Canada, renowned for its welcoming stance and multicultural fabric, has long been a destination of choice for immigrants around the globe. The country’s immigration policies and programs reflect its commitment to diversity, economic growth, and humanitarian values.

Immigration statistics are crucial in understanding the patterns and impacts of these policies. They offer insights into who is coming to Canada, where they are settling, and how they are integrating into Canadian society.

Historical Overview of Canadian Immigration

From the early days of European colonization to the contemporary era of global mobility, immigration has played a pivotal role in shaping Canada’s social, cultural, and economic landscape. Over 17 million immigrants have sought a new life in Canada since 1867.

Understanding this historical journey provides valuable context for appreciating the country’s current immigration policies and the diverse society it has become.

Early Immigration

As Canadian immigration numbers only cover around 150 years of history, they do not show the whole picture. However, here is what we know from 150 years of Canadian government data:

Naturally, annual numbers fluctuated with historical circumstances. They ranged from 6,300 in 1858 and 1859 to the 19th-century record of 133,600 in 1883.

At the beginning of the 20th century, immigration picked up pace. Driven by industrial expansion and the promise of economic opportunity, Canada attracted many immigrants, particularly from Europe.

During this time, policies favored immigrants from Britain and other European countries while limiting immigration from non-European regions. The introduction of the 1910 Immigration Act sought to regulate and streamline the process, reflecting the country’s growing economic needs and the prevailing attitudes toward race and nationality.

While immigration peaked in 1913, when 400,900 people arrived, the beginning of World War I shifted the country’s priorities, and immigration numbers dwindled, only to rise again after the war ended.

Post-War Immigration Boom

A similar fluctuation was seen during World War II. The year 1939 was still somewhat strong, thanks to the first nine months, with 17,000 immigrants. Later on, things Canadian immigration statistics looked like this:

• 1940: 11,300
• 1941: 9,300
• 1942: 7,600
• 1943: 8,500
• 1944: 12,800
• 1945: 22,700

After the war, more people flocked to Canada, with numbers frequently exceeding six digits, a trend that would remain consistent until today.

Recent Trends

Canada has become increasingly attractive to immigrants over the past two decades. Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the country welcomed 468,817 new immigrants.

The highest number of immigrants admitted in recent decades occurred in the year before (2021-2022) when 493,236 entered the country. These numbers broke the previous record for yearly immigration, which was set in 1913 when around 400,000 settled in Canada.

The number of recent immigrants recorded represents a significant rise from the 252,527 immigrants who arrived during the 2000-2001 period.

We will conclude this section by putting immigration statistics from the Canadian Census into historical context:

• 1871 Census: Around 500,000 or 16.1% of the total population.
• 1901 Census: The lowest number on record, with only 13.0%.
• 1931 Census: 2.3 million or 22.2% of Canada’s population.
• 2011 National Household Survey: 6,775,700 or 20.6% of the total population.

2023 Immigration Statistics Canada: A Deep Dive

The total population of Canada exceeded 41 million in 2024, with a significant number due to immigration. In 2023, 471,550 new permanent residents were admitted to Canada, while 379,448 became new citizens.

In the next section, we’ll examine the total number of temporary and permanent residents and provide more data about their origins and what brought them to the Great White North.

Total Number of Immigrants

The total number of permanent residents is approximately eight million in 2024 or 23% of the population. People choose to immigrate for various reasons. The annual data from 2022 shows the following information about permanent residents admitted that year:

• Economic immigrants accounted for 255,680 arrivals.
• Sponsored family members accounted for 97,355 people.
• Resettled refugees and protected persons accounted for 74,355.
• All other immigration reasons accounted for 10,195 people.

On the other hand, around 2.5 million temporary immigrants in 2023 came to the country to work or study. This is a bird’s-eye picture of the temporary resident population:

• 42% are international students. More precisely, there are 807,260 study permit holders in Canada.
• 9% are temporary foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.
• 44% are temporary workers under the International Mobility Program (which also includes refugees, spouses, etc).
• 5% of asylum claimants are still waiting for acceptance. According to the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Canada (IRCC), there were 72,320 asylum seekers in 2023.

