The Canadian Statistics Agency reported today, Wednesday, that the country's population increased by more than one million people for the first time in history, in the past year 2022, and the sole reason for this is almost entirely due to the increase in the number of immigrants and temporary residents.

The Statistics Agency explained that the total population in Canada reached a record rate of 1.05 million people, reaching 39.57 million in the 12 months up to January 1, 2023, adding that about 96 percent of this increase was due to international migration.

The agency pointed out that this increase helped Canada maintain its position as the fastest growing country in the Group of Seven, which means that the population growth rate is 2.7 percent, which may result in the population doubling in about 26 years.

Canada relies on immigration to drive its economy and reverse population aging, and the liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has significantly increased immigration since taking office in 2015.

Ottawa also offers special programs to temporarily accommodate those affected by crises such as the war in Ukraine, instability in Afghanistan, or the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

In 2022, Canada received 437,180 immigrants and the number of temporary residents increased by a net 607,782 people. The Statistics Canada "StatCan" website stated that both numbers represent the highest recorded levels and reflect "high immigration targets and a record year in processing immigration applications."

It is noted that the Canadian Statistics Agency counts permanent and temporary residents in addition to newborns in calculating population numbers.

Canada has witnessed an upward trend in total employment since September 2022, noting that the agency had previously indicated that temporary residents are significant contributors to these gains.

Data from the Canadian Immigration Department showed that immigration represents about 100 percent of labor force growth in Canada, and it is expected that immigrants will represent 30 percent of Canada's population by 2036 after their proportion was 20.7 percent in 2011.

Under a three-year plan announced in November 2022, the Trudeau government seeks to continue increasing the annual immigration target by granting permanent residency to about 465,000 people in 2023 and raising this goal to 500,000 people by 2025.