Population Changes in BC

Topic Box from the 2006 Sixth Annual Benchmark Report

Between 1990 and 2006, BC enjoyed the second-highest growth in overall population among the provinces, with growth of 31.0%, bettered by Alberta (32.5%) but well ahead of third place Ontario (23.2%) and the Canadian average (17.8%). British Columbia's population grew by 14.8% between 1990 and 1995, by 6.9% between 1995 and 2000, and by 6.7% between 2000 and 2006. British Columbia experienced a net outflow of people to other provinces in every year between 1997/98 and 2002/03 as the BC economy entered a slower growth phase and key competitors Alberta and Ontario improved their relative performance. Net interprovincial migration to BC turned positive again in 2003/04 and remained positive in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

Although BC's population grew in every year between 1990 and 2005, some BC regions have seen population outflows recently. Two out of eight Development Regions experienced absolute population declines during 1997 through 2005. The North Coast declined the most, registering a 7.9% drop, while the Mainland-Southwest grew by 10.5% and the Thompson-Okanagan grew by 7.9%. This contrasts with positive – though uneven – population growth in all eight Development Regions between 1990 and 1997, ranging from more than 22% in the Mainland-Southwest and Thompson-Okanagan to a low of 5.6% in the North Coast. All of BC's Development Regions saw population growth in 2003 and 2004 but the Cariboo and North Coast lost people in 2005.