New report projects BC’s population to hit nearly 8 million by 2046

British Columbia is a desirable place to live and the projection for population growth over the next two decades and change showcases that.

A new BC Stats report, Sustaining Growth: Population and Demography for BC and Canada, has compiled publicly-available statistics and data to project BC’s population growth to 2046.

It states that BC’s population is projected to reach 7.9-million people, an increase of 44% from the 5.5-million people living in the province as of mid-2023.

The Province says higher federal immigration targets and changing immigration policies are causing the population spike in BC and across Canada.

“The BC government will continue to work with the federal government to ensure newcomers have the support they need,” notes a release from the Province.

“Provincial ministries are also taking a coordinated approach to assessing the impact of population growth on existing and emerging policy and programs.”

According to the Province, international migrants will fill 46% of new jobs in BC over the next decade and BC’s current population is made up of 8.2% non-permanent residents.

Unsurprisingly, Surrey is expected to continue being one of the province’s fastest growing spots with a projected population increase of 421,147 (66.5%) by 2046.

Vancouver and Burnaby round out the top three as the only other cities expected to add more than 100,000 people in the next 22 years, with Vancouver projected to add 280,622 (39.7%) and Burnaby projected to add 127,830 (47.3%).

The report predicts other Lower Mainland cities like Richmond, Coquitlam, Abbotsford and the Township of Langley will add between 87,000 and 97,100 people.

Kelowna also fits in that same window and is projected to see the most significant growth outside the Lower Mainland at 94,030 people, or an increase of 61.3%.

Another Okanagan hotspot is expected to see significant growth, as the report expects Lake Country to nearly double in population from 17,370 to 32,566, a spike of 87.5%.

The only other notable city with a higher projected growth rate than Lake Country is Langford, a suburb of Victoria, which is expected to more than double from 49,342 to 100,465 people.

Other cities expected to add a significant number of people (more than 40,000) by 2046 are Victoria, Saanich, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack and Kamloops.

Click here to see the full report from BC Stats.