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Population dropped in closing months of 2025 due to immigration slowdown: StatCan
Canada’s population fell by about 102,000 in 2025 mainly due to a 171,296 drop in temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers, Statistics Canada said.
- On Wednesday, Statistics Canada reported Canada's population declined by about 102,000 in 2025, marking the first annual drop since Confederation in records dating to the 1940s.
- This decrease stems primarily from a sharp exodus of non-permanent residents, with numbers falling by 171,296 in the fourth quarter following federal measures introduced by Ottawa to curb temporary inflows.
- Permanent immigration added 83,168 people during the same period, but natural growth declined by 781 as deaths outnumbered births, failing to offset the broader population loss.
- Reduced temporary resident numbers will likely slow economic growth and create staffing shortages, as Ottawa targets lowering the temporary resident share to 5 per cent by 2027.
- Robert Kavcic, senior economist at Bank of Montreal, projects population growth will remain near zero through 2027, though StatCan advises caution as permit renewals could trigger future data volatility.
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Cambridge Times
OrangevilleCanada’s population just did something it hasn’t done since 1867. Here’s what new StatCan data reveals
StatCan said the population decreased by 102,436 people, from Jan. 1, 2025 to Jan. 1, 2026, the first annual population decline since Confederation.
Canada’s population drops by 100,000 in late 2025 amid sharp fall in temporary residents
Canadas population fell by over 100,000 in Q4 2025, driven by a sharp drop of 171,000 temporary residents, especially study and work permit holders, outpacing natural growth and new arrivals. Despite 83,000 new permanent residents, declining births and immigration shortfalls marked the steepest population contraction since 2023, Statistics Canada reported.
The Canadian population has declined in the last few months of 2025, mainly due to a decline in the number of non-permanent immigrants.
Canada Records First Annual Population Decrease in 2025: StatCan
Statistics Canada’s latest data indicates Canada’s population declined by more than 100,000 people last year, mainly due to a drop in the number of temporary residents as Ottawa seeks to recalibrate immigration levels. Canada’s population decreased by 102,436 people from Jan. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026, according to a March 18 StatCan report. The 2025 calendar year is the first year where estimates have shown a decrease in population size, StatCan…
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