PEI Population Report Quarterly

Population Report, Fourth Quarter 2022

DIAGRAM 1: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND POPULATION, QUARTERLY, 2018 - 2023

On March 22, 2023 Statistics Canada published its provincial population estimates for the fourth quarter of 2022. The data shows Prince Edward Island’s population is estimated to be 173,954 as of January 1, 2023. This represents a yearly increase of 7,096 persons, the highest year-over-year increase on current record. This year-over-year growth rate was 4.3 per cent, the highest growth rate among provinces and territories, ahead of Alberta at 3.7 per cent growth. This compares to a rate of 2.7 per cent for Canada as a whole.

The quarterly estimates since October 1, 2020 and growth rates for Canada and Prince Edward Island can be seen in Table 1.

TABLE 1: NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL POPULATION & GROWTH RATES, QUARTERLY

  Canada Prince Edward Island
Quarter Population Growth rate (%) Population Growth rate (%)
Oct. 1, 2020 38,007,048 0.0 161,455 0.1
Jan. 1, 2021 38,043,450 0.1 161,662 0.1
Apr. 1, 2021 38,124,373 0.2 162,866 0.7
Jul. 1, 2021 38,226,498 0.3 164,758 1.2
Oct. 1, 2021 38,426,473 0.5 166,435 1.0
Jan. 1, 2022 38,516,138 0.2 166,858 0.3
Apr. 1, 2022 38,644,920 0.3 168,358 0.9
Jul. 1, 2022 38,929,902 0.7 170,688 1.4
Oct. 1, 2022 39,292,355 0.9 172,707 1.2
Jan. 1, 2023 39,566,248 0.7 173,954 0.7

All jurisdictions recorded population increases January 1, 2023 compared to January 1, 2022, with the exception of the Northwest Territories which declined 0.5 per cent. Population estimates for January 1, 2022 and 2023 for all provinces and territories are shown in Table 2 below. The population growth rates and level change for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022 are also included.

TABLE 2: POPULATION OF PROVINCES & TERRITORIES, JANUARY 1, 2022, 2023 & ANNUAL GROWTH RATES

  Jan 1, 2022 Jan 1, 2023 Growth Level
CAN 38,516,138 39,566,248 2.7% 1,050,110
NL 522,501 531,948 1.8% 9,447
PEI 166,858 173,954 4.3% 7,096
NS 1,002,441 1,037,782 3.5% 35,341
NB 799,245 825,474 3.3% 26,229
QC 8,637,650 8,787,554 1.7% 149,904
ON 14,940,912 15,386,407 3.0% 445,495
MB 1,398,303 1,431,792 2.4% 33,489
SK 1,185,311 1,214,618 2.5% 29,307
AB 4,482,385 4,647,178 3.7% 164,793
BC 5,251,578 5,399,118 2.8% 147,540
YK 43,241 44,238 2.3% 997
NWT 45,710 45,493 -0.5% -217
NU 40,003 40,692 1.7% 689

Components of Growth

The total increase in PEI’s population from October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 was 1,247 people.

Natural Increase

There were 375 births and 386 deaths on Prince Edward Island from October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, resulting in natural growth (births minus deaths) of -11.

International Migration

The fourth quarter of 2022 saw 312 immigrants come to PEI. On a year-over-year basis, this is a 63.3 per cent decline (as compared to the fourth quarter of 2021). Immigration levels during the second half of 2021 were elevated as COVID-19 border restrictions were lifted. At a rate of 1.8 per thousand , PEI’s immigration rate was below the national rate of 2.1 per thousand.  

Net international migration for PEI was estimated to be 725 persons during the fourth quarter of 2022. This consisted of the 312 international immigrants, 437 non-permanent residents (net), and 16 returning Canadians entering the province, while 30 international emigrants and 10 temporarily abroad Canadians left the province. Net international migration for PEI over the last 12-month period (January 2022 to December 2022) was 5,035. This compares to 2,976 over the previous 12-month period.

Net non-permanent residents (NPRs)  was 437 for the fourth quarter of 2022, following 1,195 for the third quarter. NPRs include foreign workers, foreign students, the humanitarian population and other temporary residents. The humanitarian population includes refugee claimants and temporary residents who are allowed to remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds and are not categorized as either foreign workers or foreign students.

Inter-provincial Migration

A total of 1,323 inter-provincial migrants came to PEI during the fourth quarter of 2022, while 790 people left the province for other areas of Canada, for a net interprovincial gain of 533 people. This compares to a net gain of 284 persons over the same period in 2021. As shown in Table 3, the primary source of PEI’s inter-provincial in-migrants during this period was from Ontario, followed by Alberta and Nova Scotia. The main destinations of out-migrants from Prince Edward Island were Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. 37.0 per cent of all interprovincial migrants from other provinces were destined for Alberta.

