Population of Fredericton fell behind national growth rate

OTTAWA -- New census data shows the population of Fredericton fell below the national growth rate over the last five years.

Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2016 census on Wednesday and the population of Fredericton increased by 3.6 per cent since the last census in 2011.

The city's growth rate was below the national growth rate of 5.0 per cent, while the population of New Brunswick decreased by -0.5 per cent.

When the 2016 census was taken last May, the population of Fredericton was 58,220, compared with 56,224 from the 2011 census.

Canada's population on census day was 35,151,728, Statistics Canada reported.

The national census is conducted every five years. The information published Wednesday is the first of several releases of data to come from Statistics Canada over the next year that will eventually paint a detailed picture of the country, right down to the local level - including age breakdowns of the population, family makeup, languages spoken, immigration and ethnic origin, the level of education attained and income earned.

Future census releases will give more insight to explain the reasons behind the population changes - whether it's related mostly to changes in birth and death rates, immigration or interprovincial migration.

At the provincial level, population levels in Alberta saw the highest increase at 11.6 per cent, followed by Saskatchewan (6.3 per cent) and Manitoba (5.8 per cent).

Growth in New Brunswick shrank by 0.5 per cent - the first time since 2006 a province has reported a negative growth rate.

British Columbia's population levels increased by 5.6 per cent, compared with Ontario (4.6 per cent), Quebec (3.3 per cent), Prince Edward Island (1.9 per cent), Newfoundland and Labrador (1.0 per cent) and Nova Scotia (0.2 per cent). Among the northern territories, the population grew by 12.7 per cent in the Northwest Territories, 5.8 per cent in the Nunavut and 0.8 per cent in Yukon.

Ontario is still the country's most populous province, with a population of 13,448,494. The population of other provinces and territories: Quebec, 8,164,361; British Columbia, 4,648,055; Alberta, 4,067,175; Manitoba, 1,278,365; Saskatchewan, 1,098,352; Nova Scotia, 923,598; New Brunswick, 747,101; Newfoundland and Labrador, 519,716; Prince Edward Island, 142,907; Northwest Territories, 41,786; Nunavut, 35,944 and Yukon, 35,874.

Here is a local breakdown of census population information for communities in the Fredericton region:

Community 2016 2011 % change

Fredericton 58,220 56,224 3.6

New Maryland 4,174 4,232 -1.4

Oromocto 9,223 8,932 3.3

Harvey 358 363 -1.4

McAdam 1,151 1,284 -10.4

Nackawic 941 1,049 -10.3

Fredericton Junction 704 752 -6.4

Minto 2,305 2,505 -8.0

Chipman 1,104 1,236 -10.7

Gagetown 711 698 1.9