B.C. population drops for first time in generations

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:01]A population once booming, now shrinking. New data shows British Columbia's population took a sharp hit last year. BC as a province lost 41,000 people. A drop not seen since the mid-1800s.

[00:00:17]Fast forward to now and a sudden pullback in immigration is the reason.

[00:00:22]What changed was that we saw a big outflow of uh uh non-permanent residents. Berlin says BC accounted for nearly 40% of the country's total population loss last year. A dramatic shift after years of record growth nationwide. We're reducing the numbers of immigrants that will come to Canada for the next 3 years. A major change in tone back in 2024 when the former prime minister acknowledged his government made mistakes before leaving office months later. Those targets still stand with Ottawa aiming to cut temporary residents to below 5% of the population by 2027.

[00:01:00]Well, we've had over half a million people come to British Columbia since 2020. And so we finally have some room to breathe. BC Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon says the shift could ease pressure on healthcare, education, and housing and help cool prices. But he says Ottawa and Victoria need to be aligned. We're not going to be able to continue to function as a as a province without some form of immigration, but it's critically important that it aligns with the social infrastructure that we have in our communities. But for some, the impact is already being felt. Some Vancouverites say they're unsure about their future in the city and in the province. I've actually I've considered when I um moving to Saskatchewan.

[00:01:43]>> Feels like I'm instead of living, I'm surviving actually. I never thought of leaving it though. Never thought of leaving BC. You just love it.

[00:01:50]>> I love it here. Yeah, it's home to me.

[00:01:52]Despite overall decline, BC still saw around 3,000 people move to the province inter-provincially and through migration last year. Craig Wro, CTV News, Vancouver.