Canada’s population growth is largely driven by record immigration, says the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) CEO, Jack Jedwab. A Leger poll suggests that in 30+ years, Canada’s population will double, with nearly half identifying as racialized or visible minorities. Changes in religious identification are anticipated, with Christianity losing its status as the majority religion. While 77% identified as Christians in 2001, this dropped to 53% in 2021. Atheism is rising, increasing from 16.5% to 34.6% in 2021. Temporary foreign workers, international students, and new permanent residents drove the fastest population growth in Q3 2023 since 1957. Canada’s population was estimated to be 40,528,396 on October 1, 2023, an increase of 430,635 from July 1.
