Canada's population increased 5.9 percent to 33,476,688 people from 2006 to 2011, census data released by Statistics Canada showed Wednesday, according to UPI. The previous 5-year period showed a 5.4 percent increase and both census periods topped population growth among the Group of Eight industrialized nations, the report said. "The increase in the growth rate was attributable to slightly higher fertility and to an increase in the number of non-permanent residents and immigrants," StatsCan said. Only the Northwest Territories recorded zero population growth among the three territories and 10 provinces. "Nationally, the highest rate of growth occurred in Yukon, where the population increased 11.7 percent between 2006 and 2011," the report said. Among the provinces, Alberta's 10.8 percent growth was the highest among provinces. Some 69.1 percent of people live in one of the Canada's 33 metropolitan areas, or 23,123,441 residents. The three largest metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, accounted for 35 percent of the total Canadian population, StatsCan said.
