COVID-19: Population Growth and Housing Demand

Immigration is the most important driver of population growth in BC, with a growing share within the prime working-age and household-forming demographic.
The global pandemic has resulted in a sharp drop in immigration and consequently BC reporting one of the lowest quarterly increases in population growth since 2011.
In the short term, the impact of lower population growth will weigh most significantly on the rental market due to a significant reduction in international students and new permanent residents.