Alaska News

Yukon growth spurt: Territory's population on rise

Yukon, a territory in Canada's northwest, was the fastest growing province or territory in the country according to 2011 census results.

Yukon's population grew by 11.7 percent between 2006 and 2011, edging out Alberta, which had led the country in growth in the previous two censuses.

According to the data, the population growth rate doubled in Yukon and Manitoba because of higher immigration levels in both jurisdictions.

Population growth in Canada's eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut rate slowed slightly to 8.3 per cent from 10.2 percent in 2006.

Every province and territory had a gain in population — except the Northwest Territories, where the population dropped by exactly two people.

The latest count gives the Northwest Territories an official population of 41,462 — down from 41,464 in the 2006 census.

It's a sharp change from five years ago, when the Northwest Territories had a growth rate higher than the national average, thanks to a booming economy.

Statistics Canada's director general of demographics chuckled when asked today if the agency double checked its numbers. Jane Badets says the numbers were confirmed in another source of data on population.

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