'Vital Signs' report shows new immigrants still attracted to Edmonton
Without current immigration levels, or increased fertility, the population will start to shrink in 20 years
Immigrants settling in Edmonton are more likely to be younger than the average population, more likely to be self-employed, and the vast majority arrive as economic-class immigrants.
Those figures are just some of the dozens of statistics released on Tuesday in the annual Vital Signs report, by the Edmonton Community Foundation.
The report is like a snapshot of Edmonton's demographics.
For example, it shows the number of people arriving as 'permanent residents' in Edmonton has increased 178 per cent over the last ten year and stood at 16,739 in 2015.
The report also raises a red flag concerning the aging baby boomer population in Canada. Without current immigration levels, or a substantial increase in fertility rates, the country's population will shrink in about 20 years.
The report also highlighted several quirky statistics, such as one showing that Edmonton's pet population is thriving. There are 195,243 cats and dogs in the city compared to 189,598 residents under the age of 19.
The city estimates that one in 3 households has a pet and many have more than one.