Alberta has seen record-breaking population growth. New data from the Alberta government’s Statistics and Information Office shows the province has seen rapid growth in both international and inter-provincial immigration.
From April 2023 to April 24, the province’s population increased by 204,677 or 4.41% – the highest year-over-year growth rate among all Canadian provinces in 2023-24. The year-over-year growth rate for Canada as a whole during the same period was 3.20%.
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This represents a significant increase from the 3.67% growth rate experienced by Alberta between 2022-23 and is also the highest year-over-year growth experienced by the province as of April 1 since 1981.
The majority of Alberta’s population growth comes from international migration. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, international migration added 32,893 new residents to Alberta. This includes both permanent and temporary residents (those holding work or study permits, or asylum claimants).
Alberta is also seeing strong net benefits from inter-provincial migration — people are moving here from other Canadian provinces such as Ontario, B.C., Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Manitoba.
According to Statistics Canada, from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, Alberta saw the largest net gain from the movement of people between provinces, surpassing British Columbia. All four of Alberta’s major cities saw significant growth: Calgary added 26,662 residents, Edmonton added 16,082, Lethbridge added 1,651 and Red Deer added 1,277.
In contrast, every major metropolitan area in Ontario saw a net loss from inter-provincial migration during the 12 months to July 1, 2023.
Why are so many newcomers choosing Alberta over other Canadian provinces?
As Statistics Canada points out, this influx is “consistent with analysis of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Housing Market Outlook” which indicates that more affordable home prices and a strong economic outlook make the Prairie provinces attractive to job seekers and home buyers — especially when compared to British Columbia and Ontario.
Relatively affordable housing
While the province has seen property prices rise in recent years, it’s still seen as a more affordable option, especially when compared to cities in Ontario and B.C.
According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), in the second quarter of 2024, the average price of a detached home in Calgary was $710,000, while townhouses were priced at $454,000 and apartments were priced at $330,000. In Edmonton (the second-largest census metropolitan area in Alberta), the average price of a detached home was $485,000, townhouses were priced at $294,500 and apartments were priced at $188,000.
Additionally, Alberta does not have a land transfer tax, making it a more affordable option for out-of-province homebuyers.
In comparison, in Toronto (Ontario), the average sales price for a detached home was $1,300,000 in the second quarter of 2024. Semi-detached units were selling for $1,041,000 while condominium apartments were selling for $640,000.
Economic growth and the changing employment landscape
Alberta’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 3.3% in 2024, 0.4 percentage points higher than Budget 2024.
According to the Alberta Business Council’s report “Who’s Hiring in Alberta?”, which uses publicly available job postings from 2018-23, Alberta’s labour market is no longer as closely tied to the price of oil and gas as it was in previous years.
While demand for energy workers has “stabilized,” there has been growth in demand for trades and healthcare occupations that “far outpaces population growth.”
The report also noted an increase in job postings requiring a college diploma or apprenticeship training. Technical skills such as business intelligence or data analysis may also be important to employers in the province. Meanwhile, postings for categories of engineering occupations have declined by more than 60%.
Earlier this year, the province launched a separate PNP stream for tourism and hospitality, indicating growing demand in the sector.
The province is also focusing on healthcare professionals with targeted Express Entry draws. Candidates may be eligible for permanent residence in Alberta through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Dedicated Healthcare Pathway if they have a job offer in an eligible healthcare occupation in the province.
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