A record 30,092 Canadians and permanent residents left the country in the first quarter of 2026, the highest Q1 figure ever recorded. Add nearly 200,000 departing temporary residents, and Canada’s population fell by more than 55,000 people. Housing costs and a deliberate cut to temporary resident targets are the main drivers.
How Many People Actually Left Canada in Early 2026?
Statistics Canada’s June 17, 2026 release put hard numbers behind a trend many had already felt. Between January 1 and April 1, 30,092 Canadians and permanent residents emigrated, 276 more than the same period in 2025. Another 9,952 returning emigrants came home in the same stretch, leaving net emigration of 20,140 for the quarter alone, a figure higher than Canada’s entire net emigration total for all of 2020.
Why are so Many Temporary Residents Leaving Right Now?
The non-permanent resident picture moved even faster. Only 81,380 new temporary residents arrived in Q1 2026, while 199,259 left, a net loss of 117,879 in a single quarter. That decline lines up closely with Ottawa’s own target of bringing temporary residents down to roughly 5 percent of the population. The federal government cut temporary resident admissions from 673,650 in 2025 to a planned 385,000 in 2026, a reduction of 43 percent. Around 1.9 million permits are also set to expire across the year, and many holders won’t qualify for an extension or a pathway to permanent status.
Which Provinces Felt It the Most?
Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia each saw population dip by 0.2 percent in the quarter. Alberta told a different story, growing 0.2 percent, while Nova Scotia added 0.1 percent. Interprovincially, Ontario lost a net 14,044 residents to other provinces in 2025, while Alberta pulled in a net 22,216, its fifteenth consecutive quarter as the top gainer. Housing affordability shows up again and again in survey data as the leading reason people pack up and move.
Is This a One-Year Story, or Something Longer?
| Year | Total Emigrants | Net Emigration |
| 2025 | 120,640 | 65,706 |
| 2024 | 118,409 | 64,452 |
| 2023 | 117,367 | 64,080 |
| 2022 | 110,172 | 58,570 |
| 2020 | 60,407 | 19,235 |
2025’s total of 120,640 emigrants is the highest Statistics Canada has logged since its records began in 1952, surpassing even the 1960s brain drain era, when skilled professionals chased higher wages south of the border. Every first quarter from 2022 onward has set a new record, which suggests this is a durable shift, not a seasonal blip.
What Does This Mean If You’re Planning to Move to Canada?
For prospective immigrants, this data points to genuine opportunity. A shrinking temporary resident population and softer competition in the labour market mean Canada needs skilled workers and committed newcomers more than the headlines suggest. Housing pressure, the very thing pushing some residents out, should ease gradually as fewer people compete for the same units. Canada’s long-term commitment to permanent immigration, distinct from its temporary resident pullback, remains firmly in place. For families weighing a move, the fundamentals that made Canada attractive in the first place, public healthcare, safety, and long-term stability, haven’t gone anywhere.
If population shifts have you wondering how Canada’s changing levels plan affects your own immigration timeline, ImmigCanada’s consultants can map out your best path forward. Book a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
A record 30,092 Canadian citizens and permanent residents emigrated between January 1 and April 1, 2026, the highest Q1 figure on record.
Yes, Canada’s population fell by 55,025 people in the same period, the second consecutive quarterly decline.
Ottawa cut temporary resident admissions by 43 percent for 2026, and roughly 1.9 million permits are set to expire this year, pushing many non-permanent residents to leave.
Ontario loses the most people overall, both to other provinces and to international emigration, largely tied to housing costs.
The United States remains the top destination, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of western Europe.
No, the pullback applies mainly to temporary residents. Canada’s permanent immigration levels plan continues to bring in skilled workers and families.
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