Record population growth in Quebec from 2022 to 2023: ISQ

People walk along a pedestrianized zone of Sainte-Catherine street in Montreal, Monday, May 18, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Quebec recorded exceptional population growth in almost every region of the province between July 2022 and July 2023, according to a new report by the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ).

The numbers show that many areas experienced their strongest growth since data first started being recorded in 1986-87.

The phenomenon is particularly true in Montreal, where the ISQ says the population grew by 89,600 from 2022 to 2023, an increase of 4.3 per cent.

"Never before has a region recorded such a high annual growth rate," the ISQ pointed out on Wednesday in its demographic report.

Across Quebec as a whole, growth stood at 2.3 per cent, or 202,500 people.

"Montreal's growth alone accounts for 44 per cent of the total growth observed," noted ISQ demographer Martine St-Amour.

Peak growth was also recorded in the Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, Chaudière-Appalaches, Mauricie, Montérégie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 22, 2024.