Why is Canada accepting so many immigrants?

21 Feb 2023

为什么加拿大接受这么多移民？加拿大需要增加移民，以抵消人口老龄化和低出生率造成的劳动力短缺。探索加拿大劳动力市场正在发生的事情，以及为什么移民可能是答案。 Why is Canada accepting so many immigrants? Canada requires increased immigration to offset labour shortages created by an aging population and low birth rate. Explore what’s happening with the Canadian labour market and why immigration might be the answer.

截至 2021 年，“曾经或曾经是加拿大登陆移民或永久居民的人”——为简单起见统称为“移民”——占加拿大总人口的 23%，这是自 1867 年联邦成立以来的最高比例. As of 2021, “people who were, or had ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada” — grouped together for simplicity as “immigrants” — represent 23% of this country’s total population, the highest proportion recorded since Confederation in 1867.

加拿大是所有七国集团国家中最高的，现在也打破了 1921 年创下的纪录，当时移民占该国人口的 22.3%。 The highest among all G7 countries, Canada has also now topped its previous record set in 1921, when immigrants made up 22.3% of the country’s population.

根据加拿大统计局的人口预测，如果目前的人口趋势继续下去，“到 2041 年，移民可能占加拿大人口的[任何地方]，从 29.1% 到 34.0%。” According to population projections from Statistics Canada, if current demographic trends continue, “immigrants could represent [anywhere] from 29.1% to 34.0% of Canada’s population by 2041.”

加拿大于 2022 年 11 月 1 日发布的 2023-2025 年年度移民水平计划进一步强化了此类预测。根据目前的移民目标，加拿大的目标是在 2023 年接待 465,000 名移民，在 2024 年接待 485,000 名新移民，并达到里程碑式的 500,000 名新移民2025年成为加拿大永久居民。 Such projections are further reinforced by Canada’s annual Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025, which was released on November 1, 2022. According to current immigration targets, Canada is aiming to welcome 465,000 immigrants in 2023, 485,000 newcomers in 2024 and a milestone 500,000 new Canadian permanent residents in 2025.

看到这些显着的数字，您可能会想：为什么加拿大要接受这么多新移民？ Seeing all these significant numbers, you may wonder: why is Canada accepting so many new immigrants?

让我们更深入地研究这个主题，从了解当前的加拿大人口趋势开始。 Let’s look deeper into this subject, starting with an understanding of current Canadian population trends.

要理解为什么移民在加拿大各地变得如此多，必须了解两个关键因素——加拿大自然人口的老龄化和该国的低生育率。这些人口趋势导致加拿大劳动力市场萎缩，在许多方面对该国经济产生负面影响。 To appreciate why immigration is becoming so prolific across Canada, two crucial factors — the aging of Canada’s natural population and the country’s low fertility rate — must be understood. These demographic trends are causing Canada’s labour market to shrink, negatively impacting the country’s economy in many ways.

加拿大人正在迅速老龄化 Canadians are aging quickly

根据 2021 年的人口普查，从 2016 年到 2021 年，15 岁以下儿童人数的增长速度比 65 岁及以上人口的增长速度慢六倍。此外，加拿大 65 岁及以上人口的比例已上升至 700 万，在 2016 年至 2021 年期间增长了 18.3%。这个年龄段的加拿大人现在占总人口的 19%。这一现实，加上加拿大 65 岁或以上人口的五年最大增长 (+20%) 出现在最近一次人口普查（2011 年至 2016 年）之前的人口普查报告期，表明加拿大的人口明显迅速老化。 According to the 2021 census, from 2016 to 2021, the number of children under the age of 15 grew at a pace six times slower than the number of people aged 65 and older. Moreover, the percentage of persons aged 65 and over in Canada has risen to 7 million, representing an increase of 18.3% between 2016 and 2021. This age group of Canadians now represents 19% of the total population. This reality, along with the fact Canada’s largest-ever five-year increase in persons aged 65 or older (+20%) came in the census reporting period immediately preceding the most current census (2011 to 2016), signals that Canada’s population is clearly aging rapidly.

