Saskatoon’s population of children 14 and under is the second highest among Canada’s 35 Census Metropolitan Areas, according to new data from the 2016 census.
Lethbridge had the highest proportion of children 14 and under, while Calgary and Regina were third and fourth respectively.
READ MORE: Census 2016: For the 1st time, more seniors than children living in Canada
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta were the only provinces where children made up a higher proportion of the population than people 65 and up.
Statistics Canada credits immigration, inter-provincial migration and higher fertility.
For 20 years, Saskatchewan has had the highest fertility rate in Canada, aided in part by higher birth rates among indigenous people.
“And the indigenous population has higher mortality rates as well, meaning that the non-indigenous population has longer life expectancy,” Laura Wright, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Saskatchewan, said.
“So higher fertility and higher mortality means a younger population overall,” she said.
READ MORE: Census 2016: Canada’s aging neighbourhoods, in 10 maps
While the 65-plus crowd may be smaller, the census also reveals Saskatchewan has one of the largest proportions of people 85 and over, said Jonathan Chagnon, demographer with Statistics Canada.
“Saskatchewan has the largest proportion of centenarians, so it’s really interesting to see that Saskatchewan has really old people and a large proportion of children,” Chagnon said.
The Prairies were the only provinces where millennials outnumbered baby boomers.
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