According to an April 2005 report by the Credit Union Central of British Columbia, net in-migration to BC totaled 35,566 persons during 2004. Approximately 28,400 of those newcomers came from outside of Canada, while the remaining 7,100 people came from other provinces, with the greatest number coming from Ontario.
Looking ahead to the next three years, the CUCBC predicts the following net in-migration numbers for the entire province:
- 2005: 44,000
- 2006: 57,000
- 2007: 66,000
Among the factors contributing to net in-migration flows are the improving BC economy, which is attracting a growing number of Canadians from other provinces, compared to previous years. As the CUCBC has also noted, 2004 was the first year since 1996 that BC has seen a net gain of people coming from Alberta.
Other significant reasons behind the growing interprovincial migration to BC include people who are moving closer to other family members, and retirees.