Top Source Countries

Currently, most foreign-born immigrants in Canada are born in India, the country of birth for arrivals between 2016 and 2021.

Now, look at the countries of birth for all foreign-born immigrants with permanent resident status according to 2021 numbers. This statistic covers 8,361,505 people.

Country of Immigration	Number of Immigrants
India	898,045
Philippines	719,580
China	715,835
United Kingdom	464,135
United States of America	256,085
Pakistan	234,110
Hong Kong	213,855
Italy	204,065
Iran	182,940
Vietnam	182,095

Regarding recent immigrants in this data collection (1,328,240), those who arrived between 2016 and 2021 are mostly from the same countries, with two main exceptions. Syria was this subset’s fourth-most common country of origin, with 63,135 people, followed by Nigeria with 40,355.

According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, in 2023, there was a notable increase in permanent resident admissions from African nations. Cameroon experienced an 87% rise in PR admissions compared to 2022, the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw a 63% increase, and Eritrea had a 40% increase.

Immigration Programs

The Canadian immigration framework classifies immigrants into three categories, each designed to address different needs and aspirations.

The economic immigrant category has three subsets:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program: This program is for individuals with work experience in managerial, professional, or technical fields who meet certain language and educational criteria.
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: This targets skilled tradespeople with qualifications in specific trades and relevant work experience.
• Canadian Experience Class: This class is for individuals who have already gained work experience in Canada and are seeking to transition to permanent residency.

In addition to these programs, there is something called the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which allows provinces and territories to nominate individuals who meet their specific labor market needs and are interested in settling in that region.

The family class has two subsets:

• Spouses, Partners, and Dependent Children: This law allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children to become permanent residents.
• Parents and Grandparents: Canadian citizens and permanent residents can also sponsor their parents and grandparents through the Parent and Grandparent Program.

The third class refers to humanitarian and refugee immigrants:

• Refugees: Individuals fleeing persecution, war, or violence in their home countries can seek asylum in Canada through various refugee programs.
• Protected Persons: Those who have been granted protection under Canadian law due to risks of persecution or other serious harm in their home country.

Economic Impact of Immigration in Canada

As one of the world’s most welcoming countries for immigrants, Canada has utilized its immigration policies to address demographic challenges, fill labor market gaps, and stimulate economic activity.

Labor Market Participation

The immigrant population is key to the Canadian economy. They fill significant skill shortages, especially in technology, healthcare, and construction. For example, although immigrants with a permanent resident status make up 23% of Canada’s population, they are around 50% of all STEM degree holders in Canada.

Other interesting stats about the immigrant labor force in Canada include the following:

• Immigrants consistently have higher unemployment rates (7.4%) than non-immigrants (5.2%).
• Immigrants who have spent more time in Canada show significantly lower unemployment rates.
• The core working-age immigrant unemployment rate decreased throughout the 2010s until COVID-19, dropping from 5.3% in 2019 to 9.6% in 2020 and further to 5.5% in 2022.
• For recent immigrants, the unemployment rate fell from 12.6% in 2020 to 8.3% in 2021 but slightly increased to 8.8% in 2022 due to a rise in new immigrant labor force entrants.
• A higher proportion of immigrants are over-qualified for their jobs compared to non-immigrants.
• Among core working-age immigrants with a university degree, 19.6% of recent immigrants work in jobs requiring no more than a high school education, compared to 9.6% of established immigrants and non-immigrants.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Canada’s economy benefits from immigrants’ tendencies to innovate and start new businesses. Let’s illustrate this with numbers:

Immigrants make up 32% of all business owners with paid staff. They generate crucial local jobs across technology, construction, professional services, health care, and retail trade. Similarly, Statistics Canada shows immigrant-owned firms are more likely to engage in product and process innovations compared to firms owned by Canadian-born individuals.

