Immigration leads to record population growth in several Quebec regions [Video]

A new report from Quebec’s statistics institute says many of the province’s regions grew at a record or near-record pace between 2023 and 2024, due in large part to immigration, while deaths outnumbered births for the first time.

Montreal led the way, adding more than 91,000 people between July 2023 and July 2024 for a 4.2-per-cent growth rate — one of the highest ever recorded in any region.

“Montreal’s growth alone accounts for 44 per cent of the total growth recorded in Quebec,” the Institut de la statistique du Québec said Thursday in a news release. Quebec City set a new record at 2.4 per cent growth, while the city of Laval and the Outaouais and Mauricie regions followed closely behind.

The institute said the growth is due mostly to immigration and temporary immigration in particular. Non-permanent residents, such as temporary workers, international students and asylum seekers, outnumbered newly admitted …