Canada's population estimates, fourth quarter 2024
Released: 2025-03-19
41,528,680
January 1, 2025
0.2% 
(quarterly change)
545,579
January 1, 2025
-0.1% 
(quarterly change)
179,280
January 1, 2025
-0.0%
(quarterly change)
1,079,627
January 1, 2025
-0.0%
(quarterly change)
858,963
January 1, 2025
0.2%
(quarterly change)
9,111,629
January 1, 2025
0.1%
(quarterly change)
16,182,641
January 1, 2025
0.1%
(quarterly change)
1,504,023
January 1, 2025
0.3%
(quarterly change)
1,250,909
January 1, 2025
0.3%
(quarterly change)
4,960,097
January 1, 2025
0.6%
(quarterly change)
5,722,318
January 1, 2025
0.0%
(quarterly change)
47,126
January 1, 2025
0.4%
(quarterly change)
45,074
January 1, 2025
0.3%
(quarterly change)
41,414
January 1, 2025
0.4%
(quarterly change)
Smaller gains from international migration continue to slow population growth
On January 1, 2025, Canada's population reached 41,528,680 people. This corresponds to an increase of 63,382 people compared with October 1, 2024, or a quarterly growth rate of 0.2%.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, the quarterly growth (+0.2%) continued the slowdown that began after the peak reached in the third quarter of 2023 (+1.1%). It marked the slowest rate since the fourth quarter of 2020 (+0.1%), when border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were also in place.
The fourth quarter typically sees slower growth, as international migration and births tend to decline and deaths to rise during the colder months. The growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2024 was similar to what was seen in the same quarter of each year in the decade before the start of the pandemic (ranging from +0.0% to +0.3% during the period from 2009 to 2019).
Slowing growth rate is attributable to fewer non-permanent residents
There were 28,341 fewer non-permanent residents in the country on January 1, 2025, than on October 1, 2024. This was the first quarterly decrease in the number of non-permanent residents since the fourth quarter of 2021 (-15,299) and was the largest decline since the third quarter of 2020 (-67,698), when the pandemic-related border restrictions limited the growth in the number of non-permanent residents.
Before 2022, a decrease in the number of non-permanent residents was common in the fourth quarter, as many non-permanent resident permits expire on December 31. The increases in the fourth quarters of 2022 and 2023 were mostly attributable to a rise in the numbers of work permit holders.
The 3,020,936 non-permanent residents in the country on January 1, 2025, made up 7.3% of the total population, down slightly from 3,049,277 non-permanent residents (7.4%) on October 1, 2024.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, the decrease in the number of people holding only a study permit (-32,643) was somewhat tempered by the increasing number of asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups (+25,774), which rose for the 12th consecutive quarter and reached a new record high of 457,285 people. The number of people with only a study permit decreased in every quarter in 2024. Work permit holders only, including those who may also simultaneously have held a study permit (1,791,726), decreased by 18,435 in the fourth quarter of 2024, following 11 straight quarters of increases.
Strong first and second quarter growth keeps the 2024 annual growth rate high
With the release of the fourth quarter population estimates, a full portrait of the annual growth in 2024 is possible. Canada's population increased by 744,324 people in 2024, a growth rate of 1.8%. While this growth rate was lower than those in 2022 (+2.5%) and 2023 (+3.1%), it was higher than that in any year from 1972 to 2021. This may reflect a transition back to the population growth patterns seen before the start of the pandemic.
Notably, more than two-thirds (67.7%) of the population increase (+504,243 people) occurred in the first two quarters of the year. Typically, growth is more evenly distributed throughout the year.
Canada's population growth is driven by international migration. Accordingly, as the number of immigrants admitted or the number of non-permanent residents decreases, so does overall population growth. In 2024, the Government of Canada announced policies to limit the number of non-permanent residents. The slower growth in the second half of the year could reflect the implementation of some of these policies.
However, because of low levels of natural increase (births minus deaths), international migration still accounted for 98.5% of the total growth (+62,401 people) in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 97.3% of the growth over the full year (+724,586 people).
The number of non-permanent residents increased from 2,729,771 on January 1, 2024, to 3,020,936 on January 1, 2025—an increase of 291,165, which is nearly three times smaller than the increase in 2023 (+820,766). Most of the increase in 2024 took place in the first (+154,483) and second (+117,836) quarters, with the second half of the year seeing a net gain of 18,846 people.
Permanent immigration in 2024 close to annual target
Canada welcomed 103,481 permanent immigrants in the fourth quarter of 2024, similar to levels seen in the same quarter from 2021 to 2023.
In total, Canada gained 483,591 permanent immigrants in 2024, in line with the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This marks the highest number of immigrants welcomed in any year since 1972 (when comparable data became available), with Newfoundland and Labrador (5,808), Prince Edward Island (3,981), Nova Scotia (14,234), New Brunswick (15,497), Alberta (66,359), Yukon (939), the Northwest Territories (420), and Nunavut (66) all welcoming record-high numbers of immigrants.
Differences between data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Statistics Canada collaborates closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other federal departments to estimate the number of non-permanent residents living in Canada. The demographic estimates from Statistics Canada are updated on an ongoing basis, as new or revised data become available from its partners. Caution should be exercised when comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with temporary residents and asylum claimants from IRCC due to the different objectives of the two data sources.
