Statistics Canada dropped its annual update on population trends this month and once again, the Edmonton region stands out nationally as an attractive place for those seeking opportunity.

Did you know that between July 2024 and July 2025 the Edmonton region grew by 3%? This was the fastest growth of any census metropolitan area in Canada (Figure 1).

That’s not a rounding error. That’s momentum.

Figure 1

In absolute terms, Edmonton added more people on a net basis than any other Canadian metro except Calgary (Figure 2). Toronto, meanwhile, shrank by nearly 1,000 people over the same period. Toronto saw much larger influxes of people from births and international migrants however the much larger numbers of people leaving Toronto for elsewhere in Ontario or other provinces meant in that in net terms that the population shrank.

Figure 2

 

This is now three straight years in a row where Edmonton added more than 50,000 people annually (figure 3). In fact, this year’s increase of 50,717 was a bit of a slow down from the previous two years, but it’s still major growth.

To put that in perspective, in just two years, the Edmonton region added more people than the entire population of Red Deer.

Figure 3

For another year, the biggest driver of population growth was international migration. And the scale is worth noting – Edmonton attracted almost 40% more international residents than Vancouver (Figure 4).

Why is this? We can’t say for sure from this data alone, but it’s hard to ignore the usual suspects – housing affordability, job opportunities and a growing reputation as a place where you can actually get established.

Figure 4

There’s another standout takeaway from this year’s data.

For the first time in a decade, Edmonton attracted more people from other provinces than any other city in Canada (Figure 5).

That’s a big signal. Interprovincial movers tend to be responding quickly to real-world conditions — work, cost of living, and where they think their family can get ahead.

The Edmonton region is attracting builders—people who want to work hard, take a step forward, and build something lasting.

Figure 5

One more trend that continues – Edmonton remains the only major city to consistently experience positive net intraprovincial migration over the last two decades (Figure 6). In other words, the Edmonton region is attracting people from elsewhere in Alberta- more so than other Canadian cities are attracting people from their own province.

A working theory around this is that some recent international newcomers initially landed in Calgary and later chose to re-locate to the Edmonton region because of better opportunities. Whatever the reason, the consistent trend is something I find interesting and am paying attention to.

Figure 6

Conclusion

The Edmonton region’s growth story isn’t a one-off spike. It’s a longer term trend.

And while rapid growth brings challenges – pressure on our housing market, infrastructure, and services to name a few, it’s also one of the clearest signals that people are seeing the opportunities here – and are voting with their moving vans.