Saskatchewan’s population increased by 16,047 people or 1.4 per cent in the past year. Saskatchewan's growth rate was the third most of all the provinces in the country, trailing only Ontario and Manitoba.

1,161,365 people now call Saskatchewan home, which is an increase of 3,026 people in the first quarter of this year.

Economy Minister Jeremy Harrison says the continued growth is a sign that the economy is gaining strength.

“Saskatchewan is experiencing its longest and largest sustained period of growth since the 1920s,” Harrison said. “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. Even after three years of low resource prices, our resilient and diverse economy continues to create new jobs and attract new people to Saskatchewan.”

For the 2016 census in the southwest corner of the province, the split between increases and decreases in population among larger centres was fairly even since 2011.

Swift Current (6.8%), Gull Lake (5.8%), Kyle (2.7%), Herbert (12.8%) and Frontier (6.0%) are among those with population increases in the five-year period since 2011.

Meanwhile, Maple Creek (-3.4%), Shaunavon (-1.8%), Eastend (-4.6%), Cabri (-2.3%), and Ponteix (-6.9%) are among those with decreased populations.