Canada's population rose by 189,425 people, or 0.5% annually, to an estimated 41.8 million in the 12 months ending July 1, marking the slowest July-to-July population growth since 1944/45 and the weakest percentage growth since 1915/16, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday.
Growth also slowed sharply in the second quarter, with the population rising by just 80,343 people, or 0.2% on the quarter, which was the smallest second-quarter increase since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote Statistics Canada in a statement.
The slowdown largely reflects weaker international migration, said StatsCan. The number of non-permanent residents (NPR) fell by 154,614 over the year to 2.78 million, accounting for 6.7% of the population, mainly due to declines in study and work permit holders.
Immigration also continued to slow, with 368,224 new immigrants arriving in the year to July 2026, the agency added. The figure fell for a fourth straight year and dropped below 400,000 for the first time since 2021/22.
The changing migration patterns are also driving a renewed trend of population aging. As of July 1, Canada's average age rose to 42.1 years.
Alberta experienced the fastest population growth among the provinces, increasing by 1.5%, while the Northwest Territories was the only region to see a decrease, declining by 0.3%, said StatsCan.