As of September 25, 2026. Canada's population reached an estimated 41,798,407 people on July 1, 2026, according to Statistics Canada. That is 189,425 more people than a year earlier (+0.5%), the slowest growth in percentage terms since 1915/1916. The population did not shrink.
This guide is for newcomers, temporary residents and families planning a move to Canada. It explains who arrived, who left, what the September 2026 revision changed, and what the numbers mean for your permanent residence plans.
What is Canada's population in 2026?
Short answer: Statistics Canada estimates that Canada had 41,798,407 residents on July 1, 2026. Growth has slowed sharply: the country added 189,425 people between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026 (+0.5%), compared with +1.1% the year before and +2.8% in 2023/2024. In the second quarter of 2026 alone (April 1 to July 1), the population grew by 80,343 people (+0.2%), the smallest second-quarter gain since 2020. Almost all of the slowdown comes from international migration: fewer new permanent residents and a falling number of temporary residents such as international students and foreign workers. The figures are published in Table 17-10-0009-01 and are preliminary, which means Statistics Canada can still revise them.
Date
Population of Canada
Change over the quarter
July 1, 2025
41,608,982
+113,550
October 1, 2025
41,723,923
+114,941
January 1, 2026
41,716,698
-7,225
April 1, 2026
41,718,064
+1,366
July 1, 2026
41,798,407
+80,343
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0009-01, released September 23, 2026.
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Short answer: No. After the September 23, 2026 revision, only one recent quarter shows a decline: a drop of 7,225 people between October 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026. In June 2026, Statistics Canada's first estimate said the population fell by 55,025 in the first quarter of 2026. The revised figure is a gain of 1,366. Statistics Canada now counts more temporary residents who stayed in Canada, including people waiting on a permit extension, and uses border exit data to estimate who left before their permit expired. The April 1, 2026 population was raised from 41,417,056 to 41,718,064, an increase of 301,008 people. Many headlines from June and July about a "shrinking Canada" rely on the older numbers.
Who came to Canada and who left in 2026?
Short answer: In the first half of 2026, Canada gained 182,290 new permanent residents: 83,142 in the first quarter and 99,148 in the second, per Table 17-10-0040-01. The number of non-permanent residents (NPRs), meaning people on study permits, work permits or asylum claims, fell by 64,502 in the first quarter and 18,875 in the second. Emigration was 26,114 people in the first quarter and 24,926 in the second. Over the full year to July 1, 2026, Canada admitted 368,224 immigrants while the NPR population dropped by 154,614, the largest annual decrease since comparable records began in 1971/1972.
Component (Canada)
Q1 2026 (Jan-Mar)
Q2 2026 (Apr-Jun)
12 months to July 1, 2026
New immigrants (permanent residents)
83,142
99,148
368,224
Non-permanent residents, inflows
81,048
120,038
441,442
Non-permanent residents, outflows
145,550
138,913
596,056
Net change in non-permanent residents
-64,502
-18,875
-154,614
Emigrants (residents who moved abroad)
26,114
24,926
112,116
Returning emigrants
8,793
12,037
50,287
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0040-01, released September 23, 2026. Figures are preliminary.
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Do "outflows" mean temporary residents left Canada?
Short answer: Not always. Statistics Canada counts a non-permanent resident as an "outflow" when that person stops being a temporary resident. That happens when someone leaves the country, but also when a worker or student becomes a permanent resident and stays in Canada. People who moved from temporary to permanent status appear twice in the table: once as an outflow and once among the new immigrants. So "145,550 temporary residents left" is not an accurate reading of the first-quarter figure. The accurate statement is that the NPR population fell by 64,502 people in the first quarter of 2026. The Statistics Canada release explains that the new method uses border entry and exit data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to estimate who actually left.
How did the September 2026 revision change the numbers?
Short answer: The revision raised the population and softened the decline in temporary residents. Statistics Canada applied two new adjustments to its non-permanent resident estimates from July 1, 2021 onward. The first uses CBSA entry and exit data to estimate how many permit holders left before their permits expired. The second estimates people on maintained status, meaning people who remain in Canada while their permit extension is being processed but are not yet in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data. The table compares the first quarter of 2026 as first published on June 17, 2026 with the revised figures.
