The Northwest Territories' population has dropped by roughly a per cent over the past year SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” the equivalent of 591 people, a GNWT press release announced on Wednesday.

The release stated that NWT's population varies based on residents moving in and out of the territory. Domestic migration has been largely negative in the territory since 2016, meaning more people leave than enter. Births typically offset the number.

Over the past year, 1,885 persons moved to NWT from other provinces and territories, while 2,977 persons left, which is a net loss of 1,092. There were additionally 616 births and 250 deaths.

Canada's overall population increased by over a per cent, nearly making it the inverse of NWT's population patterns over the past year.

Nunavut, meanwhile, grew the most with an over three per cent increase, followed by PEI at over 2 per cent. The only other province with declining population is Newfoundland and Labrador, which lost under a per cent of its residents.

Territorial population estimates from 2016 predict modest growth over the next two decades, with roughly 46,026 residents expected for the Territory, and indicate smaller communities' populations will shrink as residents migrate to larger centres.