Toronto Region’s Population Tops 7 Million: Key Insights from Recent Statistics Canada Report
Toronto and its surrounding areas have officially crossed the seven-million population milestone, with nearly 300,000 new residents arriving in the past year alone, according to a recent Statistics Canada report. As of July, the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) recorded a population of more than 7.1 million, marking a nearly 4% increase from the previous year when 6.8 million people called the region home.
Toronto’s growth rate not only outpaced the national average of 3% but also exceeded the growth rate of other CMAs, which stood at 3.5%.
The Toronto CMA encompasses a vast area of 5,902 square kilometers, stretching from Ajax in the east to Oakville in the west and spanning from Lake Simcoe to Lake Ontario. This expansive region serves as the focal point for much of Canada’s urban growth and diversity.
Matti Semiatycki, Director of the Infrastructure Institute and Professor of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, attributes the surge in population primarily to external migration. “What we’re seeing is that much of this growth is driven by people arriving from outside of Canada,” Semiatycki told CTV News.
Statistics Canada highlighted that non-permanent residents (NPRs) were the leading contributors to the population growth in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. While the number of new permanent immigrants decreased slightly compared to the previous year, Toronto still received nearly a quarter of Canada’s 500,000 new immigrants.
“From an economic perspective, much of our growth is tied to immigration,” Semiatycki added. “Newcomers have been pivotal to employment and economic dynamism in the region.”
Despite the influx of international residents, the report revealed that approximately 10,000 more people left the Toronto region for other provinces and territories than moved into it. Alberta was the primary beneficiary of interprovincial migration, gaining around 40,000 new residents last year.
Semiatycki expressed concern about the potential economic pressures resulting from the federal government’s plans to reduce immigration targets in the coming years. “Newcomers are a critical source of productivity and growth,” he said. “Scaling back immigration could have significant implications for labor markets and the broader economy.”
The rapid population increase is expected to intensify challenges related to housing affordability, healthcare, education, and overall quality of life.
“Where we have struggled is aligning growth with the necessary infrastructure and social services to build thriving communities,” Semiatycki noted.
The Toronto region experienced a steady population increase between 2019 and 2022, growing from 6.4 million to 6.5 million. However, the past two years have seen an unprecedented surge, with over 500,000 new residents joining the Toronto CMA. Last year alone, the population soared by more than 250,000, signaling a new era of demographic transformation for Canada’s largest metropolitan area.
As Toronto’s population growth continues to reshape the region, all eyes are on policymakers to address the pressing need for sustainable urban development and enhanced community resources.