Canada’s population growth has ground to a near halt, marking the slowest quarterly expansion in nearly a decade, excluding the pandemic era, amid a significant pullback in immigration, new figures from Statistics Canada show.
According to the agency’s first-quarter data, Canada added just 20,107 new residents between January and March 2025, essentially flatlining the country’s growth rate. That compares sharply with an average quarterly increase of 0.3% over the past ten years. The last time Canada saw a growth slowdown of this magnitude, aside from the COVID-19 period, was in late 2014.
The decline comes as the federal government moves to rein in temporary immigration, especially in the wake of soaring numbers of international students and foreign workers in recent years. These groups had helped drive Canada’s record-breaking population growth since 2021, putting the country’s expansion rate on par with some of the fastest-growing African nations.
Much of the recent decline stems from a reduction in non-permanent residents, particularly foreign students. The total number of temporary residents in Canada dropped to roughly 3 million people, or 7.1% of the total population. That’s down from 7.4% at its peak last year, representing the steepest quarterly drop in non-permanent residency ever recorded outside of a pandemic year.
Ontario and British Columbia, which had previously absorbed the largest shares of international students, experienced the most significant quarterly population losses since recordkeeping began in 1951.While the number of temporary residents has shrunk, asylum claims have surged. Canada recorded its 13th straight quarterly increase in asylum seekers, with a total of 470,029 claims, setting a new record.
The federal government, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, has responded by proposing stricter rules for asylum seekers and reaffirming limits on foreign student permits and temporary work visas. A bill tightening asylum eligibility is expected to be debated in Parliament this week, a move seen as both a policy response and a political signal amid a potential influx of refugees escaping renewed immigration crackdowns in the U.S.
The sudden cooling in population growth reflects a deliberate policy reset. After years of record immigration under Justin Trudeau’s leadership, the Carney government has shifted toward a more controlled approach. Carney has pledged to bring immigration levels to what he calls a “sustainable pace” while still positioning Canada as a magnet for top global talent.
Yet, the challenge is clear: Canada’s aging demographic means that all recent population growth still hinges on international migration. The natural population births minus deaths continues to shrink, with deaths outnumbering births by more than 5,600 in the first quarter alone.
The long-term plan, government sources say, is to pause aggressive growth temporarily and resume a more stable trajectory in line with historical trends. But with public support for immigration eroding in some corners, the government faces pressure to both manage capacity and maintain Canada’s reputation as a welcoming destination.