Manitoba sees growth from interprovincial migration for 1st time since 2004

Ian Froese · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 9:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

More radical moved to Manitoba from different parts of Canada than near during the archetypal 4th of 2025 — a feat the state hasn't accomplished successful a 4th since 2004.

New information from Statistics Canada says the state benefited from interprovincial migration during the first three months of the year, gaining 106 much radical from different provinces and territories than it mislaid to different jurisdictions.

During that period, 4,352 radical moved to Manitoba from elsewhere successful Canada, portion 4,246 radical moved away.

However, Manitoba's full colonisation roseate astatine its lowest quarterly complaint since 2020, arsenic a effect of federal policies to curb migration levels. The state had an estimated colonisation of astir 1.51 cardinal arsenic of April 1, according to Statistics Canada.

Manitoba historically loses much people to interprovincial migration than it gains, but the colonisation inactive consistently grows connected an yearly basis, chiefly done migration from different countries.

There was a nett nonaccomplishment of betwixt 3,500 to 7,000 radical annually for the archetypal fractional of the 2010s, but that fig began to turn successful aboriginal years, speech from a pandemic blip that curtailed travel around the world.

It was much than 2 years ago, successful 2022-23, erstwhile Manitoba saw a net nonaccomplishment of much than 9,000 people — the highest deficit in decades.

In 2024-25, the state mislaid 2,481 radical to interprovincial migration, according to demographic estimates from the Manitoba government.

The NDP authorities took partial recognition for Manitoba's interprovincial nett summation from the first 3 months of 2025.

Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino said the authorities has been focused connected attracting skilled workers and reducing trade barriers.

Marcelino said successful a quality merchandise that Manitoba is simply a "welcoming province," attracting radical due to the fact that "our system is beardown and determination are opportunities to physique a bully life."

Last year, Premier Wab Kinew suggested his authorities was unfastened to the possibility of tax credits oregon incentivizing economical improvement to counteract the province's semipermanent interprovincial exodus. 

Kinew said the authorities tin "move the needle" by increasing the economy, creating much jobs, maintaining a debased outgo of surviving and extolling the province's draws, specified arsenic its arts scene.

Lower migration slows growth

While Manitoba saw an summation successful migrants from different Canadian jurisdictions successful early 2025, the province's colonisation accrued by 0.2 per cent — its lowest quarterly complaint since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic depressed colonisation growth.

Manitoba saw a nett gain of 2,749 migrants from different countries, which is down from the summation of astir 4,200 reported in the past 4th of 2024.

The little migration numbers reflect the federal government's determination successful 2024 to clamp down connected arrivals from different countries.

Canada's population roseate by 20,107 radical from Jan. 1 to April 1, the smallest summation since the 3rd 4th of 2020 and an summation truthful tiny that it amounted to 0.0 per cent growth, Statistics Canada said.

Immigration inactive accounted for each of the nationalist colonisation growth, arsenic determination were 5,628 much deaths than births successful Canada.