Today, Statistics Canada is releasing a new video which explains how the estimates of non-permanent residents are calculated. Please see the product "How does Statistics Canada estimate the number of non-permanent residents?."
Please also see the products "Non-permanent residents data at Statistics Canada" and "Statistics on non-permanent residents at Statistics Canada." These products define non-permanent resident data at Statistics Canada and the various data sources available to users.
Three of the four Atlantic provinces experience population loss in the fourth quarter
Newfoundland and Labrador (-301 people; -0.1%), Prince Edward Island (-21 people; -0.0%), and Nova Scotia (-49 people; -0.0%), all recorded small population losses from October 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025. These slight declines are attributable to decreases in the number of non-permanent residents, a negative natural increase, fewer new immigrants, and losses (Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island) or smaller gains (Nova Scotia) from interprovincial migration.
Before 2021, it was common for one or all three of these provinces to experience negative quarterly growth, but this has not been the case since the fourth quarter of 2020. These patterns may reflect a return to the trends seen before the start of the pandemic.
Among the provinces, the fastest growth in the fourth quarter was seen in the Prairie provinces of Alberta (+0.6%), Saskatchewan (+0.3%) and Manitoba (+0.3%). As for the territories, Yukon and Nunavut each saw growth of 0.4%, while the Northwest Territories posted growth of 0.3%. With these latest population estimates, the population of Manitoba has now surpassed 1.5 million people (1,504,023).
Interprovincial migration follows recent trends
There were fewer interprovincial migrants in the fourth quarter of 2024 than in the previous three quarters, the typical pattern for internal migration in Canada. The number of migrants (46,980) in the fourth quarter was also lower than in the fourth quarters of 2021 (59,264), 2022 (63,151) and 2023 (53,309), but similar to pre-pandemic levels.
Alberta (+5,292 migrants) continued to have the largest net gain from other provinces and territories in the fourth quarter of 2024. Nova Scotia (+344), New Brunswick (+252) and Nunavut (+64) were the only other provinces and territories to have net gains.
Alberta (+36,082) saw the largest net gain from interprovincial migration in 2024, although this gain was smaller than the one in 2023 (+42,243). Quebec (-1,901) saw its smallest loss from interprovincial migration in any year since 2003 (-221).
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Note to readers
The demographic estimates for the fourth quarter of 2024 released today are considered preliminary and will be updated using the standard procedure followed by Statistics Canada for decades. They are based on 2021 Census counts, adjusted for census net undercoverage and incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements. To these counts, the population growth estimates for the period from May 11, 2021, to the date of the estimate are added.
Canada's population clock (real-time model)
Canada's population clock (real-time model) was updated today with the most recent data from quarterly population estimates released by Statistics Canada.
Canada's population clock is an interactive learning tool aiming to give Canadians a sense of the pace of the country's population renewal. The population estimates and census counts remain the measures used by various government programs.
Definitions
For the purpose of calculating rates, the denominator is the average population during the period (the average of the start-of-period and end-of-period populations). For the sake of brevity, the terms growth, population growth and population growth rate have the same meaning.
Population growth or total growth in Canada is equal to natural increase (births minus deaths) plus international migratory increase (immigrants plus net non-permanent residents minus net emigration). At the provincial and territorial level, total population growth also includes interprovincial migratory increase.
Net international migration refers to the total number of moves between Canada and abroad that result in a change in the usual place of residence. It is calculated by adding immigrants, returning emigrants and net non-permanent residents, then subtracting emigrants.
An immigrant refers to a person who is a permanent resident or a landed immigrant. Such a person has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Persons who are born abroad to a Canadian parent are not immigrants but are included in the returning emigrant component. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms immigrant, landed immigrant and permanent resident refer to the same concept.
Non-permanent resident refers to a person from another country with a usual place of residence in Canada and who has a work or study permit, or who has claimed refugee status (asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups). Family members living with work or study permit holders are also included unless these family members are already Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents) or non-permanent residents themselves. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms non-permanent resident and temporary immigrant refer to the same concept. Caution should be exercised when comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with temporary residents and asylum claimants from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) due to the different objectives of the two data sources.
Permit holders and their family members are non-permanent residents who are not asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups but who hold a permit (for work, study or temporary residence). This classification also includes their family members who are not Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents) or non-permanent residents themselves.
Persons who claimed refugee status include asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups. Separate estimates for asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are not available. Asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are defined as:
- Asylum claimant refers to a foreign national who has made a refugee claim while in Canada on a temporary basis and whose claim is pending decision.
- Protected person refers to a person who has made a claim in Canada and received a positive decision. For population estimates, protected persons leave this population if they obtain permanent residence.
- Related groups include those who received a negative decision or withdrew or abandoned their claim and have not yet regularized their status or departed Canada.
Interprovincial migration represents all movement from one province or territory to another involving a change in the usual place of residence. A person who takes up residence in another province or territory is an out-migrant with reference to the province or territory of origin and an in-migrant with reference to the province or territory of destination.
Acknowledgements
The Demographic Estimates Program of Statistics Canada is grateful for the ongoing partnership with IRCC, which greatly contributes to the accuracy of the estimations of immigrants and non-permanent residents.
Products
The product "Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is available.
The product "Canada's population clock (real-time model)" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "How does Statistics Canada estimate the number of non-permanent residents?" (11-619-X) is also available.
The Population and demography statistics and Older adults and population aging statistics portals are also available.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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