Canada's population estimates: Age and gender, July 1, 2025

Released: 2025-09-24

Slower population growth continues during the second quarter of 2025

The population of Canada reached an estimated 41,651,653 people on July 1, 2025. This is an increase of 47,098 people (+0.1%) from April 1, 2025, and the lowest population growth rate in a second quarter since the second quarter of 2020 (+0.1%), when growth nearly halted because of border restrictions at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Except for 2020, it was the lowest growth rate in a second quarter since comparable records began (second quarter of 1946).

In comparison, the population of Canada grew by 272,032 people (+0.7%) in the second quarter of 2024. In the second quarter of 2023, it increased by 321,791 people (+0.8%), higher than during the same quarter of 2022 (+257,123; +0.7%) (Infographic 1). These higher quarterly population growth rates over the previous three years were mainly the result of the number of non-permanent residents growing at historically high levels. In the second quarter of 2025, however, most of this growth was from permanent immigrants.

Although the population growth rate in the second quarter of 2025 (+0.1%) was the same as in the first quarter, the numerical increase in the second quarter (+47,098) was slightly higher than in the first quarter (+30,038). The smaller numerical increase in the first quarter of 2025 was expected because of seasonal trends, particularly in natural increase (the difference between births and deaths). In general, there are more deaths and fewer births in the colder months, leading to lower natural increase.

Most of the growth in the second quarter was due to international migration (+33,694 people), as is typical for Canada. That said, it accounted for 71.5% of growth in the second quarter of 2025, down from 95.3% in the same quarter in 2024. Natural increase (+13,404) accounted for the remainder of growth in the second quarter of 2025.

The population growth rate from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, was 0.9% (+389,324). However, 59.5% of the population growth over these 12 months occurred in the third quarter of 2024 (+231,803), before the number of non-permanent residents started to decrease. The year-over-year population growth in 2024/2025 was down from the 1,213,241 people added to the population in 2023/2024 (+3.0%) and the 1,098,956 people added in 2022/2023 (+2.8%).

Infographic 1 
Quarterly population growth rate, 2015 to 2025, Canada

Reductions in the number of non-permanent residents continue

In the second quarter of 2025, the number of non-permanent residents in the country dropped for the third quarter in a row, after the federal government announced in 2024 that it would reduce the number of permit holders in Canada. After peaking at 3,149,131 non-permanent residents on October 1, 2024 (7.6% of the total population), that number dropped to 3,024,216 by July 1, 2025 (7.3% of the total population). The decrease during the second quarter of 2025 (-58,719) was the second-largest quarterly decline in the number of non-permanent residents since comparable records began (third quarter of 1971), following the decrease in the third quarter of 2020 (-67,698). In 2020, the number of non-permanent residents who could come to Canada was limited by pandemic-related border restrictions.

The decrease in the number of non-permanent residents in the second quarter of 2025 was due to reductions in the number of study permit holders only (-32,025), work permit holders only (-19,637) and work and study permit holders (-19,072). The increase in the number of asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups (+17,901) moderated the overall decrease; it rose for the 14th consecutive quarter to reach a new high of 497,443 people. Most of this increase was in Ontario (+8,177) and Quebec (+4,523).

The number of immigrants welcomed in the second quarter of 2025 (103,507) is in line to meet the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This number was lower than what was recorded in the second quarters of 2022 (118,319), 2023 (117,927) and 2024 (134,172) but higher than in any second quarter since the second quarter of 1957 (119,956), when many people came to Canada following the Hungarian Revolution.

Fastest growth in Prince Edward Island; population decrease in British Columbia

Prince Edward Island (+1,368; +0.8%) was the fastest-growing province in the second quarter of 2025, followed by Alberta (+19,268; +0.4%). British Columbia (-2,154; -0.0%) was the only province or territory to see a population decrease, and this decline was higher than in the first quarter (-299; -0.0%). Gains in that province from immigrants (+12,740), interprovincial migration (+1,678), and natural increase (+810) did not fully compensate for the decrease in the number of non-permanent residents (-14,699) and losses to net emigration (-2,683).

