The population of Canada was estimated at 41,417,056 on April 1, a decrease of 0.1% from the previous quarter, said the country's statistical agency Wednesday.
Canada welcomed 83,149 permanent immigrants in Q1 2026. This represents a decline of 20.2% compared with the number of permanent immigrants welcomed in the same quarter of 2025 (104,210) and is in line with the lower target established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for the 2026 calendar year, noted Statistics Canada.
Natural increase was negative (-155) in Q1, meaning there were more deaths than births in Canada during this quarter, added StatsCan. By comparison, the natural increase in Q1 2025 was positive, at 983. Natural increase is usually low during the winter months, because there are typically fewer births and more deaths during the colder months. Natural increase was also negative in Q1 of 2022 and 2023.
The preliminary number of non-permanent residents (NPR) decreased by 117,879 people in Q1 2026.
Larger-than-usual updates to NPR estimates for recent years are anticipated, given the rapidly evolving context and shifting international migration policies. Over the last few months, the number of permit extensions granted by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada has increased, while associated processing times have lengthened.
As a result, updates of a greater magnitude to recent NPR estimates may occur, which could lead to more pronounced upward changes to population estimates, according to the Ottawa-based agency.