Quebec experienced unprecedented population growth between 2023 and 2024, driven primarily by immigration, according to a new report by the Institut de la statistique du Québec. However, for the first time in the province’s history, deaths outnumbered births, marking a natural population decline.
Montreal accounted for nearly half of Quebec’s growth, adding over 91,000 people between July 2023 and July 2024, representing a 4.2% growth rate—one of the highest ever recorded in any Quebec region.
“Montreal’s growth alone accounts for 44% of the total growth recorded in Quebec,” the institute stated in a news release.
Other regions, including Quebec City, Laval, Outaouais, and Mauricie, also saw significant increases. Quebec City achieved a record 2.4% growth, while Laval and other key regions followed closely behind.
The report highlights immigration, particularly temporary immigration, as the main contributor to this surge. Temporary residents, such as international students, asylum seekers, and temporary foreign workers, outnumbered newly admitted permanent residents in all regions, fueling much of the growth.
In total, Quebec’s population grew by 208,000 people during the one-year period, representing a 2.3% growth rate, the highest recorded since data collection began in the early 1970s.
Every region except Côte-Nord experienced growth, with many areas achieving record or near-record increases.
For the first time since record-keeping began, Quebec experienced a natural population decline, with 1,150 more deaths than births between 2023 and 2024.
Deaths outpaced births in 12 of Quebec’s 17 regions, although areas such as Montreal, Laval, Montérégie, and Outaouais continued to see more births than deaths. Notably, Northern Quebec remains the only region where births are the primary driver of population growth.
The surge in temporary immigration has drawn attention from Quebec Premier François Legault, who has implemented measures to reduce the number of temporary newcomers, citing concerns over protecting the French language and alleviating pressure on housing, education, and health care.
Legault has frozen several immigration streams, including low-wage temporary foreign worker programs and pathways to permanent residency, while urging the federal government to resettle asylum seekers more equitably across provinces.
“The number of temporary immigrants in Quebec has doubled from 300,000 to 600,000 in just two years,” Legault noted last year.
Quebec’s population stood at nearly 9.1 million as of July 2024. While immigration has driven record growth, the province must address the challenges posed by an aging population and the pressures of rapid expansion on critical infrastructure.