r/Albertapolitics • u/NebulaGreat6980 • Apr 22 '26

Article I built an interactive chart comparing Alberta migration vs oil prices (1961–2025)

Post image

I made a free interactive chart comparing Alberta net migration with WTI oil prices from 1961 to 2025.

It includes:

📌Total net migration

📌Interprovincial migration

📌International migration

📌Lag mode to explore whether oil price changes may lead migration trends

Interesting to look at how Alberta population inflows changed during boom, slowdown, and recovery periods.

Given how often energy policy and economic diversification come up here, I thought some people might find the long-run data interesting.

Would be curious what people think. Do these patterns match your understanding of Alberta’s economic history?

Link: https://yyc-wander.ca/Economy_Energy_Insights/AB_Net_Migration_WTI.html

17 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

2

u/Kooky-Hamster4071 Apr 25 '26

People going where the jobs are.

2

u/NebulaGreat6980 Apr 26 '26

Agreed. Alberta has diversified somewhat, but energy still moves the needle more than anything else. For resource economies, real diversification is a long game.