TORONTO – Canada’s population has declined sharply following the immigration crackdown, according to Statistics Canada’s preliminary third-quarter report. The Canadian population stood at 41,575,585 as of October 1, a decline of approximately 76,000 from July. The reason: a sharp decline in non-permanent residents, whose number fell by 176,479, the largest decline since comparable records began, the agency noted. 

On October 1, 2025, there were approximately 2.8 million non-permanent residents in Canada, equal to 6.8% of the total population. On July 1, the number of non-permanent residents was approximately 3 million (7.3%). During that period, a record 339,505 temporary permits expired. Only 163,026 were issued. -176,479 is the cut made.

For the Canadian population, this is the first quarterly decline recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

Canada’s population had been steadily increasing since the fourth quarter of 2020, when it stood at 38,027,406, about 1,200 fewer than the previous quarter. In subsequent years, job vacancies grew significantly, prompting the federal government to loosen temporary foreign worker regulations to help companies fill those positions. Then, in March 2024, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed that, for the first time, Canada would introduce a cap on the number of new arrivals of temporary residents, to curb population growth that, according to the then-Justin Trudeau government, was creating a series of problems, including the infamous “housing crisis.” Furthermore, Miller argued that Canada had become too “dependent” on temporary workers.

Then, in September 2024, Miller unveiled a plan to restrict the number of study permits available and limit work permit eligibility for spouses of some master’s students and foreign workers. Instead of 500,000, Canada would accept only 395,000 permanent residents in 2025, and then even fewer the following year. The plan projected that Canada’s population would decline by 0.2% in 2025 and 2026, before returning to 0.8% growth in 2027. A seesaw, in short.

Meanwhile, the daily news tells us that the number of unsold and vacant homes is increasing (and the housing crisis?), colleges and universities are in serious financial difficulty due to the lack of international students (and are laying off staff), and many companies are unable to find the workers they need.

The whole report by Statistics Canada is here: Canada’s population estimates, third quarter 2025

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