Demographic Factors Affecting Population Change in (Atlantic) Canadian CMA's 2012-2013
CMA_____Population (2013)__Natural Increase__International Migration__Interprovincial Migration__Intraprovincial Migration__Total Net Migration__Total Growth
Halifax 408,702 1,248 1,272 -2,104 1,383 551 1,799
St. John's 208,372 487 749 -314 1,560 1,995 2,481
Moncton 144,941 421 725 -163 1,161 1,723 2,144
Saint John 127,883 182 408 -1,215 -20 -827 -645
Interesting:
Both Moncton and St. John's have had higher relative growth rates than Halifax for at least most of the last decade, but this year we also had a higher
absolute growth rate as well.
The main contributor to Halifax's difficulties was a loss of 2,104 people to interprovincial migration. I find this surprising. We have known for some time that Nova Scotia was hemorrhaging population to Alberta and Ontario, but the assumption was that this was from the rural areas of the province. There also appears to be significant population transferral from the HRM as well.
The low natural growth rate for Saint John is troubling. I wonder if this is from a lower than normal birth rate, or a relatively higher death rate. I suspect the latter. The mean population age in Saint John is higher than it is in Moncton.
Saint John is the only CMA in the region to actually be losing people to other parts of the province, but at a loss of only 20 souls this is negligible. The main issue is the loss of over 1,200 people to other parts of the country…….