(Ottawa) New projections from Statistics Canada suggest the country’s population could reach 63 million by 2073, with the number of people aged 85 or older expected to triple.
The agency says increased migration is the main driver of population growth in all scenarios, while natural growth will only play a “marginal role” as the population ages and rates of fertility remains low.
Statistics Canada says the population will grow from about 40 million in 2023 to a range of 47 to 87 million over the next 50 years, with an average growth forecast of 63 million.
The population aged 85 and over would increase from 896,600 people in 2023 to between 3.3 and 4.3 million in 2073.
The agency predicts that the demographic weight of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec would continue to decline until 2048, under almost all scenarios.
In the meantime, the scenarios predict that the demographic weight of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia will increase.