Hard Numbers: Inflation goes on “tour,” Canada’s population growth and US homelessness spike, McGill ponies up to keep non-Quebecers on campus, Ottawa lawmakers seek ban on pension investments in China

Image of Queen Elizabeth II on the Canadian twenty dollar bill on September 08, 2022.
Image of Queen Elizabeth II on the Canadian twenty dollar bill on September 08, 2022.
Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto

3.1: Annual inflation in Canada held steady at 3.1% in November, higher than analysts expected, largely due to surging travel tour prices. Inflation has fallen by half since its peak a year ago but remains stubbornly above the central bank’s target of 2%. The regulator is still expected to start cutting rates again in 2024.

3,000: McGill will offer CA$3,000 scholarships to out-of-province students starting to counteract a new move by the Quebec government that raises tuition for non-Quebecois students (from CA$9,000 to CA$12,000). The government says raising prices for students from elsewhere in Canada will help to preserve Quebec’s French language and culture. But McGill says it will undermine the diversity of the student body and that it’s willing to take a financial hit to keep attracting smart kids from the whole country.

430,000: Canada’s population expanded by 430,000 people in the third quarter of this year, marking its fastest growth rate since 1957, and rising immigration had already put 2023 on track for an annual population growth record. The influx has helped to maintain economic growth and expand the workforce as Canada’s population ages, but it has also exacerbated the nationwide housing shortage.

12: Speaking of housing shortages, the US homeless population rose 12% between 2022 and 2023. The data, gathered during a single night of surveys done in January of each year, showed that more than 650,000 Americans were without housing in 2023, the highest number since the study began 15 years ago. Experts say rising rents and the expiration of pandemic-related stimulus measures are partly to blame.

16.1: A group of Canadian lawmakers is pressing the government to stop Canada’s public pension fund from investing in Chinese companies accused of human rights abuses. While the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board does not invest in any such companies directly, in 2023 the fund had CA$16.1 billion worth of exposure to a leading emerging markets index fund that includes Chinese firms accused of using forced labor among the Uyghur population in Xinjiang.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

Fifty years after the fall of Saigon (or its liberation, depending on whom you ask), Vietnam has transformed from a war-torn battleground to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies—and now finds itself caught between two superpowers. Ian Bremmer breaks down how Vietnam went from devastation in the wake of the Vietnam War to becoming a regional economic powerhouse.

Eurasia Group and GZERO Media are seeking a highly creative, detail-oriented Graphic and Animation Designer who lives and breathes news, international affairs, and policy. The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience using visual storytelling—including data visualizations and short-form animations—to make complex geopolitical topics accessible, social-friendly, and engaging across platforms. You will join a dynamic team of researchers, editors, video producers, and writers to elevate our storytelling and thought leadership through innovative multimedia content.

The body of Pope Francis in the coffin exposed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 24, 2025. The funeral will be celebrated on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.
Pasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/ipa-agency.net/IPA/Sipa USA

While the Catholic world prepares for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday – the service begins at 10 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. ET – certain high-profile attendees may also have other things on their mind. Several world leaders will be on hand to pay their respects to the pontiff, but they could also find themselves involved in bilateral talks.

A Ukrainian rescue worker sits atop the rubble of a destroyed residential building during rescue operations, following a Russian missile strike on a residential apartment building block in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2025.
Photo by Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard at the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and an alliance of militias led by the notorious M23 rebels announced a ceasefire on Thursday after talks in Qatar and, after three years of violence, said they would work toward a permanent truce.

Students shout slogans and burn an effigy to protest the Pahalgam terror attack in Guwahati, Assam, India, on April 24, 2025. On April 22, a devastating terrorist attack occurs in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 tourists.
Photo by David Talukdar/NurPhoto

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has blamed Pakistan for Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, and he’s takenaggressive action against its government.

- YouTube

“When things are going fine, nobody really tests the skills and talents of their financial advisor, but this is a moment where really good advice can be extraordinarily powerful,” says Margaret Franklin, CFA Institute's CEO and President. In conversation with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis, Franklin describes the current financial climate as “maximum uncertainty,” rating it a 10 out of 10 on the risk scale.

President Donald Trump at a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

On Wednesday, Donald Trump said he would deliver a “fair deal” with China and that he’d be “very nice” to the country after meeting with major retailers. But Beijing denies that there are any ongoing talks and has told the US it must cancel its unilateral tariffs before China will broker any negotiations.