The Government of Alberta’s second-quarter population report, published September 23, 2026, shows growth picking up again after a slow start to the year.
Alberta population change, Q2 2026 (April–June)
The numbers
- Alberta added 21,874 residents between April and June, reaching 5,101,050 on July 1, 2026.
- Over 12 months the population grew by 76,419, or 1.52%, the highest rate among the provinces. Ontario grew 0.28%, Quebec 0.18% and British Columbia 0.14%.
- Net international migration was 10,770, as immigration more than offset a net outflow of 1,628 non-permanent residents. Net interprovincial migration added 5,893.
- Migration from all sources added 16,663 people, more than double the 7,782 in the first quarter.
A note on revisions
Statistics Canada changed how it counts work and study permit holders, which raised its estimates of non-permanent residents for late 2025 and early 2026. As a result, Alberta’s first-quarter net international migration is now 1,563, rather than the −648 reported in June and in our earlier article.
Why it matters for Calgary
Population growth is the main long-term driver of housing demand. A rebound, combined with fewer housing starts, could help absorb today’s high condo and rental supply over the next few years.
Alberta compared with the rest of Canada
Population growth, July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026
Canada as a whole grew by 0.46% over the same 12 months, to 41,798,407 people. Alberta’s growth was more than three times the national rate and well ahead of the other large provinces. Among the four largest provinces, Alberta also had the highest growth in the second quarter alone, at 0.43%.
Who is arriving
Migration accounted for about three-quarters of Alberta’s growth in the quarter. International migration rebounded, and arrivals from other provinces continued to exceed departures. The number of non-permanent residents (people on work or study permits, asylum claimants and their families) kept falling, but much more slowly than previously estimated: Alberta had just under 279,500 on July 1, down about 8,000 from a year earlier. They made up 5.6% of the population. Asylum claimants were about 12% of that group, a larger share than a year ago.
Temporary residents in numbers
The revised figures change the picture for the first half of the year. Alberta lost 7,656 non-permanent residents on a net basis in the first quarter and 1,628 in the second, so the outflow slowed sharply. The number of asylum claimants in Alberta was 33,157 on July 1, 4,737 more than a year earlier, while study permit holders recorded the largest decline. Federal measures to reduce the number of temporary residents continue to shape these numbers across Canada.
Why the revision matters
Earlier estimates suggested that temporary residents were leaving Alberta much faster. Anyone planning rental buildings, setting rents or forecasting condo demand on those numbers may have been too pessimistic about demand. Revisions like this are normal, which is why it is better to look at the trend over several quarters than at any single report. The direction is clear: Alberta is still growing faster than the rest of the country, and most of that growth comes from people moving here.
What it means for Calgary housing
- Rentals: fewer temporary residents has been one reason rental demand softened while many new rental buildings opened. Slower declines in that group would help the rental market find a floor.
- Entry-level ownership: many interprovincial migrants arrive with equity from more expensive markets. Continued inflows support demand for detached and semi-detached homes, where Calgary’s supply is tighter.
- Condos: population growth is the main way today’s condo oversupply gets absorbed, but it takes time. Buyers can still expect choice in the near term.
- Investors: watch the next quarterly report, for the third quarter. Two strong quarters in a row would be a better signal than one.
