Alberta the ‘undisputed champion’ of interprovincial migration, population growth

For the third straight year, Statistics Canada numbers show Alberta leads the country in incoming, net interprovincial residents.

Alberta is once again the hottest destination for Canadians looking to call a new province home.

For the third straight year, Statistics Canada numbers show Alberta leading the country in net interprovincial residents.

The latest data, which represents the second quarter of 2025, shows the province added 6,187 interprovincial migrants from April to June.

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People leaving Ontario and British Columbia led the charge.

“Alberta is the undisputed champion of interprovincial migration and population growth,” Business Council of Alberta economist Scott Crockatt said. “There’s two things that Alberta has really going for it; at the top of the list, you earn more and housing costs less.”

In total, Statistics Canada says the province added 19,268 people last quarter.

That bumped Alberta’s population up to more than five million people for the first time ever.

“Each of the last two years, Alberta has added more than 200,000 people,” Crockatt said. “So, think about that; it’s almost like adding a Lethbridge and a Red Deer each year for the past two years.”

He believes it’s great for certain parts of the economy, but says others — like housing and employment — could suffer without sustained concerted efforts.

“But the good news is Alberta is on pace for record-setting home building at the moment,” he said. “We think we’ll build more than 50,000 houses this year: more than at any other time in history.”

As for the stubbornly high youth unemployment rate, Crockett is a little more pessimistic.

He believes certain sectors may be feeling that pinch for some time — but that not everyone will suffer.

“Certain jobs are over oversubscribed at the moment, but if you’re in the skilled trades, for instance, there’s tons of job opportunities.”

Interprovincial migrants don’t even make up the largest share of new residents.

There were 11,538 net international migrants finding a home in Alberta from April to June.

That has put a strain on some intake organizations like The Immigrant Education Society.

“We have 126 classes serving over 2,500 students,” president Sally Zhao said. “But on our waiting list, we have over 2,000 students.”

“And every other (similar) organization has a waitlist.”

Federal lull

While Alberta’s population increased by 0.4 per cent this quarter, it’s a different picture federally.

Canada’s population grew by just 0.1 per cent.

That’s some of the lowest national non-pandemic growth ever.

A lot of that can be chalked up to a decline in temporary international residents.

A federal clampdown has limited study permits for international students and may soon limit new temporary foreign workers.