Nanaimo and Courtenay census regions had the highest population growth on Vancouver Island from 2016 to 2021, according to the latest census data.
The Nanaimo census metropolitan area (CMA) grew by 10 per cent to 115,459 in 2021 from 104,936 in 2016.
The Courtenay census agglomeration (CA) grew by 9.2 per cent to 63,282 in 2021 from 57,950 in 2016.
CMAs and CAs are neighbouring municipalities that are grouped together situated around a core. The core municipality must have more than 10,000 people.
The Victoria CMA had the third highest population on the Island with an increase of 8 per cent with the population growing to 397,237 in 2021.
The City of Langford is included in the Victoria CMA, and Langford alone had the third-highest population growth in Canada for the 2021 census.
READ MORE: Langford ranked third fastest-growing suburban municipality: census
Campbell River CA grew by 7.5 per cent to a population of 40,704 in 2021.
Parksville CA now has a population of 31,054 which is an increase of 7.4 per cent from 2016.
Duncan CA’s population grew by 7 per cent to 47,582.
Ladysmith CA grew by 6.4 per cent to 15,501.
Of the Island-based CMAs and CAs, Port Alberni had the lowest growth rate at 4.5 per cent. The region now has a population of 25,786, which is an increase from the 24,669 counted in the census in 2016.
Laura Brougham
