Newfoundland and Labrador saw a decrease in overall population in the most recent census.

The 2021 census puts Newfoundland and Labrador’s population at 510,550. That’s a decrease of about 9,000 people from the previous census in 2016, with a population of 519,716. This puts the population change at a 1.8 per cent decrease.

Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province to see a decrease in overall population, while the Northwest Territories was the only territory.

The census also shows that Newfoundland and Labrador, along with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, could have the highest proportions of people over the age of 85 in Canada in the next 20 years. That age group could make up more than six percent in these provinces by 2043.

The Department of Immigration says while Statistics Canada census data indicates the population of Newfoundland and Labrador dropped between 2016 and 2021, Stats Can’s Quarterly Population Estimates indicate the province’s population grew in 2021.

The Quarterly Population Estimates, a separate and regularly tracked data set, indicate the NL population grew last year by 2,789 people. According to the department, the estimates show that the province saw growth in each quarter.

The growth is being attributed to nearly 3,000 people coming into the province from outside the country and nearly 2,000 people coming in from other provinces—mostly Ontario and British Columbia.