P.E.I. population crossed 180K mark, Statistics Canada projects

P.E.I.'s population has crossed the 180,000 mark, according to live projections by Statistics Canada.

The federal agency's real-time population calculator doesn't show the official population numbers, which are released on a quarterly basis. But it estimates the Island crossed the record milestone overnight.

The update comes as the province continues to experience rapid growth seen since the start of 2022.

Last year, P.E.I.'s population increased by a record 4.3 per cent, or 7,000 people. On Jan. 1, 2023, the population sat at 173,954.

Within seven months, the province saw a net increase of more than 6,000 people.

P.E.I. predicted in May the population would reach 200,000 by 2030, four years earlier than what it had forecast in 2022.

But if the current growth rate continues, the 200,000 mark could potentially be crossed by late 2026 or early 2027, according to Sébastien Lavoie, an analyst with Statistics Canada's Centre for Demography.

"It's fair to expect some changes when we kind of update our model, but it should still be in the vicinity of 180,000 or above," Lavoie said.

Lavoie said P.E.I. and Atlantic Canada have seen significant change since about 2016 when it comes to population growth.

He said generally, there's a lot more people moving from Ontario to the Atlantic region, rather than other way around.

The live calculator is updated as the official population numbers arrive.

In June, P.E.I. said it was putting "final touches" on a new population strategy to address rapidly increasing numbers. At the time, the Opposition urged the province to take a more aggressive approach.

Over the last three to four years, Summerside has seen an annual population increase rate that's greater than its cumulative increase in the 20 years prior, Mayor Dan Kutcher said.

In terms of exact numbers, Kutcher said that growth has translated to an annual increase of about 350 to 375 people in the city in the last 3-4 years.