Immigration driving population growth in southwestern Ontario: Census

Immigration is driving southwestern Ontario’s population growth, making up an increasing proportion, according to census data from Statistics Canada.

Since the last census in 2016, Canada’s immigrant population grew from 22 per cent, to 23 per cent – and both London and Windsor, Ont. are above that threshold, and growing faster.

A CTV News London graphic depicting immigrant population trends in London and Windsor, Ont. compared to the national average. (File)

London was at the national average mark in 2016, but is now made up of 25 per cent immigrants. Windsor meanwhile is even further ahead, jumping from 27 per cent to 30 per cent.

People born outside the country have never made up this much of our population, according to Stats Canada.

“That record is only going to stand until the next census,” says Michael Haan, a sociology professor at Western University. “We’re seeing more than 400,000 people come in every year, and they’re dispersing themselves across the country.”

For southwestern Ontario, affordability is a driving factor, says Haan, compared to major centres like Toronto and Vancouver.

“You can move to these jurisdictions and have a lot more disposable income,” he says, “so you kind of increase your quality of life in many ways.”

Haan adds, “The Great Lakes are here. We have a relatively moderate climate, at least by Canadian standards, and our labour markets have been relatively robust in recent years.”

A CTV News London graphic depicting the religious affiliation of Londoners in 2001 and 2021. (File)

For the first time since 2001, the census also collected religious information.

Over the last 20 years, both London and Windsor have seen sharp drops in people identifying as Christian, while Muslim and non-religious groups have grown significantly.

That change is unprecedented among G7 countries, according to Haan.

“The amount of diversity that exists in Canada, the number of newcomers, the proportion of newcomers, Canada leads the way in all of those measures,” he says. 

Immigrants are expected to make up to one in three people living in Canada by 2041, according to Stats Canada.