The current immigration trends and projections of the 2022-24 Immigration Levels Plan show that the immigrant population will grow to represent between 29.1 and 34 percent of the total population.
According to the 2021 census, over 8.3 million people represented the permanent resident population, making close to one in four people in Canada to be immigrants.
Canada welcomed over 1.3 million immigrants between 2016 and 2021, despite the shortfall in admissions during the pandemic. It represents the highest number of immigrants coming to Canada, with over 50 percent of immigrants entering Canada through economic immigration pathways, including skilled worker programs and Provincial Nominee Programs.
Asians and Africans dominate the number of permanent residents
India ranked the highest in the share of new immigrants. The Philippines and China ranked second and third highest, respectively. It marks a shift in immigration from Europe to Asia. The number of immigrants from Europe and the UK continues dipping from over 60 percent in 1971 to around 10 percent in 2021.
Over 92 percent of new Immigrants lived in metropolitan areas, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, in that order.
According to Statistics Canada, the representation of the immigrant population and their Canadian-born children will grow to be over 50 percent of Canada’s population. The immigrant population will include most immigrants from India, followed by Chinese immigrants. India and China also dominate the number of study permit holders in Canada.
