The City of Steinbach now has an official population of 17,806 residents. Statistics Canada released its 2021 Census numbers Wednesday morning, showing an 11.1 per cent growth since the last Census in 2016.

The fastest growing area in the southeast is the Town of Ste. Anne, followed close behind by the Town of Niverville. Ste. Anne grew by 36.8 per cent and now has a population of 2,891, while Niverville grew by 29 per cent and now has a population of 5,947.

Meanwhile, the RM of Hanover now has a population of 17,216 after growing by 10.8 per cent.

The RM of Tache has a population of 11,916 and grew by three per cent.

The RM of Ritchot has a population of 7,469 and grew by 11.8 per cent.

The RM of La Broquerie has a population of 6,725 and grew by 10.7 per cent.

The RM of Ste. Anne has a population of 5,584 and grew by 11.6 per cent.

The RM of De Salaberry has a population of 3,918 and grew by 9.4 per cent.

The RM of Emerson-Franklin has a population of 2,437 and shrunk by 3.9 per cent.

The RM of Piney has a population of 1,843 and grew by 6.8 per cent.

The RM of Stuartburn has a population of 1,731 and grew by five per cent.

The Village of St. Pierre has a population of 1,305 and grew by 11.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, the population of Manitoba grew by five per cent since the last Census. Our province now has 1,342,153 residents. Canada's population grew by 5.2 per cent and is now 36,991,981.

The census provides the most detailed portrait of the Canadian population that is used by governments to plan for new schools, roads and hospitals, and also for calculating federal transfers to provinces to cover health-care costs.

Statistics Canada plans to add more flourishes to the paint-by-numbers exercise as the year rolls on to reveal more information about how the country has aged, changes among Indigenous populations, and working during the pandemic.

The pandemic is expected to have an effect on census results, although experts suggest the country may have to wait a few years to learn whether COVID-19 caused a permanent or temporary shift in the portrait of the population.

2016 Census numbers
Steinbach - 15,829
Hanover - 15,733
Niverville - 4,610
RM La Broquerie - 6,076
RM Ste. Anne - 5,003
RM Tache - 11,568
RM Ritchot - 6,679
Town of Ste. Anne - 2,114
St. Pierre - 1,170
RM of De Salaberry - 3,580
RM of Piney - 1,726
RM of Stuartburn - 1,648
Emerson-Franklin - 2,537

With files from The Canadian Press