In an attempt to “pause population growth,” Canada announced on Thursday that it was drastically reducing its immigration targets. This move coincides with a fall in popular support for immigration.
The declaration follows Canada’s population growth to 41 million, which was mostly driven by an extraordinary influx of newcomers. In 2025 and 2026, the immigration ministry had previously projected that 500,000 new permanent residents will be allowed to live in the nation.
However, the new goals were lowered to 380,000 for 2026 and 395,000 for the following year. The 2027 goal was set at 365,000. The strategy aims to “pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term,” according to the immigration ministry.
“While the economy requires newcomers, we recognise the challenges our country faces and must adjust our policies accordingly,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the strategy also intends to alleviate housing pressures, with Canadians continuously placing the cost of renting or owning a home as their top concern. The ministry attributed increased immigration with allowing the Canadian economy to recover from the Covid epidemic without entering a recession.
According to an Environics Institute survey on public opinions towards immigration released last month, “for the first time in a quarter century, a clear majority of Canadians say there is too much immigration.” According to the survey, 58% of Canadians believe the country accepts too many immigrants, an increase of 14 percentage points since 2023.
