Chart of the Day: Rural Canada sees strong growth but falling share of population
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
Canada’s rural population grew at four times the average pace of the past two decades in 2023.
The number of people living in rural areas and small towns totaled about 6.3 million last year, up 1.1 per cent from 2022, four times the average pace of the previous two decades, according to detailed population estimates released by Statistics Canada.
It was the third straight year with population gains of more than 1 per cent, a large enough increase to reverse rural-Canada’s aging demographic trend. The median age of people living outside of metropolitan or agglomerated areas dropped to 45.7 years in 2023, from 45.8 years in 2022, the first decline in decades, the data show.
Still, even as population growth accelerates, rural communities continue to lag behind urban areas, which are growing at a pace of more than 3 per cent.
