The fastest growing population centres in Canada are in B.C. — but they're not in Metro Vancouver

B.C.'s population has surpassed five million people for the first time in its history, growing at a rate of 7.6 per cent between 2016 and 2021, the latest census data from Statistics Canada shows.

The province has four of Canada's five fastest-growing metropolitan areas — all of which are outside the Metro Vancouver region.

The Kelowna, Chilliwack, Kamloops and Nanaimo census metropolitan areas all saw growth of 10 per cent or more in between 2016 and 2021.

The province's largest cities remain unchanged, with Vancouver in the top position followed by Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond and Abbotsford.

The information was released in Statistics Canada's first round of 2021 census data on population and dwelling counts, information that is used by political leaders and planners to shape decision-making around their communities. 

British Columbia led Canada's largest provinces in growth, its population increasing from 4,648,055 people in 2016 to 5,000,879 in 2021, a growth rate of 7.6 per cent. Only Yukon (12.1 per cent) and Prince Edward Island (4.8 per cent) grew faster, and only Ontario and Quebec had more people.

The Lower Mainland is still the most populous region in B.C., which has grown 7.7 per cent to more than three million, and contains B.C.'s five largest cities.

But the story of the census is the rapid rate of growth in B.C.'s Interior and on Vancouver Island.

The fastest growing census metropolitan area in Canada is Kelowna, which includes the municipalities of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland. The region has grown 14 per cent since 2016 and now has a total population of more than 222,000.

It is followed by the Chilliwack census metropolitan area, which recorded an increase of 12.1 per cent from 2016, and now has nearly 114,000 people.

The Nanaimo metropolitan census area on Vancouver Island — including Nanaimo and surrounding communities such as Parksville and Qualicum Beach — had more than 115,000 residents in 2021, a 10 per cent increase over the last census.

The population of the Kamloops metropolitan area also expanded by 10 per cent, to more than 114,000.

All four areas showed a boost in population growth compared to their rate of increase between 2011 and 2016, which was 8.4 per cent in Kelowna, 8.1 per cent in Chilliwack, seven per cent in Nanaimo and five per cent in Kamloops.