Mission’s population is getting more diverse, according to the latest release of census data.
The overall population of Mission is now 41,519, up from 38,554 in 2016.
That’s a 7.7% increase.
The data also shows that Mission has 14,701 total dwellings and that our population density is 183 per square kilometre.
Out of those 14,000 dwellings, the overwhelming majority are single-detached houses with more than 9,100 listed.
Mission’s population is also dominated by homeowners, with 10,835 compared with just 3,260 renters.
The census also shows that more than 6,800 of Mission’s 41,000 residents identify themselves as immigrants, and more than 7,200 residents identify themselves as a visible minority.
Out of those 7,200 residents, 4,330 identify as South Asian.
Immigrants made up nearly a quarter of all people in Canada in 2021 and are projected to represent a third of people in the country by 2041.
The proportion of immigrants is the largest it’s been since Confederation with 23 per cent, or more than 8.3 million people, of the country who were, or had ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident.
That’s the highest proportion among G7 countries.
Statistics Canada says immigration is the main driver of population growth, in part because of the aging population and low fertility rates in the country.
The federal government has also committed to bringing in record numbers of immigrants to fill labour shortages, with plans to welcome 431,645 newcomers to Canada this year.
Immigrants accounted for four out of five new workers in the labour force between 2016 and 2021.
Previously, the majority of immigrants to Canada came from Europe, but now most immigrants come from Asia, including the Middle East.
One in five people coming to Canada were born in India, the data shows, making it the top country of birth for recent arrivals.
The census didn’t ask questions about why people from certain regions have chosen to come to Canada, said Tina Chui, director of diversity and socio-cultural statics for Statistics Canada, but other studies do give some clues.
“Joining family, economic opportunities, all those are kind of the reasons why people chose to come to Canada,” she said at a press conference Wednesday. The large number of international students from India could also be a factor, she said.
- With files from the Canadian Press
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