By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Chatham-Kent’s official population count is on the rise, according to Statistics Canada.
Data gleaned from the census in the five-year period between 2016 and 2021 shows C-K’s population went up 2.3 per cent to 103,988 – a reversal from the 2.2-per-cent drop experienced between 2011 and 2016.
Based on Stats Can estimates for the timeframe in between the census, Chatham-Kent’s population was 111,703 as of July 1, 2024 – a number not seen since 2006.
In a presentation to council recently, Jason Stubitz, outlined the various way C-K’s population is expanding, noting the benchmark is only 577 people shy from the highest recorded census number in 2001.
Dovetailing with a Chatham-Kent Workforce Planning Board initiative, Stubitz serves as the municipal co-ordinator for planning and research related to local labour needs.
According to Stubitz, up-to-date population information ensures employers, stakeholders and planners can adequately prepare for future workforce needs, including the drive to attracting and retaining talent to the community.
A few noticeable trends stand out, he explained, noting 24 per cent of C-K residents are over 65. However, in the last two years, the 25- to 44-year-old demographic grew 2.2 per cent. A total of 21 per cent of residents in the municipality are under the age of 20.
“This really highlights the importance of continued attraction and retention efforts, especially of younger residents to address future workforce shortages,” Stubitz told council.
The falling birth rate is another concern, he said. Beginning in 2014 the number of deaths began to outpace the number of births, and in 2024, there were 462 more deaths than births in the municipality.
Immigrants and non-permanent residents continue to play an important role in driving population and workforce growth, Stubitz stated, with 293 immigrants and 489 non-permanent residents arriving in Chatham-Kent between July 2023 to 2024, a trend that’s been moving upward since the pandemic.
Inter-provincial migration has been the main source of C-K’s recent growth, Stubitz said, noting the data suggesting that it’s young families who are moving to the municipality.
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