Temporary Residents On The Rise: Canada’s Growing Population

Canada welcomed a record number of temporary residents last year, contributing significantly to the country’s population growth. According to new data from Statistics Canada, the number of temporary residents increased by over 800,000 in 2023 alone.

With the population of temporary residents now exceeding 2.7 million, or 6.5% of Canada’s total population, their impact can no longer be ignored. International students, migrant workers, and asylum seekers collectively helped drive Canada’s overall population growth. To its highest level in over 60 years. However, with this surge also came challenges related to housing affordability and healthcare access.

Managing Migration

Facing mounting pressure, the federal government recently announced plans to curb future temporary resident numbers. New targets aim to reduce their proportion of the population to 5% over the next three years through lower admission volumes. Restricting study permits was also introduced as a means of achieving a “more sustainable level of immigration.” Whether these efforts will be enough to ease domestic issues remains uncertain.

As the population of temporary residents continues expanding rapidly, difficult tradeoffs lie ahead for policymakers. While immigrants fuel economic activity and offset an aging population, runaway growth has tested Canada’s ability to integrate and settle newcomers. By closely monitoring the impact of policy changes, it may be possible to gain the benefits of migration while avoiding some of its complications. Only time will tell if the current approach successfully establishes a balanced approach.