Profile of the immigrant and non-permanent resident population shows Greater Moncton is a leading destination for newcomers 2023-04-27
The Moncton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) broke records in 2022, achieving the highest population growth rate among all Canadian CMAs – not just for last year, but for the past 20.
The high growth rate is almost entirely attributable to an increase in the number of immigrants and non-permanent residents arriving – and remaining – in the region. Based on the latest census data, a report on the newcomer population, presented by Moncton-based Jupia Consultants Inc. and funded by the tri-community, showed there were 18,120 immigrant and non-permanent residents living in the Moncton CMA in 2021, making it a leading destination for newcomers to settle.
“We’re delighted that newcomers and international students are choosing Greater Moncton,” says Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold. “Many of those who have recently arrived in the region are coming with young families as well as extended family and they bring a new vitality to the community.”
The Moncton CMA is also an attraction centre for francophone newcomers. Nearly 52 per cent of all francophone immigrants and non-permanent residents destined for New Brunswick settle in the Moncton CMA. One in four immigrants to the region is a francophone, a rate higher than all other CMAs across the nation excluding Quebec.
“We want to continue to make Greater Moncton a destination of choice for francophone immigration in Canada,” says Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre. “Arriving in a community with a strong francophone population helps make the transition easier for francophone newcomers and will encourage them to remain in our region long-term.”
The report found immigration retention rates have been improving over the years, especially among family class immigrants and refugees. It also noted that immigrants to the region have high levels of education, with more than half having attended university. With the increased growth also come challenges such as alignment of skills to the labour market, access to healthcare, and housing.
“Newcomers bring with them considerable skills and experience that contribute to enriching and diversifying the local community,” says Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc. “We have been working hard to put strategies in place to ensure those newcomers who arrive here stay long-term and we are pleased to see those efforts are beginning to have an impact.”
The report also noted the newcomer population in the region is becoming more diverse, with immigrants from more than 150 countries now living in the tri-community.
Quick facts
- 5.4 per cent – population growth in Moncton CMA in 2022; highest among all Canadian CMAs in the past 20 years
- 8,800 – increase in Moncton CMA population in 2022
- 87 per cent – population growth in the Moncton CMA between the 2016 and 2021 censuses attributed to immigrants and non-permanent residents
- In 2021, immigrants and non-permanent residents (NPRs) accounted for 15 per cent, 12 per cent, and 7 per cent of the populations of Moncton, Dieppe, and Riverview respectively
- 4,700 – number of immigrants and non-permanent residents living in the Moncton CMA with French as their first language
- 82 per cent – family class immigrants and refugees still filing taxes from a Moncton CMA address in 2020, two years after arriving
Greater Moncton Immigration Strategy 2020-2024
The Greater Moncton Area is in its second edition of a regional immigration strategy after successfully implementing the first strategy 2014-2018. Through the Greater Moncton Local Immigration Partnership, partners have been collaborating through a collective framework to not only attract newcomers and international students to the region but to ensure that they put down roots.
The strategy and partnership provide a framework to understand the needs of newcomers, the gaps in service delivery, and the process by which collaboration can lead to much better outcomes for newcomers. In 2022, Greater Moncton surpassed its 2024 immigration high growth projection of welcoming 3,500 permanent residents, hitting a total of 4,585 new permanent residents.
More information on the current Greater Moncton Immigration Strategy
Information:
Communications, City of Moncton
communications@moncton.ca