Population Change

Topic Box from the 2009 Ninth Annual Benchmark Report

British Columbia's population grew by 1.2 million people between 1990 and 2009.

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.

BC is one of only two provinces to have a net population gain from inter-provincial migration between 1990/91 and 2008/09. The largest gain was Alberta's 355,042 while BC gained 213,421 people over this 18-year time period.