Saskatchewan's population grows by more than 3,000 people

Saskatchewan’s population grew by 3,026 to 1,161,365 people in the first quarter of 2017.

Over the past year, the province’s population has grown by 16,047 people – a growth rate of 1.4 per cent.

That’s the third-highest rate of growth among the provinces, behind Manitoba and Ontario.

In a news release Thursday, Economy Minister Jeremy Harrison said the continued growth is a sign that the economy is gaining strength. He noted that Saskatchewan is experiencing its longest and largest sustained period of growth since the 1920s.

“Ten years ago, we still had under a million people in Saskatchewan. Since 2007, we have grown by nearly 164,000 people. That’s a decade of growth, and a huge change from the previous decade of decline, when Saskatchewan’s population actually dropped by more than 20,000 people,” Harrison said.

“Even after three years of low resource prices, our resilient and diverse economy continues to create new jobs and attract new people to Saskatchewan.”