pressing the federal government for "a more sustainable" immigration approach, Juliana Rodriguez, spokesperson for Finance Minister Jason Nixon, told CBC News in an emailed statement.
asserted
Rodriguez → plan → statement
Strong population growth can bolster the province's economy, but "unsustainable levels" can strain public services, the housing supply and labour market, she said.
asserted
she → bolster → services
Heather Thomson, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of economy and engagement, said immigration ought to align with the province's economic needs.
asserted
immigration → say → needs
But she said there also needs to be an awareness of who's leaving, ensuring they aren’t part of the skilled workforce.
asserted
they → say → workforce
Looking ahead, Thomson worries about how the upcoming provincial referendum — and the uncertainty surrounding it — could affect Alberta's economy.
uncertain
referendum → look → economy
The referendum, scheduled for Oct. 19, will pose 10 questions to voters on various issues.
asserted
referendum → schedule → issues
Alberta separation too costly with too many uncertainties, warns Calgary think-tank
- Analysis
Alberta referendum pitches more control over immigration.
asserted
referendum → warn → immigration
Here's what you need to know
Only one of the questions pertains to Alberta's place within Canada.
asserted
one → need → Canada
Five others focus on immigration policy, including whether the Alberta government should have more control over immigration, and whether non-permanent residents should have to pay — at least for a time — to access social services, like health care and education.
asserted
residents → focus → care
“Anytime we're talking about a level of uncertainty — whether it comes from investment, talent and just what's going to happen with a certain jurisdiction — that can pause, or delay, or put investment off altogether,” Thomson said.
asserted
Thomson → talk → investment
“Whether people want to come live here and invest their time and their skillset in the province, or if it's an organization or a massive company that wants to come here, certainty is going to be a big part of that,” she said.
asserted
she → want → that
The federal government has been studying potential consequences of Albertans choosing to move closer to independence, including an incredible financial shock and mass exodus of businesses and residents from the province.
asserted
Albertans → study → province
The Aporia
