December 17, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Statistics Canada reports that for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has seen a decline in its total population.
According to federal estimates, the country’s population decreased by approximately 76,000 between July and October. Experts point to recent significant changes in federal immigration policies as the primary driver behind this shift.
In its preliminary report released Wednesday morning, Statistics Canada estimated the national population at 41,575,585 as of October 1, 2025.
The agency highlighted several critical factors contributing to the decrease, the number of non-permanent residents fell by 176,479—the largest drop since comparable records began. During this period, a record 339,505 temporary permits expired, while only 163,026 new permits were issued.
As of October 1, NPRs made up 6.8% of the total population (approx. 2.8 million), down from 7.3% (approx. 3 million) on July 1.
This downturn follows measures introduced by the federal government to stabilize growth. In September 2024, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced stricter caps on study permits and narrowed eligibility for work permits for spouses of certain international students and foreign workers.
This marks the first quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2020. Since the pandemic recovery began, Canada’s population had been on a consistent upward trajectory until this most recent quarter.
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