Nearly 200,000 more people live in Alberta now than in 2016: census
CBC
Alberta's population expanded by 4.8 per cent between 2016 and 2021, the latest census data from Statistics Canada shows.
The data shows Alberta's population increased from about 4.07 million in 2016 to more than 4.26 million in 2021 — an increase of about 200,000 people.
Every five years, the Canada's national statistics agency conducts a census to update its population counts in various ways.
On Wednesday, Statistics Canada released its first round of 2021 census data: population and dwelling counts.
In the last census, Alberta's growth rate topped 11 per cent. The latest data shows Alberta's growth has lagged slightly behind the rest of Canada over the last few years.
However, the population growth between 2016 and 2021 was large enough to push the provincial capital past the one-million mark for the first time.
Data shows more than 1.01 million call Edmonton home — an increase of about 8.3 per cent.
The city's population grew by almost 78,000 people from 2016, when about 933,000 people lived in Alberta's capital.
Edmonton remains the fifth-most populated city in Canada.
Calgary, however, remains Alberta's largest city.
More than 1.3 million live in Calgary now, compared to about 1.24 million people in 2016.
About 58 per cent of Albertans live in Edmonton, Calgary or Red Deer.
Meanwhile, about 650,000 people live in rural Alberta — about 15 per cent of the population.
Also, more than 115,000 new residences have been built in the province since 2016.
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