The country is experiencing one of the slowest rising population counts in recorded history, with immigration policies from the government directly influencing the most recent trends in demographics.
Also Read Canada’s Population Growth Slows to Historic Low as Immigration Tightens
Quarterly Growth Hits Record Lows
As per statistics, during April through July 2025, the nation’s population rose by just 47,098 individuals, or by just 0.1%. This is the weakest second-quarter growth since the 2020 pandemic era, when travel restrictions around the world froze migrant flows entirely.
In contrast, during the corresponding period in 2023, Canada rose by more than 321,000, and more than 272,000 during 2024—so last year’s number constituted a marked deviation from recent trends.
What Happened?
The federal government enacted an expansive series of immigration reform laws beginning in 2024. They comprised:
- A cap on study visa applications.
- New legislation on open work permits for spouses.
- A break on low-paying Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) in high-unemployment regions.
- A 20% reduction in the annually targeted level of permanent residency.
Ottawa also set clear numerical constraints on temporary resident arrivals for the first time, redistributing the manner in which newcomers enter Canada.
Shrinking Short-term Resident Base
Immigrant temporaries, who had fueled so much of Canada’s development during the past few years, are trending in the wrong direction as well. Their share of the population fell to 7.3% in July 2025 from 7.6% in late 2024.
The drop in the second quarter of 2025 included:
- –32,025 international students
- –19,637 working permit recipients
- –19,072 individuals with both study and working permission
This is a negative development because the government has targeted to cut the number of temporary residents to 5% of the population size in 2026.
A New Immigration Levels Plan
The Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027 solidified ambitious changes. Ottawa established the following temporary resident admission levels:
- 673,650 in 2025
- 516,600 in 2026
- 543,600 in 2027
These were intentional policy choices to limit population growth while responding to pressures on housing and public amenities.
Arrivals Plummet in 2025
Statistics from the government announce precipitous declines in arrivals over the last year relative to 2024. During January through July 2025:
- They welcomed 98,070 fewer international students.
- Worker employment declined by 137,000.
In July alone, students were down 55%, and worker visits were down 37% compared with last year.
A Delicate Balancing Act for Canada
Even as the slowdown should ease affordability and infrastructure strain concerns, it also generates new fears about future workers in Canada. Some industries rely on foreign students, short-term workers, and full-time immigrants to help fill persistent labor gaps.
In the vision of “managed growth” developed by the government, the challenge for Canada lies in achieving a compromise between economic power and population viability.
