Trends in Population Growth Inequality across Subnational Jurisdictions in Canada

The overall appearance of population growth in Canada masks a serious underlying disparity in the distribution of population growth across subnational jurisdictions. This study shows there are both interprovincial and intra-provincial variations in population growth. In high-growth provinces, metropolitan areas are growing faster than non-metropolitan areas. In low-growth provinces, metropolitan areas are growing more slowly, and relatively more non-metropolitan areas are declining than in high-growth provinces. When comparing disaggregated growth rates, the study found significant inequality in the growth and decline of population across subnational jurisdictions at the provincial level, as well at the level of census divisions. The intent of the study is to expose the magnitude of the problem and stimulate further discussion.