Reason to celebrate: Saint John achieves historic population growth in 2024, surpassing targets once again

Statistics Canada has released its 2024 population growth estimates, and the numbers are cause for celebration in Saint John. The City is proud to share record-breaking growth that shows Saint John is a thriving community on the rise.

Key highlights of the estimates include:

• The City of Saint John’s population, as of July 1, 2024, reached 78,165, the highest level since the early 1980s.
• Over the past year, Saint John welcomed 2,902 new residents, reflecting an annual growth rate of 3.9%. That’s nearly double Council’s annual growth target of 2%!

• The Saint John Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) also grew, reaching 142,422 residents, a 2.4% increase over 2023.
• 87% of the region’s population growth occurred within the City of Saint John, demonstrating our appeal as a destination of choice.
• Immigration is a significant driver of this growth, with approximately 2,172 Permanent Residents choosing Saint John in 2024. This accounts for nearly 90% of new immigrants to the region last year.

This sustained growth supports the City’s strategic focus on attracting people to live, work, and invest in Saint John, aligning directly with the Grow Saint John dashboard priorities. By exceeding annual targets, the City demonstrates its commitment to building a prosperous and inclusive community for residents and newcomers alike.

“Our population growth reflects the vibrancy of our City and the success of our collective efforts to make Saint John a chosen destination for people,” says City of Saint John Mayor Donna Noade Reardon. “Strong population growth that is also coinciding with strong new housing growth in the City is an achievement the entire community can be proud of, and it speaks to the bright future for Saint John.”

For more information on Saint John’s growth targets and priorities, visit the Grow Saint John Dashboard at Grow | Council Priorities Performance.

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