Population growth in Canada continues to slow, hitting record lows in 2025. Preliminary estimates from Statistics Canada show that between Oct. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026, Canada's population fell by 103,504 people, a decline of 0.2 per cent. As of Jan. 1, 2026, Canada had a total population of 41,472,081. In an email to us, a representative for the agency said that 2025 is the first calendar year (from January to December) to show a population decline since 1946, noting that "no one-year period has shown a decrease before 2025." Although population growth was sluggish at the beginning of 2025, Canada did add 77,136 more people in the first half of the year. However, these gains weren't enough to outweigh the loss of 179,572 people in the last six months. Statistics Canada said the decline is largely driven by fewer non-permanent residents, which includes people with work or study permits, or someone who has claimed refugee status. On Oct. 1, 2024, Canada recorded 3,149,131 non-permanent residents, but numbers have steadily decreased since. In the final quarter of 2025, numbers fell by 171,296, bringing the total to 2,676,441 as of Jan. 1, 2026. The recent data is in line with a recent report from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which shows the number of international students in Canada has dropped by 74 per cent over the past two years . However, Statistics Canada notes that recent figures are still preliminary and could change — recent increases in the number of extensions for work and study permits "could lead to larger than usual updates in the coming months." Although Canada welcomed 83,168 new permanent immigrants in the final quarter of 2025, that figure is about 20 per cent lower than the 103,438 new permanent immigrants recorded during the same period in 2024, a number that's in line with the country's immigration levels plan . From Oct. 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026, Ontario remained a top destination for newcomers, with 42.3 per cent of immigrants choosing the province as home. As for interprovincial migrants, Alberta saw the largest growth, welcoming 3,684 people. During the same period, the number of natural births in Canada was negative, which means that there were more deaths than births during that time. Although it's early days, the data is providing us with a clearer picture of how Canada's recent, more stringent immigration policies continue to shape the country's growth. Read the full report on Statistics Canada's website.