Canada’s population growth stalled in the first quarter of 2025, marking the second-slowest growth rate since 1946, according to new figures released by Statistics Canada.
Between January 1 and April 1, the country’s population increased by just 20,107 people—a growth rate so small it amounts to 0.0 per cent. For context, the only slower period in modern Canadian history was during the third quarter of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the population actually declined.
As of April 1, Canada’s population stands at 41,548,787 people.
This trend is part of a broader slowdown, with the country now recording six consecutive quarters of declining growth rates. It comes in the wake of the federal government’s decision in 2024 to tighten both permanent and temporary immigration levels to better align with housing, healthcare, and infrastructure capacities.
Still, immigration was the only source of population growth in Q1, as the country recorded 5,628 more deaths than births. Canada welcomed 104,256 immigrants in the quarter, while net emigration totalled 17,410. Meanwhile, the number of non-permanent residents dropped significantly—by 61,111 people.
Although immigration remains comparatively high, Statistics Canada noted this was the smallest number of first-quarter immigrants in four years. The last time fewer than 104,000 immigrants arrived in the first quarter was 2016, when 86,246 newcomers were admitted.
This population shift aligns with Ottawa’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which introduced new targets for international students and temporary foreign workers. That plan signalled a pivot away from pandemic-era immigration policies that had driven record population growth in 2022 and 2023.
As the federal government attempts to balance labour market needs with housing and infrastructure pressures, officials say a recalibration is essential.
“In recent years, Canada welcomed newcomers to support our economy and address labour market needs,” a spokesperson said in October. “As we move away from post-pandemic measures, there is a need to better align temporary and permanent resident immigration levels with community capacity.”