TABLE 3: ORIGIN & DESTINATION OF INTER-PROVINCIAL MIGRANTS, OCTOBER 1, 2022 TO DECEMBER 31, 2022

  DESTINATION
ORIGIN N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nvt.
N.L. 0 37 71 64 51 511 9 13 386 73 0 0 0
P.E.I. 7 0 96 137 35 314 9 0 150 42 0 0 0
N.S. 277 87 0 426 113 1,001 13 42 642 281 0 0 18
N.B. 84 51 338 0 368 760 18 16 382 77 0 0 0
Que. 40 34 187 324 0 3,514 92 130 1,067 566 0 23 7
Ont. 741 909 2,228 1,785 2,810 0 716 774 7,244 3,684 131 18 84
Man. 0 4 54 53 169 1,293 0 388 1,357 974 0 9 0
Sask. 15 11 61 25 56 1,022 232 0 1,835 748 9 7 15
Alta. 299 112 390 177 426 2,413 432 1,006 0 3,543 40 69 73
B.C. 86 78 483 111 346 2,685 394 543 7,134 0 86 49 0
Y.T. 8 0 10 0 12 37 10 9 108 70 0 8 0
N.W.T. 30 0 4 13 12 107 9 3 195 99 3 0 21
Nvt. 10 0 3 0 15 156 15 0 14 8 4 7 0
 
N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nvt.
IN 1,597 1,323 3,925 3,115 4,413 13,813 1,949 2,924 20,514 10,165 273 190 218
OUT 1,215 790 2,900 2,094 5,984 21,124 4,301 4,036 8,980 11,995 272 496 232
NET 382 533 1,025 1,021 -1,571 -7,311 -2,352 -1,112 11,534 -1,830 1 -306 -14

Prince Edward Island quarterly components of growth from July 1, 2020 to January 1, 2023 can be seen in table 4.

TABLE 4: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND QUARTERLY POPULATION AND COMPONENTS OF GROWTH JULY 1 2020 – JANUARY 1 2023

Quarter Population (+) Births (-) Deaths (+) Immigrants (+) Other International* (+) Interprovincial In-Migration (-) Interprovincial Out-Migration
Jul 1, 2020 161,305 339 329 256 -46 592 662
Oct 1, 2020 161,455 327 316 259 67 480 610
Jan 1, 2021 161,662 371 341 366 335 1,196 723
Apr 1, 2021 162,866 375 366 328 608 1,948 1,001
Jul 1, 2021 164,758 366 290 1,068 120 1,396 983
Oct 1, 2021 166,435 352 364 851 -700 983 699
Jan 1, 2022 166,858 388 380 652 32 1,525 717
Apr 1, 2022 168,358 393 409 865 726 2,366 1,611
Jul 1, 2022 170,688 390 408 837 1,198 1,073 1,071
Oct 1, 2022 172,707 375 386 312 413 1,323 790
Jan 1, 2023 173,954  

Related downloads for this release:

PEI Population Report Quarterly PDF (179KB)

Notes:

These are preliminary data that will be revised over the coming year.

These estimates are based on 2016 Census of Population counts, adjusted for census net undercoverage and incompletely enumerated Indian reserves. To these counts, the population growth estimates for the period from May 10, 2016, to the date of the estimate are added. They are not to be confused with the 2021 Census of Population counts released on February 9, 2022. Population estimates based on the 2021 Census results will be disseminated in September 2023, when census coverage study results will become available.

 
Immigration rates are calculated by the PEI Statistics Bureau based on Statistics Canada population estimates.
NPR estimates are based on the number of NPRs, not on the net. The number of people in IRCC’s administrative system is estimated on a specific date in each period of observation. First, the end-of-period number of NPR is estimated, and then the start-of-period number of NPR is subtracted from that estimate. That yields the net number of NPR.
Source: Statistics Canada

Table 17-10-0009-01, Estimates of population, Canada, provinces and territories, quarterly (persons)

Table 17-10-0040-01, International migration components, Canada, provinces and territories, quarterly (persons)

Table 17-10-0020-01, Interprovincial migrants, Canada, provinces and territories, quarterly (persons)

Table 17-10-0045-01, Estimates of interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination, quarterly (persons)

Table 17-10-0059-01, Estimates of the components of natural increase, Canada, provinces and territories, quarterly (number)

Prepared by  PEI Statistics Bureau

Published date: 
March 22, 2023
Finance

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