Canada Sees: Canada’s population reached a new peak of 40.77M in 2023, driven primarily by temporary immigration, according to Statistics Canada. The nation saw an increase of 1.27M people, marking a 3.2% rise from the previous year, the largest surge since 1957.
The influx of immigrants has been linked to housing scarcity, leading to skyrocketing house prices and reduced affordability, impacting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval ratings.
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Moreover, the population boom has contributed to a decrease in the country’s gross domestic product per capita and productivity levels, according to economists and the Bank of Canada.
Statscan reported that 97.6% of Canada’s population growth in 2023 stemmed from international migration, both permanent and temporary. This marks the second consecutive year that temporary immigration has driven population growth, with a net increase in non-permanent residents for the third consecutive year.
Canada has heavily relied on immigration to strengthen its labour force and economic growth. In 2021, nearly a quarter of its population consisted of non-native-born Canadian residents, the highest proportion among G7 nations according to the IMF’s 2021 report.
However, Trudeau’s government has recently implemented measures to limit the influx of international students and non-permanent residents entering the country each year in an effort to alleviate pressure.