Canadian population growth continued to slow with almost no increase in Q1

Statistics Canada says population growth stalled in the first quarter.

The agency reported the Canadian population rose by 20,107 people from Jan. 1 to April 1 to 41,548,787 — the smallest increase since the third quarter of 2020, when it contracted by 1,232 people.

The increase was so small that it amounted to effectively no growth, StatCan said.

“This was the second-slowest quarterly growth rate in Canada since comparable records began (first quarter of 1946), behind only the third quarter of 2020 and tied with the fourth quarter of 2014,” the agency said in its release Wednesday.

It marked the sixth consecutive quarter of slower population growth, following the federal government’s 2024 decision to reduce both temporary and permanent immigration levels.

However, immigration still accounted for all population growth in the quarter, as there were 5,628 more deaths than births in Canada.

Canada admitted 104,256 immigrants in the first quarter of 2025, while net emigration totalled 17,410.

Meanwhile, the number of non-permanent residents dropped by 61,111.

While the rate of population growth slowed during the quarter, Statistics Canada said immigration levels remain high — though lower than in recent years.

The agency noted it was the smallest number of immigrants admitted during a first quarter in four years.

“However, prior to 2022, Canada had never welcomed more than 86,246 immigrants in a first quarter (which occurred in the first quarter of 2016),” the agency said.

In October of last year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada released its 2025–27 Immigration Levels Plan, which for the first time included targets for international students and temporary foreign workers.

“In recent years, Canada welcomed newcomers to support our economy and address labour market needs. As we move away from post-pandemic measures, there is a need to better align temporary and permanent resident immigration levels with community capacity,” the federal government said at the time.