More than 27K immigrants arrived in Waterloo Region within last five years: report

Sunset seen over Kitchener, Ont. on May 28, 2024. (Submitted: Louis Larocque)

A new report is shedding light on immigration and demographic changes in Waterloo Region over the last five years.

The 2024 Immigration Profile, compiled by the Region of Waterloo and the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership, includesdata from the 2021 census and other sources. The region said they use the information as a planning tool for infrastructure development, policy making and service planning.

According to the report, immigrants now make up 25.4 per cent of the region’s population.

It also shows that, between 2016 and 2021, there were 27,835 new arrivals in Waterloo Region. Most were racialized groups from South Asian, Black and Arab communities.

The report also took a look at temporary residents. The findings show temporary study and work permits nearly doubled, from 17,630 in 2018 to 36,840 in 2022. That difference, they explained, was largely from international students.

Recent immigrants, the report adds, often face higher unemployment rates and lower median incomes.

“The Immigration Profile brings together important data to help inform our planning as we respond to the significant growth Waterloo Region is undergoing now and prepare for anticipated growth in the future,” Regional Chair Karen Redman said Tuesday in a media release.