Whitehorse Daily Star

Territory’s population fluctuating

The Yukon’s population shrunk slightly in the first three months of this year after it had rebounded from a fall of 500-plus residents in mid-2013, according to statistics.

By Whitehorse Star on October 17, 2014

The Yukon’s population shrunk slightly in the first three months of this year after it had rebounded from a fall of 500-plus residents in mid-2013, according to statistics.

The most recent figures from the Yukon Bureau of Statistics estimate there were 36,630 Yukoners in January 2014, 36,626 in February and 36,623 in March.

Comparing March of this year to March of 2013, there was a drop in the population of 171 residents, representing a decrease of 0.5 per cent, the numbers indicate.

But this year’s March count also shows an increase of more than 300 residents compared to September last year.

The highest Yukon population estimate on record – 36,816 – occurred in May 2013.

Over the next three months, however, it fell by just over 500 residents to 36,289 recorded in September 2013, the lowest monthly population estimate for all of last year.

Last October saw the beginning of the climb back up to the 36,630 residents in January of this year.

The bureau does not have a precise population estimate for the year of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush nor the following two years.

The first official population estimate of 27,219 was recorded in 1901, according to the bureau.

The Yukon’s population has risen steadily for the past decade, going from 30,387 in January 2004 to 36,630 this past January, representing an increase of 20 per cent in the last 10 years.

The bureau’s Gary Brown said the population estimates are fairly sound, but it must kept in mind there can be a three-month lag before a newcomer shows up in the health care records, and vice-versa for Yukoners who leave.

Overall, however, the estimates do reflect trends, he said.

Brown said the fluctuations in the population growth over the last year are more normal as opposed to the steady climb in growth seen in the last several years.

And the economy did cool off, he noted.

The bureau spokesman said the Yukon’s gross domestic product rose by 1.3 per cent last year, the lowest increase in seven years and substantially lower than in 2008, when it grew by a sizzling 8.6 per cent.

Next to the Whitehorse population of 26,403 – up by 64 residents from March 2013 – Dawson City was the next largest municipality with 1,993 Dawsonites, followed by Watson Lake with its 1,467 residents.

Destruction Bay was the smallest community with a population of 41, Burwash Landing was second with 106 residents and Beaver Creek was the third-smallest with a population of 114.

Riverdale was the largest Whitehorse subdivision with 4,960 residents followed by Porter Creek with 3,813 and Copper Ridge with 3,545, according to the report.

The most recent statistics for the First Nation population show a total of 7,651 aboriginal Yukoners as of June 2013, representing 21 per cent of the territory’s population, with just over half living in Whitehorse.

The statistical summary says the 50-54 age category is the largest, with 3,310 Yukoners in that age range, with the split almost dead even between men and women.

The 75-79 category was the smallest, with 557 Yukoners in that range, while the 80-plus was slightly larger with 620.

It was the 65-69 category which grew the most in the last decade, more than doubling from 2004 to the 1,684 residents in that range as of March, with 918 men and 766 women.

The 15-19 category represented the largest drop, falling by 16.4 per cent from 2004 to this year, with 1,959 in that age range – 984 males and 975 females.

Comments (1)

Up 3 Down 2

June Jackson on Oct 22, 2014 at 11:39 am

I am surprised the numbers are so low. Everywhere you go right now there are tons of houses for sale, suites for rent, mega rentals in the papers.

Pretty hard to own a home up here if you don't work for government, and even then, you have to dedicate the bulk of your income to mortgage payments. No one can make it on just 1 public sector job. Although, I personally know a couple of people who are living 17 in a house. They are just waiting for their permanent residence papers and they are leaving.

Yup.. Whitehorse has finally priced itself out of anyone's ability to live the Canadian Dream. Unless of course your dream is to work your *ss off, fish on weekends and..and what? There isn't money or time for anything else.

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