More people are calling Saskatchewan home, according to Statistics Canada.
Between Oct. 1, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018, the province’s population grew by nearly 1,700 people to an all-time high of 1,169,752.
But it isn’t all good news for the province.
The latest data from October to December 2017 show that more than 4,300 people moved out, which is a trend that began in 2016.
For the entire year, 16,261 people moved to Saskatchewan while 23,720 moved out, according to the data.
But the government is choosing to focus on the positives.
“This is the 47th consecutive quarter that Saskatchewan has had a quarterly population increase,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “There is a correlation between the abundance of job and business opportunities in Saskatchewan and people making the decision to settle here.”
International migration was up by 14,836 people and natural increases were up 6,033 people over the year.
“Record population numbers are good news for our economy,” Harrison said. “It shows we are a destination of choice, especially for international migration, which helps meet some of the needs of our labour market.”
Newly-elected Premier Scott Moe has made population growth a particular focus with a goal of 1.5 million residents by 2030.