Tax Contributions and Social Services

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce indicates that immigrants contribute more taxes than they receive in public benefits over the long term. This positive fiscal impact is partly due to the younger average age of immigrants compared to the native-born population, which results in a longer working life and higher lifetime tax contributions.

Additionally, immigrants help alleviate the fiscal pressures of an aging population by contributing to the workforce and supporting the pension and healthcare systems.

Immigrant Population’s Demographic Impact

Immigration plays a pivotal role in shaping Canada’s demographic landscape. As the country grapples with an aging population and low birth rates, immigrants have become essential in maintaining population growth and ensuring a balanced age structure.

This section explores how immigration affects Canada’s demographics, highlighting the contributions of immigrants to population sustainability, diversity, and economic vitality.

Population Growth and Aging Population

Immigration significantly influences Canada’s population growth and helps mitigate the effects of an aging population. According to Statistics Canada, immigration will drive 100% of population growth by 2032, supporting the country’s aging population.

The same source shows why immigration is essential in mitigating the effects of an aging workforce. Statistics from 50 years ago place Canada’s worker-to-retiree ratio at seven to one, but by 2027, the ratio will reach three to one.

While immigration won’t help the declining population, it still significantly rejuvenates society and helps maintain the economy. Immigrants are mostly here to work, with over half being in the economic category.

Here is the age structure of recent immigrants, showing that they are primarily a working-age population:

• 10.9% were youth and young adults aged 15 to 24.
• The vast majority (64.2%) fell within the core working age group of 25 to 54.
• A significantly smaller proportion (3.6%) of recent immigrants were aged 55 to 64.

Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism

Statistics Canada also shows that the immigrant population has changed significantly over the past 25 years, largely due to the influx of immigrants from Asia and Africa. This shift has significantly altered Canada’s demographic landscape.

Future population growth will rely heavily on international immigration. By 2041, between 9.9 million and 13.9 million people in Canada are expected to be born in Asia or Africa, depending on the scenario.

These individuals could make up 23.1% to 26.9% of the total population by 2041, up from 13.5% in 2016. Consequently, the influx of immigrants from diverse regions such as Asia and Africa brings Canada a wealth of cultural, social, and economic contributions.

These immigrants introduce new perspectives, traditions, and cuisines, enhancing the multicultural fabric of Canadian society and promoting tolerance and inclusivity. It’s a matter of the country’s future, given that 31.5% of children under 15 have at least one foreign-born parent.

Regional Distribution of Immigrants

In 2021, over 90% of recent immigrants chose to reside in one of Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas (CMAs). The primary destinations were Toronto (29.5%), Montréal (12.2%), and Vancouver (11.7%).

However, the proportion of immigrants settling in these three largest cities has been noticeable, dropping from 56.0% in 2016 to 53.4% in 2021. Montréal, in particular, experienced a significant decrease, from 14.8% to 12.2%.

At the same time, an increasing number of immigrants are opting for other urban centers, contributing to population growth in these regions. Finally, 4.4% of recent immigrants settled in smaller urban areas, and 3.2% chose rural regions.

While a significant subset chooses areas where they already have a social network, another subset is driven by Provincial Nominee Programs. These programs address the regions’ needs for specific skills, from construction to technology and healthcare.

Challenges and Controversies

As immigration continues to shape Canadian society, it brings various challenges and controversies. These issues span integration into permanent residency, housing affordability, and broader political and social debates.

Integration into Permanent Residents and Settlement

Integrating immigrants into permanent residency and helping them settle can be fraught with challenges. Many newcomers face difficulties navigating the complexities of the immigration system, accessing essential services, and finding employment that matches their skills and qualifications.

Although 92.7% of recent immigrants can converse in English or French, language barriers exist in more technical and legal areas.

Simultaneously, cultural differences, discrimination, and lack of local networks hinder successful integration and increase the risk of social isolation.

