Population implosion is a term that describes the phenomenon of a country’s population declining rapidly due to low birth rates, high mortality rates, or both.
It is a serious challenge for many developed countries, especially in Europe and Asia, where aging populations and shrinking workforces threaten economic growth and social stability.
Canada, however, is an exception. Despite having one of the lowest fertility rates in the world (1.47 children per woman in 2019), Canada has maintained a steady population growth of around 1% per year, thanks to its robust immigration policy and multicultural society.
In fact, Canada is projected to be one of the few developed countries that will increase its population in the coming decades, reaching 45 million by 2050.
How does Canada do it? And what can other developed countries learn from its example?
Here are some key factors that contribute to Canada’s success in stalling its population implosion.
- A welcoming immigration system. Canada has one of the most open and generous immigration systems in the world, admitting about 300,000 newcomers per year, or nearly 1% of its population. Most of these immigrants are selected based on their skills, education, and language abilities, as well as their potential to contribute to the Canadian economy and society. Canada also offers various pathways for refugees, family reunification, and humanitarian reasons. Immigrants account for about 22% of Canada’s population, making it one of the most diverse and multicultural countries in the world.
- A strong integration policy. Canada does not only welcome immigrants, but also supports them to integrate into their new home. Canada provides various services and programs for newcomers, such as language training, settlement assistance, employment counseling, and citizenship education. Canada also promotes social cohesion and mutual respect among different cultural groups, through its official policy of multiculturalism and its celebration of diversity. Canada ranks high on indicators of immigrant integration, such as civic participation, social inclusion, and sense of belonging.
- A balanced regional distribution. Canada is a vast country with 10 provinces and three territories, each with its own demographic and economic characteristics. To ensure a balanced and sustainable population growth across the country, Canada has developed regional immigration programs that allow provinces and territories to nominate immigrants based on their specific needs and priorities. These programs help attract immigrants to less populated and more remote areas of Canada, where they can fill labor shortages and stimulate local development.
- A proactive family policy. Canada recognizes that immigration alone cannot solve its demographic challenge, and that it also needs to encourage higher birth rates among its native-born population. To this end, Canada has implemented a range of family-friendly policies that support parents to have and raise children. These include paid parental leave, child care subsidies, child tax benefits, universal health care, public education, and flexible work arrangements. Canada also fosters a culture of gender equality and work-life balance that enables both men and women to pursue their careers and family goals.
However, Canada’s approach to stalling its population implosion is not perfect, nor is it without challenges.
Here are some of the difficulties that Canada faces in managing its population dynamics.
- Immigration fraud. Canada’s immigration system is not immune to abuse and fraud by some individuals or groups who seek to enter or stay in the country illegally or under false pretenses. These include human smuggling, identity theft, marriage fraud, document forgery, and visa overstaying. Immigration fraud undermines the integrity and fairness of the system and poses security risks for the country.
- Social integration barriers. Despite Canada’s efforts to promote integration and diversity, some immigrants still face barriers to fully participate in Canadian society. These include language barriers, discrimination, racism, cultural clashes, isolation, poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and lack of recognition of foreign credentials. These barriers can affect immigrants’ well-being, self-esteem, sense of belonging, and contribution to the country.
- Regional disparities. While Canada strives to achieve a balanced regional distribution of immigrants, some areas still receive more or less than their fair share of newcomers. For example, Ontario and British Columbia receive about 60% of all immigrants to Canada, while Atlantic provinces receive less than 5%. This can create uneven economic and social impacts across the country.
- Environmental impacts. Population growth inevitably affects the environment in various ways. These include increased demand for natural resources such as water, energy, land, food; increased production of waste and greenhouse gas emissions; increased pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity; increased vulnerability to natural disasters such as floods, droughts; increased urbanization and sprawl; increased conflicts over resource allocation and management.
Canada’s experience shows that population decline is not inevitable for developed countries,
and that there are ways to manage it effectively and positively.
By adopting a holistic and long-term vision that combines immigration, integration, regionalization, and family policies, Canada has created a dynamic and diverse society that can adapt to changing demographic realities and thrive in the globalized world.
