Immigration is driving southwestern Ontario’s population growth, accounting for a growing proportion, according to Statistics Canada census data.
Since the last census in 2016, Canada’s immigrant population has grown from 22% to 23% – and London and Windsor, Ontario. are above this threshold and grow faster.
London was at the national average in 2016, but is now made up of 25% immigrants. Meanwhile, Windsor is even further ahead, rising from 27% to 30%.
People born outside the country have never made up so much of our population, according to Statistics Canada.
“This record will only stand until the next census,” says Michael Haan, professor of sociology at Western University. “We see over 400,000 people arriving each year, and they are dispersing across the country.”
For southwestern Ontario, affordability is a key factor, says Haan, compared to larger centers like Toronto and Vancouver.
“You can move to those jurisdictions and have a lot more disposable income,” he says, “so you kind of increase your quality of life in a number of ways.”
Haan adds: “The Great Lakes are here. We have a relatively moderate climate, at least by Canadian standards, and our labor markets have been relatively robust in recent years.
For the first time since 2001, the census also collected religious information.
Over the past 20 years, London and Windsor have seen a sharp decline in the number of people identifying as Christian, while Muslim and non-religious groups have increased significantly.
This change is unprecedented among G7 countries, according to Haan.
“The amount of diversity that exists in Canada, the number of newcomers, the proportion of newcomers, Canada leads in all of those measures,” he says.
According to Statistics Canada, immigrants are expected to represent up to one in three people living in Canada by 2041.