Population grows, even as people leave province

British Columbia’s population is expected to reach 7.9 million by 2046, with Greater Victoria accounting for 655,000 people. Overall, the province is getting older than the rest of Canada, with a lower fertility rate, according to a BC Stats report released yesterday.

BC’s current population is 5.58 million, with about 450,000 living in the Capital Regional District. The province’s annual growth rate of 3.3% is the highest since 1972. The growth is from historic levels of international immigration as 66,190 people from outside Canada settled in BC. However, the province also experienced a net loss in people migrating within Canada as 4,634 more people left for other provinces than moved here.