Canadians want lower immigration as population growth stalls

Local youth skate with a large Canadian flag on the Rideau Canal to launch celebrations for the 60th Anniversary of the National Flag of Canada Day on Feb. 14, 2025 in Ottawa. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Article content

As tighter immigration policies bring population growth to a halt, more than half of Canadians say the country should allow even fewer new immigrants and temporary residents in 2027 compared to this year.

Article content

Some 52 per cent say the country should accept fewer people while 35 per cent believe it should accept the same amount, according to a Nanos Research poll commissioned by Bloomberg News.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Fewer than one in 10 said Canada should accept more immigrants.

Article content

Article content

The poll suggests ongoing support for lower immigration levels in Canada after a historic increase in new residents in 2022 and 2023. Canada’s population grew by 3.2 per cent in 2023, the highest rate since 1957, sparking concerns about strains on the housing market and social services.

Article content

Article content

The federal government began reversing course on some of its immigration policies starting in 2024. It’s now accepting fewer permanent residents and has tightened the rules around both work and study visas.

Article content

The policy changes have brought down Canada’s population growth rate significantly. Last year, the population probably shrank for the first time on record, according to Statistics Canada, though the agency cautioned the data will likely face larger than usual revisions.

Article content

“In an environment where Canadians are worried about the economy, the cost of living and the trade relationship with the United States, the appetite for more new immigrants is weak,” said Nik Nanos, the polling firm’s founder and chief data scientist. “Nationally, Canadians are almost six times more likely to want fewer rather than more new people coming in the country for 2027.”

Article content

Article content

Slower population growth has led to significant cooling in the housing market, resulting in falling home prices in some communities and more modest rent growth.

Article content

Article content

Last year, Canada’s target was to accept 395,000 new permanent residents. It has lowered that to 380,000 for this year and the following two years.

Article content

The federal government is also aiming to bring down the number of temporary work and study visas, setting this year’s targets at 230,000 and 155,000, respectively. Next year’s figures are reduced again, by 10,000 workers and 5,000 students.

Article content

The Nanos poll shows respondents in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were most likely to say they want fewer immigrants accepted, while British Columbians were more likely to say they want the same amount of new immigrants allowed into the country next year.

Article content

The survey of 1,058 Canadians was conducted between March 1 and March 8 by telephone and online, and is found to be accurate within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Article content

With assistance from Mario Baker Ramirez

Article content

Article content