In the past two decades, Canada’s metropolitan areas underwent their most robust population growth ever, despite sluggish growth during the early days of the pandemic. During the year ending July 1, 2022, Canada’s metropolitan census areas (CMAs) experienced a robust 2.1% growth of approximately 574,000 people – the most prolific annual pace since 2001, when such data was first published. Urban regions experienced an unexpected resurgence in growth, growing by 0.5% year over year, with a significant contrast to rural areas. The effects of the pandemic and its border restrictions have been drastic for Canada as immigration dropped dramatically while many residents left urban centres for smaller towns.
