Canada’s population showed almost no growth in the first quarter of 2025, as reduced immigration targets and an aging population slowed the country’s growth to a near standstill.
The population reached 41,548,787 on April 1, up by just 20,107 people since the start of the year. This is the slowest quarterly growth since the third quarter of 2020, when strict border restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It marks the sixth consecutive quarter of declining population growth. The federal government began reducing permanent and temporary immigration levels in 2024, and the effects are now clear.
In the first quarter of 2025, Canada admitted 104,256 permanent residents, the lowest number for a first quarter since 2021. While still high compared to historical averages, it reflects a shift in immigration policy. Before 2022, the country had never welcomed more than 86,000 immigrants in a first quarter.
The number of non-permanent residents also declined, falling by 61,111 people to just under 3 million. This is the largest drop since the early months of the pandemic. The sharpest decrease came from international students, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia.
Despite the overall decline, the number of asylum seekers and protected persons continued to rise, reaching a record high of 470,029.
Natural population growth — the difference between births and deaths — was negative for the third consecutive year in the first quarter. There were 5,628 more deaths than births, a trend linked to Canada’s aging population, low fertility rate, and seasonal increases in mortality during the winter months.
Five regions experienced population decreases: Ontario (-5,664), British Columbia (-2,357), Quebec (-1,013), Newfoundland and Labrador (-115), and Yukon (-15). The declines in Ontario and B.C. were the largest quarterly losses for those provinces since national recordkeeping began in the 1950s.
In contrast, Alberta posted the largest increase, adding 20,562 people, driven largely by interprovincial migration. It marked the 11th straight quarter that Alberta saw a net gain in people moving from other provinces.
Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut also recorded growth, each increasing by 0.4%.
Interprovincial migration also slowed, with just over 81,000 people moving between provinces in the first quarter, the lowest figure since 2021. Manitoba posted a net gain for the first time in over two decades, while Saskatchewan recorded its smallest net loss since 2013.
While the federal government appears focused on stabilizing population growth at a more manageable pace, it has drawn criticism for doing so without addressing the employment needs of more than 1.6 million jobless Canadians. At the same time, many new immigrants continue to enter the country by taking up jobs that may not be accessible to unemployed citizens.
The disconnect between population planning and domestic employment priorities is raising concerns among economists and labour advocates who question whether the current approach supports