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Population dropped in closing months of 2025 due to immigration slowdown: StatCan

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Mar, 2026 09:14 AM
  • Population dropped in closing months of 2025 due to immigration slowdown: StatCan

Statistics Canada's population estimate suggests Canada's population declined last year, due primarily to a drop in the number of non-permanent immigrants.

The estimate suggests Canada's population lost about 102,000 people in 2025.

That came after the non-permanent resident population fell by more than 171,000 individuals between Oct. 1, 2025 and Jan. 1, 2026.

The agency says these estimates should be interpreted with caution, as a spike in renewals for work and study permits could lead to larger-than-usual population changes in the coming months.

The latest figures from the immigration department show the number of arriving international students and workers continues to decline, with a 28 per cent drop in new arrivals between January 2025 and January 2026.

The government's Immigration Levels Plan for 2026 plots a continuing reduction in the number of temporary workers and international students over the next three years, after years of rapid growth that peaked in fall 2024.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

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