加拿大人的孩子越来越少 Canadians are having fewer children

加拿大的生育率低于人口更替水平这一现实加剧了人们对加拿大人口自然增长下降趋势的担忧。目前的人口更替水平为每名妇女生育 2.1 个孩子。继 2009 年以来稳步持续的趋势之后，加拿大的生育率随着时间的推移稳步下降，2020 年达到每名妇女生育 1.4 个孩子的历史新低。2020 年，加拿大也经历了自 2007 年以来最低的出生人数和最高的年度-自 1997 年以来出生率下降 (-3.6%)。 Adding to the concern surrounding downward trends in natural Canadian population growth is the reality that Canada’s fertility rate is below the population replacement level. The current population replacement level stands at 2.1 children per woman. Following a trend that has continued steadily since 2009, Canada’s fertility rate has steadily declined over time, reaching a record low of 1.4 children per woman in 2020. In 2020, Canada also experienced the lowest number of births since 2007 and the greatest year-over-year decrease in births (-3.6%) since 1997.

解决方案：加拿大需要移民才能使国家繁荣发展 Solution: Canada needs immigration in order for the country to thrive

加拿大需要移民来促进经济的持续发展和增长。 Canada needs immigration for continued economic development and growth.

一个国家的居民是推动国民支出和消费的动力，为此每个国家都需要强大的劳动力来确保持续生产商品和提供服务。人口稀少和劳动力不足将限制生产和随后的支出，这不利于一个国家的经济福祉。 A country’s inhabitants are what drive national spending and consumption, for which every country requires a strong labour force to ensure consistent production of goods and delivery of services. A weak population and lacking labour force will constrain production and subsequent spending, which is detrimental to a country’s economic wellbeing.

值得庆幸的是，增加移民可以帮助加拿大更好地避免本国出现此类问题。 Thankfully, heightened immigration can help Canada better avoid such problems in this country.

由于上述问题，加拿大严重依赖移民来实现人口增长。事实上，在上一次人口普查报告期间，该国近 80% 的人口增长（2016 年至 2021 年间增加了 180 万）“归因于作为永久或临时移民来到加拿大的新移民。”在那段时间里，加拿大的人口“增长……几乎是其他七国集团国家的两倍”。 Due to the issues addressed above, Canada relies heavily on immigration for population growth. In fact, nearly 80% of the country’s population growth during the last census reporting period (+1.8 million between 2016 and 2021) “was attributable to new arrivals to Canada either as permanent or temporary immigrants.” Over that time, Canada’s population “grew … almost twice as fast as other G7 countries.”

这种由移民驱动的人口增长对加拿大的劳动力大有裨益，事实证明，该国的移民在 2016 年至 2021 年期间占全国劳动力增长的 79.9%。移民增加也意味着加拿大将能够努力实现解决金融邮报所说的“历史性”就业短缺问题。 This immigration-driven population growth has been significantly beneficial for Canada’s labour force, as evidenced by the reality that immigrants in this country accounted for 79.9% of national workforce growth between 2016 and 2021. Heightened immigration also means that Canada will be able to work toward addressing what the Financial Post argues is a “historic” employment shortage.

《金融邮报》援引加拿大皇家银行经济学家 Nathan Janzen 和 Claire Fan 的报告指出，加拿大目前的劳动力市场情况“限制了一半以上的[所有]加拿大企业增加产量，而大流行前为 40%，十年前为 30%前。”值得庆幸的是，“大量移民”，包括集中努力“将新移民的技能用于工作并将这些人才融入加拿大劳动力队伍”，可以为劳动力生产力提供急需的提升。 Citing a report from RBC economists Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan, the Financial Post notes that Canada’s current labour market circumstances are “limiting over half of [all] Canadian businesses from increasing production compared to 40% before the pandemic and 30% a decade ago.” Thankfully, “an influx of immigration”, including a focused effort toward “putting newcomers’ skills to work and integrating this talent into the Canadian workforce” can provide a much-needed boost to workforce productivity.

归根结底，由于移民将为加拿大劳动力增长带来好处，因此移民将有助于加速全国的经济增长。随着越来越多的新移民就业、赚钱并随后将钱花在经济中，加拿大的经济将继续积极发展。此外，随着越来越多的加拿大新移民继续与加拿大公民一起纳税并在住房、交通和其他必需品上花钱，移民水平的提高将直接促进国民经济增长。 Ultimately, as a result of the boon that immigration will provide to Canadian labour force growth, immigration will consequently help accelerate economic growth across the country. As more new immigrants become employed, earn money, and subsequently spend money that goes back into the economy, Canada’s economy will continue developing positively. Additionally, as more newcomers to Canada continue to join Canadian citizens in paying taxes and spending money on housing, transportation, and other necessities, heightened levels of immigration will directly contribute to national economic growth.

FCGvisa translated, © CIC News All Rights Reserved.