Canada’s population edged lower in fourth quarter as non-permanent residents drop
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the country’s population edged down in the fourth quarter, dipping 0.2 per cent.
The agency says preliminary estimates indicate the population fell by 103,504 people from Oct. 1, 2025 to Jan. 1, 2026 to bring the number of people in Canada to 41,472,081.
National Bank of Canada says in a note that the population decrease was the first back-to-back drop ever recorded.
Regionally, populations in B.C., Ontario and Quebec all contracted, while Alberta had the fastest growth rate of any province or territory, mainly driven by interprovincial inflows.
The overall drop came as the number of non-permanent residents in Canada is estimated to have fallen by 171,296 in the fourth quarter.
The drop was partly offset by permanent immigration as Canada welcomed an estimated 83,168 immigrants in the quarter, which was down 19.6 per cent from 2024 levels.
The natural increase, the measure of births minus deaths, was down by 781 for the quarter — meaning there were more deaths than births last quarter.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.