Metro Vancouver population expected to reach four million by 2045

The population of Metro Vancouver is projected to reach four million by 2045; nine years earlier than previous estimates. The Region is blowing past previous projections with an estimated 50,000 new residents every year.

The latest projections are based on the most recent Census data, evolving federal immigration policy, and trends in non-permanent residents. Most new residents to the Region are expected to come from outside of Canada. The natural population growth is expected to become negative after 2035.

“Accurate projections help guide us as we work to build a resilient, sustainable region,” Mike Hurley, Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Board of Directors, said in a press release. “This updated data allows us to work effectively with member jurisdictions, utilities, and other partners to plan for housing, jobs, and critical infrastructure while maintaining the quality of life that makes this region so unique.”

More people in the Region increases the demand for housing. The region is expected to add about 21,000 net new units annually, reaching 1.72 million dwellings by 2050.

Andreanna Doyon, a planning professor at Simon Fraser University, told 1130 NewsRadio the region has “a lot of work to do” but that the growth is not necessarily a bad thing. By 2050, the region is projected to reach 2.1 million jobs.

“If we’re thinking about all the new housing that needs to be built to accommodate these people, that’s a ton of jobs. And those aren’t just construction jobs, those are jobs in related fields. But as well if more people just move here, there’s more people who need services,” she said. “What the challenge will be with that is infrastructure. Will we be able to keep up?”

She said the region may have some catching up to do as during the pandemic there was a lot of talk of people fleeing big cities.

“There was a lot of talk of ‘oh are people going to leave the city?’, about remote work, about all these sorts of things that didn’t happen to the same extent,” she said. “So our cities are growing.”

The majority being of new dwellings are anticipated to be apartments located in Vancouver and Surrey.