For the third consecutive quarter, Canada's population has decreased, marking an unprecedented nine-month period with a combined loss of 180,000 people. However, this decline is largely due to Ottawa's efforts to curb the rapid surge in temporary migration that occurred between 2022 and 2024. Other immigration streams continue to operate at generational or all-time highs.
Asylum Seekers Reach Record Numbers
According to the latest Statistics Canada data, the number of asylum claimants in the country has reached an all-time high of 525,479, equivalent to the entire population of Halifax. This figure has more than tripled from 166,780 claimants recorded just four years ago on April 1, 2022. On average, Canada has been admitting 245 new asylum claimants daily over the past four years.
Permanent Immigration Remains Elevated
Despite the overall population decline, permanent immigration is on track to be one of the highest in the last century. In the first four months of 2026, 83,149 permanent immigrants arrived in Canada. If this pace continues, the country will welcome 330,000 new permanent residents by year-end. While this is below the government's target of 380,000 set by Prime Minister Mark Carney, it still exceeds historical norms.
During the 1990s, Canada averaged 220,000 permanent residents per year, and in the 1980s, the average was just 107,000. As recently as 2014, an intake of 260,400 immigrants was considered one of the highest levels in over a century. Even if Canada falls short of its 2026 target, the year is projected to be the sixth-highest for permanent immigration since World War I, surpassed only by the five-year period from 2021 to 2025, when annual admissions averaged 439,000.
Population Decline Driven by Temporary Residents
On Wednesday, Statistics Canada reported that the country's estimated population fell by 0.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, a net decrease of 55,025 people. This drop was primarily due to a reduction of 117,879 in the category of non-permanent residents. Nevertheless, the number of temporary residents remains historically high following the post-pandemic surge.
