Canada's population has just surpassed 40 million, setting a new record

August 2026 update — and the shift is major. This post recorded the 2022-2023 population boom. That cycle is over. According to Statistics Canada (data released on June 17, 2026), the country's population was 41,417,056 people on April 1, 2026 — and shrank by 55,025 people (-0.1%) in the first quarter of the year. In the same quarter, Canada welcomed 83,149 permanent immigrants, a 20.2% drop compared to the 104,210 in the first quarter of 2025. Even more notable: natural growth was negative (-155), meaning more people died than were born. Read the rest of the text as a snapshot of a cycle that has ended — the projection of 50 million in 20 years, cited below, was made in a scenario that no longer exists.

Canada, the current hotspot when it comes to growth

In 2022, Canada’s population grew at a “record pace,” with an additional 1,050,110 people - the first time in history that Statistics Canada reports the country’s population grew by more than a million people in a single year.

Canada recorded a population growth rate of 2.7% per year. This is the highest annual growth rate since 1957, when Canada was in the middle of its post-war baby boom, says Statistics Canada.

Also according to the study, this growth trend comes “largely” from permanent and temporary migration, the agency says, and if current trends continue, the population could reach 50 million in just 20 years.

Canada’s population growth is also not limited to just one or two provinces, with almost all provinces and territories recording an increase, except for the Northwest Territories.

And how beneficial can this growth be for Canada?

Canada’s population boom may not please everyone. The increase in the number of people living in the country could place additional pressure on housing shortages, while some newcomers report problems with underemployment.

Earlier this year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. warned that the housing crisis it is facing, with Canadians feeling priced out of homeownership, is resulting in many competing for a limited supply of rental homes.

The corporation also noted that, with an already low rental supply, competition was getting even hotter amid strong immigration levels.

The average price of a Canadian resale home has increased for four consecutive months this year, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. The average selling price of a home in April — the month for which the latest data is available — was $716,000 CAD.

Last year I had already recorded a video on Você no Quebec’s TikTok warning about the subject.

In addition to the lack of housing availability, skills mismatch issues are also creating roadblocks for new Canadians looking for work.

Read also: “Challenges of settling in a smaller city in Canada”

As people from other countries come to Canada, some have reported having trouble finding a job, partly due to barriers that require immigrants to have Canadian work experience to work in the fields they are trained in.

Looking for a job in Canada? - Source: Image Bank

Read also: “20 most frequently asked questions about working in Canada”

Final thoughts

If the government cannot stabilize the current housing crisis we are experiencing right now, I do not look favorably upon the encouragement of more massive immigration policies that Canada has been working so hard to advance.

If when I arrived in 2018, living well was already considered a good challenge, what about now? I am not here wanting to create panic or discourage aspiring immigrants, I just want to remind you to think very carefully about it before deciding if Canada is really your life project.

Without a good job and a lot of financial stability, the chances of your dream turning into a nightmare are very real.

If you want more tips like these, subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on life in Canada, especially in Quebec and Montreal.

See you in the next post! 😉