Canada’s population fell by more than 100,000 in late 2025 as immigration slowed

Key Takeaways

• It has been reported that Statistics Canada’s preliminary estimates show a drop of over 100,000 people in the final three months of 2025.
• The main driver was a sharp decline in non‑permanent residents (about −171,000), especially fewer study and work permit holders.
• Permanent residents still added 83,000 people in that quarter, but that was 19% lower than the year before.
• The federal government announced a temporary fast‑track to convert nearly 33,000 Quebec work permit holders to permanent residents in 2026–27, which could affect future counts.
• Statistics Canada cautions the decline should be interpreted with care because permit extensions and late updates could change the picture.

What the numbers show

It has been reported that Statistics Canada released preliminary estimates indicating Canada’s population fell by more than 100,000 people in the last three months of 2025. Between January and June 2025 Canada gained 77,136 people, but momentum flipped: the agency reported a loss of 179,572 in the final six months of the year, with the October–December quarter driving most of that decline. The agency also noted that between October 2025 and January 2026 there were 781 fewer births than deaths, so natural increase did not offset the migration shortfall.

Why non‑permanent residents drove the drop

Statistics Canada (the national statistics agency) identified a fall of roughly 171,000 non‑permanent residents—people in Canada on temporary status such as study permits and work permits—as the leading factor. In plain terms, fewer international students and temporary workers were counted in late 2025 than in previous periods. By contrast, Canada admitted about 83,000 permanent residents in that quarter (permanent residents, or PRs, are people granted the right to live in Canada indefinitely), but that intake was 19% lower than the same quarter in 2024 and did not fully offset the declines among temporary residents.

Policy context and what it means for people

The federal government has already moved to address parts of the workforce and retention issues. On March 13 a temporary measure was announced to help Quebec transition nearly 33,000 skilled work permit holders to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) administers such transitions; faster conversions and processing can lift future population counts by moving people from “non‑permanent” to permanent categories. Statistics Canada warns, however, that administrative factors—such as late reporting of permit extensions—could produce revisions, so the decline should be read cautiously.

For students, temporary workers and employers, the immediate human impact is mixed. Fewer temporary residents means lost income, enrollment and labour capacity in some sectors. For individuals in the immigration system, the message is practical: watch IRCC announcements, maintain valid status (study/work permits or extensions), and track whether you’re eligible for new transition measures. For policy watchers and provinces, the shift highlights how temporary‑resident flows, processing times and conversion policies can rapidly change headline population figures.

Source: Original Article