Influx of immigrants helps Manitoba grow

Statistics Show More Than 16,200 New Manitobans in Last 12 Months

Manitoba has seen an increase in population of 16,227 people in the last 12 months, bringing the total estimated population to 1,240,000 as of Oct. 1, the best provincial population growth in nearly 40 years, Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade Minister Peter Bjornson announced today.

"Manitobans should be very proud of what we collectively have achieved, as more individuals from around the world are realizing this is a great place to live, work and raise a family," said Bjornson. "Our government’s Provincial Nominee Program has been very successful. It now accounts for three-quarters of all immigrants to Manitoba."

In the past 10 years, Manitoba has grown by nearly 92,000 people, an increase roughly equivalent to the populations of Brandon, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Winkler combined.

This increase is more than double the population increase over the previous decade, the minister said.

Manitoba population growth rates of 1.33 per cent and 1.3 per cent in the last two years respectively exceeded the Canadian average.

Driving this record-breaking growth were people moving to Manitoba from around the world, the minister said.  A total of 15,199 immigrants arrived in Manitoba during the last 12 months.

The statistics show this is well above the 13,282 who arrived in the previous 12-month period and the largest immigrant arrival since 1946.