Economic profile: Regina (CMA), Saskatchewan

Overview

ReginaFootnote 1 has a population of 249,217, consisting of 15% seniors (65 and older), 66% working-age adults (15 to 64) and 19% children (under 15).

The key sectors of the economy in Regina, which account for 39% of the jobs in the region, are

  • health care and social assistance
  • retail trade
  • public administration

There are 121,445 employed residents, of which 22% are immigrants.Footnote 2

The economy generates a total of $18 billion in household and business incomes, which amounts to $73,312 per resident.

General age structure – 2021

Table 1: General age structure – 2021
  In the region In the province
% children (under 15) 19% 20%
% working-age adults (15 to 64) 66% 63%
% of seniors (65 and older) 15% 17%

Sustainability

In order to support local services such as health care and social programs and maintain a good standard of living for everyone in the region, it is essential to have more working-age adults than seniors. Regina has more working-age adults than seniors compared to the average in Saskatchewan.

From 2011 to 2021, Regina experienced

  • an 18% increase in population, compared to a 9.6% increase in the province
  • an 18% increase in the population’s proportion of seniors, compared to an 18% increase in the province
  • a 5.3% decrease in the population’s proportion of working-age adults, compared to a 4.8% decrease in the province

Population structure – Changes from 2011 to 2021

Table 2: Population structure – Changes from 2011 to 2021
  Changes in the region Changes in the province
Total population +18% +9.6%
Proportion of children +7.7% +2.9%
Proportion of working-age adults -5.3% -4.8%
Proportion of seniors +18% +18%

By 2031, without immigration,Footnote 3 the region could experienceFootnote 4

  • a 2.5% increase in population
  • a 3.9% decrease in the population’s proportion of working-age adults, which could limit the availability and quality of local services
  • a further increase in the population’s proportion of seniors by 27%, potentially changing the demand for local services, including health care and long-term care

No immigration – Possible changes from 2021 to 2031

Table 3: No immigration – Possible changes from 2021 to 2031
  Changes in the region Changes in the province
Total population +2.5% +1.1%
Proportion of children -8.3% -12%
Proportion of working-age adults -3.9% -2.7%
Proportion of seniors +27% +24%

Prosperity

The region relies heavily on working-age adults to keep local services running smoothly and to maintain a good standard of living and economic growth. Immigrants can help by filling job gaps and bringing new skills and ideas, which keeps the local economy strong.

From 2011 to 2021, Regina experienced

  • an 8.6% increase in workforceFootnote 5 size, compared to a 2.7% increase in the province
  • a 123% increase in the number of immigrant workers, compared to a 111% increase in the province
  • a total of 20,291 retirements,Footnote 6 which amounts to 15% of the 2021 workforce, compared to 17% in the province
  • a change in the average income per resident from local jobs relative to the province, which is 12% higher than the average in Saskatchewan in 2021

Economic changes from 2011 to 2021

Table 4: Economic changes from 2011 to 2021
  Changes in the region Changes in the province
Workforce +8.6% +2.7%
Immigrant workers +123% +111%
Retirement as % of 2021 workforce 15% 17%
Wage income generated from jobsFootnote 7 +27% +23%

By 2031, without immigration,Footnote 8 the region could experienceFootnote 9

  • a 33% decrease in workforce size
  • a 29% decrease in the number of jobs
  • an increase in the proportion of seniors in the population from 15% to 20%

No immigration – Possible changes from 2021 to 2031

Table 5: No immigration - Possible changes from 2021 to 2031
  Changes in the region Changes in the province
Workforce -33% -32%
Retirement as % of 2031 workforce 23% 25%
Number of jobs -29% -29%

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are from the 2011, 2016 or 2021 editions of the Statistics Canada Census, and all calculations are from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis.

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