Research from Toronto Metropolitan University shows landed immigrants reported the following bases of discrimination:

• Ethnicity or culture (13%)
• Race or color (11%)
• Language (7%)

Housing Affordability and Infrastructure

Many Canadians are wrestling with serious housing challenges, whether they live in private rental, owner-occupied, or social housing. While the Government of Canada plans to admit more immigrants in the coming years, its investment in housing and infrastructure hasn’t increased sufficiently.

This affects both the Canadian-born and immigrant population. According to Toronto-focused research from York University, economic immigrants more frequently struggle to afford housing:

• 81.3% of Canadian-born individuals lived in affordable housing.
• The same is true for 70.8% of refugees, 74.8% of family-sponsored, and 76.1% of economic-class immigrants who arrived between 1980 and 2005.
• Approximately 65% of immigrants settled permanently less than 15 years ago.

Political and Social Debates

By 2018, 57% of respondents felt that immigration had pressured these services excessively.

However, as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce indicates, immigrants contribute more taxes than they receive in public benefits over the long term. Therefore, the solution to infrastructure and housing problems is much more complicated than simply slowing down immigration.

Since 2019, the general opinion on immigration has shifted towards more negative ones. The proportion of Canadian adults who believe immigration levels are too high has grown over the past two decades, climbing from 33% in 2000 to 49% in 2018.

Since 2019, the percentage of people who think levels are appropriate decreased from 48% to 34%.

Future Projections and Outlook

Looking ahead, the future of immigration in Canada presents a dynamic and evolving landscape. As the country navigates demographic shifts, economic needs, and global trends, projections offer insights into how immigration will shape its societal and economic fabric.

This section delves into anticipated trends, potential challenges, and the overall outlook for immigration in Canada, providing a forward-looking perspective on how these changes will impact the nation.

Government Targets for Immigration Levels

The Canadian Government aims to increase immigration in the following years to address labor shortages and strengthen its retirement system, focusing on skilled workers.

The immigration level’s target in 2024 is to give 485,000 people permanent residence.

The number of permanent immigrants admitted will increase to 500,000 in 2025 and 2026. Additionally, Quebec has announced its immigration targets, aiming to admit 50,000 permanent residents in 2024 and 2025.

In contrast, the government plans to cap the number of temporary residents in the country.

As the number of temporary immigrants reached 6.2% of the population in 2023, the Government plans to decrease it to 5% in the coming three years with a change in immigration policies.

The Role of Immigration in Canada’s Future

Immigrants in Canada amounted to 75% of population growth in 2022 and almost 100% of its labor force growth. Moreover, Statistics Canada reports that 36% of physicians, 33% business owners with paid staff, and 41% of engineers are immigrants, resolving major labor shortages.

The country plans to focus on economic growth, with around 60% of new immigrants coming from the economic category (also the majority). The country will also retain talent by giving essential workers permanent residence.

With these plans in mind, by 2036, 30% of Canada’s population will be immigrants.

Canada’s Ongoing Immigration Story

Immigration remains a cornerstone of Canada’s growth and prosperity, profoundly shaping the nation’s demographic and economic landscape.

The statistics reveal that immigrants are essential for addressing the challenges of an aging population and low birth rates. They accounted for nearly 100% of workforce growth in 2022 and 75% of population growth.

As the worker-to-retiree ratio decreases to one to three, immigration will play a pivotal role in maintaining the retirement system. Two-thirds of immigrants are in the core working age category, while another 10.9% are youth aged 15 to 24.

Still, as the country struggles with a cost of living crisis, many people are dissatisfied with immigration levels, considering them too high. Regardless, immigrants pay more into the system than they spend, meaning the issue lies elsewhere.

Meanwhile, immigrants are overwhelmingly important. They make up a significant number of physicians, tech workers, and business owners, further boosting Canada’s economy.

Immigration is not just a statistical element but a dynamic force that will significantly influence Canada’s future. The ongoing analysis and understanding of these trends will be crucial for crafting strategies that ensure continued prosperity and inclusivity in the years to come.