Canada’s population is still growing — but barely compared with just a few years ago.

New data from Statistics Canada shows the country’s population reached approximately 41.8 million people on July 1, 2026, an increase of about 189,000 people, or just 0.5%, over the previous year.

That represents Canada’s smallest July-to-July population increase since 1944–45 and its lowest percentage growth for that period since 1915–16.

It’s a dramatic reversal from the population boom Canada experienced only a few years ago. Annual growth reached 2.8% in 2023–24, before dropping to 1.1% in 2024–25 and now 0.5%. Statistics Canada says the rapid shift is almost entirely connected to changes in international migration.

Fewer Temporary Residents Are Coming to Canada

One of the biggest factors is the decline in non-permanent residents.

Canada had an estimated 2.78 million non-permanent residents as of July 1, down by more than 154,000 compared with a year earlier. That was the largest annual decline since comparable records began in the early 1970s.

International students were hit particularly hard by the shift. The number of study permit holders dropped by approximately 141,000, while the number of people holding both work and study permits also fell sharply.

Canada also welcomed 99,148 new immigrants during the second quarter of 2026, about 4.2% fewer than during the same period last year.

Ontario Is Growing Even More Slowly

The change is particularly interesting here in Ontario.

Ontario’s population reached approximately 16.26 million on July 1, but grew by just 0.1% during the second quarter. The province also recorded a 1.5% quarterly decline in its non-permanent resident population.

Canada Is Getting Older Again

Slower immigration is also changing the country’s demographics.

Canada’s average age has climbed to 42.1, while the median age reached 40.9. Statistics Canada says the unusually high immigration levels of previous years had temporarily slowed the country’s aging trend, but Canada is now aging again as international migration declines.

For immigrant communities across Toronto and the GTA — including thousands of newcomers from Latin America — the numbers highlight just how quickly Canada’s immigration landscape has changed.

After years of record population growth, the country has entered a very different chapter.

Canada is still growing. It’s just growing at one of the slowest rates seen in generations.