Canada recorded a significant drop in immigration in 2025, with new arrivals falling by nearly 19 per cent compared with the previous year, according to newly released federal data.
The figures show that 393,530 immigrants entered the country in 2025, down from 483,655 in 2024. The decline marks the first notable drop in immigration levels outside the pandemic period since 2015.
The slowdown has also affected overall population growth. Statistics indicate Canada added just 47,098 people in the second quarter of 2025, representing an increase of only 0.1 per cent.
Data compiled from federal immigration records indicates the largest declines occurred in Atlantic Canada and the Prairie provinces, while Quebec recorded a slight increase in arrivals and northern regions saw modest growth.
Among immigration categories, refugee admissions experienced the steepest decline, followed by economic immigrants and family-sponsored applicants.
Applications for permanent residency also fell across several major source countries. The largest decreases came from Iran and Afghanistan, both of which recorded drops of more than 33 per cent. Other notable declines were reported from China, Pakistan, Eritrea and India, where applications fell by about 22 per cent.
In contrast, immigration applications from France, Ukraine and Cameroon showed increases.
International student permits also dropped sharply. In 2025, the number of new permits issued declined by more than 25 per cent compared with the previous year, representing a reduction of over 131,000 permits. The largest drop came from India, where new permits fell by roughly 50 per cent, from more than 188,000 in 2024 to about 94,600 in 2025.
The number of temporary foreign workers entering Canada also decreased. Admissions fell by about 12 per cent, declining from 190,945 in 2024 to 168,245 last year.
According to Jack Jedwab, the uneven reductions could affect regional population growth across the country. He noted that immigration remains Canada’s primary source of population increase, meaning some regions may experience slower growth or even population decline.
Immigration levels have been a key policy focus since Justin Trudeau came to power in 2015, when Canada began increasing immigration targets significantly. From 2016 to 2024, immigration growth averaged about 15 per cent annually, compared with roughly four per cent between 2000 and 2015.
The federal government has since signalled a shift toward stabilizing immigration levels. According to the latest plan from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the government aims to return to what it calls more sustainable immigration levels.
Under the current 2026–2028 immigration plan, Canada plans to reduce the temporary resident population to below five per cent of the country’s total population by the end of 2027. Targets for new temporary residents have been set at about 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.