Canada's population could double in 50 years

OTTAWA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Statistics Canada on Tuesday said the country's population could double in the coming 50 years.

Releasing a new edition of its population projections for Canada, the national statistical agency said that the Canadian population, estimated at 40.3 million in 2024, would continue to grow in the coming decades to reach 80.8 million by 2074, which is under the high-growth scenario.

The low-growth scenario would be 45.2 million and the medium-growth scenario, 59.3 million, the agency said.

According to the agency, from an average of 1.19 percent over the last 30 years, the annual rate of growth would diminish to 0.79 percent by 2074 in terms of the medium-growth scenario.

In comparison, by 2074, Canada's rate would be 1.56 percent under the high-growth scenario and 0.09 percent under the low-growth scenario.

The population, would even decrease slightly from 2025 to 2026, according to the low- and medium-growth scenarios, taking into account the most recent trends in Canada's demography, such as the Immigration Plan released by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada in November 2024, said Statistics Canada.