Q1 2026 measure
First estimate (June 17, 2026)
Revised (September 23, 2026)
Population change
-55,025
+1,366
Net change in non-permanent residents
-117,879
-64,502
Non-permanent residents, outflows
199,259
145,550
Emigrants
30,092
26,114
Population on April 1, 2026
41,417,056
41,718,064
The first-quarter emigration figure is also no longer a record. Under the revised data, 26,114 is the third-highest first quarter on file, behind 2023 (28,289) and 2017 (27,115).
What is the population of Canada by province in 2026?
Short answer: Ontario remains the largest province with 16,262,121 people on July 1, 2026, followed by Quebec (9,067,114), British Columbia (5,710,598) and Alberta (5,101,050). Alberta grew the fastest of the provinces over the year (+1.5%). Yukon (+2.5%) and Nunavut (+2.3%) grew faster in percentage terms but are territories. The three largest provinces grew more slowly than the country as a whole because they receive the largest share of international migrants. The Northwest Territories was the only jurisdiction to shrink (-127 people). All figures come from Statistics Canada's second-quarter release.
Province or territory
Population, July 1, 2026
Change from July 1, 2025
Ontario
16,262,121
+45,160 (+0.3%)
Quebec
9,067,114
+16,092 (+0.2%)
British Columbia
5,710,598
+8,054 (+0.1%)
Alberta
5,101,050
+76,419 (+1.5%)
Manitoba
1,517,379
+8,797 (+0.6%)
Saskatchewan
1,278,402
+12,113 (+1.0%)
Nova Scotia
1,103,419
+8,262 (+0.8%)
New Brunswick
883,522
+8,811 (+1.0%)
Newfoundland and Labrador
552,462
+2,260 (+0.4%)
Prince Edward Island
182,989
+1,395 (+0.8%)
Yukon
50,356
+1,206 (+2.5%)
Northwest Territories
45,904
-127 (-0.3%)
Nunavut
43,091
+983 (+2.3%)
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Short answer: Canada is actually admitting fewer immigrants than in recent years. The number of new permanent residents fell for the fourth year in a row, to 368,224 in the year to July 1, 2026, the first time below 400,000 since 2021/2022. Under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC set permanent resident admissions at 380,000 a year from 2026 to 2028 and cut new temporary resident arrivals to 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. The government's stated aim is to reduce the temporary population to less than 5% of the total population by the end of 2027. On July 1, 2026, non-permanent residents made up 6.7% of the population, down from a high of 7.2% in October 2024. The next plan, for 2027 to 2029, is due by November 1, 2026: see what to expect from the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan.
What do the new numbers mean if you are on a temporary permit?
Short answer: Competition for permanent residence among people already in Canada is high, and the government is steadily shrinking the temporary population. If your study permit, work permit or Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is expiring, apply for an extension before it expires. IRCC states that if your study permit expires and you have not applied to extend it, you must leave Canada. The same principle applies to work permits. At the same time, the levels plan favours people already in Canada with Canadian skills and experience, so a strong permanent residence strategy matters more than ever.
Practical steps if you are in Canada on a temporary permit:
Check your permit expiry date and apply to extend well before it expires, so you keep your status while IRCC decides.
Check your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score with our CRS calculator and compare it with recent Express Entry rounds.
Look at Provincial Nominee Program streams in provinces that are still growing, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan.
How can Go Far Global help with your move or your status?
Short answer: Go Far Global is a Canadian immigration firm led by Rami Mamar, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) under licence R515110. We help temporary residents plan extensions and a route to permanent residence, and we help families and workers abroad choose the right program. Start with our free immigration assessment to see which programs fit your profile. If you want a licensed consultant to review your case in detail, book a consultation. We explain your options in English, Farsi and Arabic, and we only recommend a program when your profile genuinely fits it.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
Rami Mamar is an RCIC-IRB licensed immigration consultant and Commissioner of Oaths with over a decade of experience helping clients from Iran, UAE, Syria, Armenia, and worldwide immigrate to Canada. He has overseen 10,000+ immigration cases including Express Entry, work permits, study permits, and family sponsorship applications.
