What population growth means for the economy and inflation - Bank of Canada

The impact on inflation

When newcomers move to Canada, they need to buy many necessities to help them get settled. This increases demand for goods and services, which can have an impact on inflation.

Not all newcomers affect the economy in the same way. For instance, because of their high tuition fees, international students typically add to consumption more than many other newcomers. Overall, though, the initial boost to spending from the recent rise in newcomers has had very little impact on inflation.

But newcomers also need housing, and that’s a different story. Canada has long had housing supply challenges for many reasons, including:

• zoning restrictions
• lengthy permitting processes
• a shortage of construction workers

The result is that new housing construction has not kept up with population growth for many years.

With these housing supply challenges, the recent increase in newcomers has added to the pressure on rent and housing prices. And this has affected inflation.

Ultimately, Canada needs more housing, and the recent focus by all levels of government to increase construction is a welcome development.

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What population growth means for the economy and inflation - Bank of Canada
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