Canada sees slowest population growth in decades as migration trends shift

Canada’s population growth continued to slow over the past year as the number of non-permanent residents declined, according to Statistics Canada.

The country’s population reached an estimated 41,798,407 on July 1, 2026, up 189,425 people, or 0.5 percent, from a year earlier.

Statistics Canada said it was the lowest July-to-July population increase since 1944/1945 and the lowest percentage growth since 1915/1916.

The annual growth rate has fallen sharply from 2.8 percent in 2023/2024 and 1.1 percent in 2024/2025.

Statistics Canada attributed the slowdown largely to “changing international migration trends”.

The number of non-permanent residents fell by 154,614 over the year to about 2.78 million, representing 6.7 per cent of Canada’s population.

The decline was driven largely by fewer study permit holders and people holding both work and study permits.

Canada welcomed 99,148 immigrants during the second quarter of 2026, down 4.2 percent from the same period last year.

The population is also ageing, with the average age reaching 42.1 years. People aged 65 and older now make up 20 percent of Canadians.

Alberta recorded the fastest population growth at 1.5 percent, while British Columbia grew by just 0.1 percent.