2021 CENSUS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POPULATION AND DWELLINGS IN METRO VANCOUVER • Canada’s population grew faster than all other G7 countries’ between 2016 and 2021. • BC was the 3rd-fastest-growing province or territory in Canada. • Metro Vancouver grew more slowly than the provincial average and saw its share of BC’s population shrink between 2016 and 2021. • Within Metro Vancouver, Tsawwassen First Nation, Bowen Island, and the UBC area grew the fastest, while Pitt Meadows and the District of North Vancouver grew the slowest. Port Moody was the only municipality to see its population decline.
the rennie brief
FEBRUARY 2022
As reported by the first batch of 2021 Census data, Canada and BC experienced relatively robust population growth over the past 5 years. Four of the five fastest growing Metro regions in the country were located in British Columbia. Within Metro Vancouver, the City of Surrey accounted for more than a quarter of the region’s growth.
2016 - 2021 CHANGE
<-6%
-3% to -6%
0 to -3%
0/no data
0 - 2%
2 - 4%
4 - 7%
7 - 14%
14% +
THE CANADIAN CENSUS: THE WHY AND THE WHAT For more than one hundred years, the Census has provided valuable insights to Canadians on attributes such as our age, sex, and marital status, as well as religion, ethnic origin, employment, and the types of housing we live in, among many others. The 2021 Census of Canada was the 23rd enumeration of the Canadian population since Confederation, recording a total of 36,991,981 people in May of 2021. This represented an increase of 1.8 million residents since the previous Census was undertaken in May of 2016. This shows a 5.0% growth over the past 5 years. When compared to the previous census period (2011-2016), our annual rate of growth remained relatively unchanged (at 1.0%), while we added slightly more people during the most recent 5-year period (1.8 million vs 1.7 million previously). While among our G7 counterparts Canada has been growing at a more rapid pace, the growth has not been evenly distributed across the country.
the rennie brief
METRO VANCOUVER MUNICIPALITIES Total Population Summary
BC’S GROWTH RANKED IN THE TOP 3 IN CANADA Within Canada, the fastest-growing province or territory was the Yukon, which grew by 12%, or 4,358 residents, between 2016-2021. Prince Edward Island recorded the second-fastest growth (8.0%; +11,424 people), while BC rounded out the top three as we grew by 7.6% and added 352,824 residents. Ontario added the most people, at 775,448, as that province’s population grew by 5.8%. Each of these four jurisdictions grew faster than the national average of 5.2%, with all other provinces growing more slowly. METRO VANCOUVER’S SHRINKING POPULATION SHARE Within BC, the two fastest-growing regions were Squamish- Lillooet and the Central Okanagan. Relative to provincial growth of 7.6%, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District grew by 18%—more than twice the provincial pace—as it added 7,831 people. The Central Okanagan Regional District grew by 14% as it added 27,280 residents. The province’s most populous region, Metro Vancouver, grew slightly slower than the provincial average, at 7.3%, between 2016-2021. That said, it did add the most people of any region in BC, at 179,394. Notably, however, Metro Vancouver accommodated only 51% of BC’s total growth in population between 2016-2021, despite representing 53% of BC’s total population in 2016. The Capital region, centred on Victoria, added the second- most people between the two most recent census counts, at 32,091 (representing an 8.4% growth rate). WITHIN-REGION GROWTH PATTERNS MAY SURPRISE Interestingly, the fastest-growing jurisdiction in Metro Vancouver between 2016-2021 was not one of its 21 municipalities; instead, it was Tsawwassen First Nation, which added more than 700 private dwellings and 1,440 new residents and as a result posted a 176% population growth rate over the period. Among municipalities (including the UBC/ UEL area), Bowen Island posted the fastest population growth rate, at 15.7% as it added 576 residents. This pace of growth was closely followed by the UBC/UEL area, which also happens to include Barnston Island and swathes of uninhabited portions of the North Vancouver mountains (strange, yes, we know—but you can blame Statistics Canada for coming up with the boundaries). In this jurisdiction, the population grew by 15.4%, as it added almost 2,500 new residents and1,579 occupied dwellings. Of the region’s larger municipalities, the Township of Langley grew at the fastest pace, which was almost double the regional average (13.1% versus 7.3%) as it added 15,318 new residents and almost 5,300 new dwellings. This was followed by the City of Langley (11.9%), New Westminster (11.2%), Maple Ridge (10.6%), White Rock (10.0%), the City of North Vancouver (9.7%), and Surrey (9.7%). All of these municipalities posted growth rates that were above the regional average of 7.3% and well above the national average of 5.0%.
Number Percentage 2016-2021 Change
2016 2021
Municipality
Bowen Island
3,680
4,256
576
15.7%
At the other end of the spectrum was Port Moody, which saw its population decline by 16 residents between 2016-2021. Port Moody was the only municipality in the region to lose population over the period. Meanwhile, the District of North Vancouver grew only marginally (at 2.6%), as it added a mere 2,233 residents. Notably, the City of Vancouver grew by only 4.9%, well below the regional average. One interesting observation—if not a surprising one—is that for every resident that was added in the City of Vancouver (+30,762), the City of Surrey added 1.6 (+50,435). SOWHAT? Themagnitude and spatial pattern of population growth has a direct and significant impact on a variety of planning and governance dimensions of our communities, including the magnitude of provincial health care transfers, investments in education infrastructure, and transportation planning. It also reflects, and influences, changes in our housing markets, with faster population growth associated with faster dwelling stock expansion, and vice versa. In turn this will have implications for home prices; this is especially true for thoseMetro Vancouver municipalities that grewmost slowly (or declined). As a point of comparison, between 2016 and 2021 the region’s two slowest growingmunicipality (North Vancouver and Port Moody) saw their detached benchmark housing prices rise by 23% and 43%, respectively, versus the Greater Vancouver board average of 12%. 16,133 18,612 15.4% Langley Township 117,285 132,603 15,318 13.1% Langley City 25,888 28,963 3,075 11.9% NewWestminster 70,996 78,916 7,920 11.2% Maple Ridge 82,256 90,990 8,734 10.6% White Rock 19,952 21,939 1,987 10.0% North Van City 52,898 58,120 5,222 9.9% Surrey 517,887 568,322 50,435 9.7% Metro Vancouver 2,463,431 2,642,825 179,394 7.3% Burnaby 232,755 249,125 16,370 7.0% Belcarra 643 687 44 6.8% Coquitlam 139,284 148,625 9,341 6.7% Anmore 2,210 2,356 146 6.6% Delta 102,238 108,455 6,217 6.1% Richmond 198,309 209,937 11,628 5.9% Port Coquitlam 58,612 61,498 2,886 4.9% Vancouver 631,486 662,248 30,762 4.9% Lions Bay 1,334 1,390 56 4.2% West Vancouver 42,473 44,122 1,649 3.9% Pitt Meadows 18,573 19,146 573 3.1% North Van District 85,935 88,168 2,233 2.6% Port Moody 33,551 33,535 -16 0.0% 2,479 UBC/UEL/Barnston
The information set out herein (the “Information”) is intended for informational purposes only. rennie has not verified the information and does not represent, warrant or guarantee the accuracy, correctness and completeness of the information. RAR, RMS and rennie do not assume any responsibility or liability of any kind in connection with the information and the recipient’s reliance upon the information. The recipient of the information should take steps as the recipient may deem necessary to verify the information prior to placing any reliance upon the information. The information may change any time without notice or obligation to the recipient from RAR, RMS or rennie.
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