3.2 DEMOGRAPHICS

Regional Demographics

Population projections for Alberta under a medium growth model predict that the number of 18–24-year-olds will increase steadily by an average rate of 1% per year to as many as 17,235 individuals by 2046. This projected growth will be distributed across the province, with some municipalities and regions absorbing more growth than others.

Grande Prairie has seen an increase in population, growing by 1.5% from 2016 to 2021. However, Fairview’s population has been declining from 2016 to 2021 the population decreased by 6%.

Additionally, the populations of Grande Prairie and Fairview are aging, as indicated by an increasing median age as well as a decreasing proportion of 15- to 29-year-olds in both municipalities.

In both municipalities, the largest proportion of the population is employed in the sales and service industry, followed by trades, transport, and equipment operators.

Grande Prairie Labour Force by Occupation Fairview Labour Force by Occupation

Enrollment Demographics

Given these trends, this Campus Master Plan will provide a framework for Northwestern to accommodate this projected growth while ensuring the quality of the campus experience.

Northwestern’s student population has been increasing after a few years of decline, increasing to 1,210.651 FLEs (Full-time Load Equivalent) for the 2021/2022 academic year from 1,155.06 the year before. Of the 1,210.651 FLEs, 65% were female and 35% were male. In terms of age distribution, the largest proportion of students by age is 18–24-year-olds, consistently comprising over 68% of the student population.

The proportion of international students has been steadily increasing in recent years, comprising 9.6% of the population for 2021/2022, up from 4.9% for 2020/2021 and 2.5% for 2019/2020.

The indigenous student population has also increased from the 2020/2021 year, from 122.92 FLEs to 148.38 FLEs for the 2021/2022 academic year.