The increased pace in population growth was due mainly to a rise in the number of non-permanent residents in most of the provinces and territories, Statistics Canada said.

During the first quarter of 2009, the number of non-permanent residents in the country increased by 23,800, compared with an increase of 15,600 in the same quarter of 2008.

At the same time, immigration to Canada reached 50,800 during the first quarter, down by 2,400 from the same quarter of 2008.

As of April 1, 2009, Canada's population was an estimated 33,592,700, up 88,000 from Jan 1.

The population rose in every province and territory during the first quarter, except for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.

Ontario's population exceeded 13 million despite moderate growth. During the first quarter, it rose 0.21 per cent to an estimated 13,014,000. The province registered a net outflow in interprovincial migration of 5,000 people, the largest first-quarter net outflow since 1975. Ontario has constantly lost population through interprovincial migration since the second quarter of 2003.

While still attracting the largest number of new immigrants in the country, Ontario's share continued to diminish. During the first quarter of 2009, the province received slightly less than 42 per cent of new immigrants. From 1986 to 2006, the province received, on an annual basis, more than half of Canada's immigrants.

Demographic growth remained higher in Western Canada in the first quarter. The four provinces west of Ontario all posted higher growth rates than the national level, with Alberta again recording the fastest growth of 0.59 per cent among the provinces.