Canada’s population dropped by 100,000 near the end of 2025. Here’s why

Some of the nearly 400 new Canadians from 65 countries take an oath of citizenship at a ceremony in Toronto on Friday, July 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Canada’s population has dropped by over 100,000 people in the last three months of 2025, according to preliminary estimates from Statistics Canada released on Wednesday.

Between January and June 2025, Canada gained 77,136 people. Though, Statistics Canada noted, the momentum was not enough to outweigh the population loss (-179,572) in the last six months of the year.

The department noted that fewer non-permanent residents (-171,000) in Canada was the leading factor in the fourth quarter population decline. This was mainly attributed to decreases among people holding a study or work permit.

The department noted though, that new immigration legislation could affect Canada’s population in the coming months.

For example, on March 13, Canada announced a temporary measure to help Quebec support skilled workers in obtaining permanent residency. The government plans to fast-track the transition of nearly 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residents in 2026 and 2027.

Still, the department projected the growth is likely to remain below the fourth quarter figures of 2023 and 2024.

By comparison, Canada’s population increased by over 80,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024.

In the same period in 2023, the population grew by nearly 257,000. That expansion, the department noted at the time, was due in large to permanent and temporary international migration.

In the last three months of 2025, Canada welcomed 83, 000 permanent residents. The number was the only positive growth rate in the timeframe despite being 19 per cent lower than in 2024 and helped to combat low natural birth rates.

Between October 2025 and January 2026, Canada logged 781 fewer births than deaths.

Statistics Canada warns that the overall population decrease in 2025 “should be interpreted with caution,” since recent increases in the number of extensions of work and study permits could lead to a larger volume of updates in the coming months.