Number of people moving to another province or territory approaching pre-pandemic levels

The number of people (110,188) who moved to another province or territory in the second quarter was slightly lower in 2025 than in any second quarter during the past three years. It was closer to the levels seen in the second quarter from 2012 to 2021, which ranged from approximately 90,000 to 108,000.

In the second quarter of 2025, Alberta (+6,187) had the largest net gain from interprovincial migration for the 12th quarter in a row, while Ontario (-6,154) had the largest net loss for the 15th consecutive quarter. The majority of the people leaving Ontario moved to Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.

Population aging resumes with the decrease in the number of non-permanent residents

The estimates released today can also be used to analyze the changes in the age and gender structure of the population. With the very large permanent and temporary immigration waves from the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2024, the median age decreased and the average age remained relatively stable in Canada over this period, as international migrants tend to be younger. However, the median age increased from 40.3 years on July 1, 2024, to 40.6 years on July 1, 2025, while the average age rose from 41.6 years to 41.8 years. This resumes the general trend of increasing median and average ages from 1967 to 2021.

The combination of the large size of the Canadian population and demographic aging as a continual process makes it uncommon for immigration to influence the age structure of the population; thus, only the very large waves of immigration seen recently were able to have an impact, and even then, it was small. With international migration returning to levels closer to those seen before the pandemic, the usual changes in Canada's age structure are reemerging, as population aging is unavoidable.

From October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, there was a net loss of 124,915 non-permanent residents, with the largest decrease among study permit holders only (-107,842). Since students are often young adults, this drop can be particularly seen at younger ages (Infographic 2).

Infographic 2 
Age and gender pyramid for non-permanent residents as of July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, Canada

Just over one in four people in Newfoundland and Labrador is aged 65 and older; this is the first such occurrence in Canada

With the general trends of a declining fertility rate, long-term increases in life expectancy and the decreasing number of non-permanent residents in the country, who are on average younger than other groups in the population, the proportion of the population aged 65 and older is continuing to increase. In Canada, almost one in five people (19.5%) were aged 65 and older on July 1, 2025, ranging from 5.2% in Nunavut to 25.2% in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is consistent with Nunavut having the lowest median (27.1 years) and average (29.6 years) ages and Newfoundland and Labrador having the highest median (47.8 years) and average (45.9 years) ages.

This is the first time that the proportion of people aged 65 and older surpassed one in four people in a Canadian province or territory. By comparison, in 2024, 29.8% of the population was aged 65 years and older in Japan—which has the oldest population of any G7 country—while it was 24.6% in Italy, which had the second-oldest population. Canada had one of the lowest shares of people aged 65 and older (19.5%) in the G7, just above the United States (17.9%) and the same as the United Kingdom (19.5%).

From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, the population aged 0 to 14 years in Canada remained relatively stable at 6,261,162 (+0.0%), while the population aged 65 years and older increased to 8,108,467 (+3.4%).

From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, the population aged 15 to 64 years increased to 27,282,024 (+0.4%); this was a slower pace of increase compared with 2023/2024 (+3.2%) and 2022/2023 (+3.0%). While this age group contains some of the large baby boomer cohort who turned 65 in 2024/2025, the slowdown in the increase is mostly due to the decrease in non-permanent residents.

Products

The product "Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Demographic estimates by age and gender, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Interprovincial migration indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Quarterly estimates of international migration components, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Quarterly estimates of the number of non-permanent residents by type, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Annual estimates of international migration components by age and gender, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Canada's population clock (real-time model)" (Catalogue number71-607-X) is also available.

The product "Statistics Canada's reliable and timely system of population statistics" (Catalogue number91F0015M) is also available.

The Population and demography statistics, Immigrants and Non-permanent Residents Statistics and Older adults and population aging statistics portals are also available.

Data on various fertility indicators and baby names can be found in the Fertility indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard and Baby Names Observatory.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).