A record number of people are leaving Canada, new StatCan data reveals
More people are leaving Canada, with the first quarter of 2025 marking the second-highest number on record for that same period.
According to Statistics Canada, an increasing number of people are leaving Canada, as 27,086 citizens and permanent residents emigrated from January to March this year. That’s the second-highest first-quarter total since 2017, when 27,115 left the country.
The first-quarter levels in 2025 mark a three per cent increase in emigration compared to the first quarter of 2024, when 26,293 people left the country. A total of 9,676 emigrants returned to Canada in the first quarter of 2025, representing a slight increase from the 9,393 Canadians who returned in the first quarter of 2024.
The record-setting outflow of people in the first quarter of 2025 is likely only the beginning, as the number of people leaving Canada tends to peak in the third quarter before dropping slightly in the fourth quarter of each year.
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Additionally, more non-permanent residents (those with work and study permits) left Canada during the first quarter of 2025. A total of 209,400 non-permanent residents left the country — a 54 per cent increase compared to the 135,360 non-permanent residents who left Canada in the first quarter of 2024.
These numbers are likely to continue rising. In May, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Liberal government’s plan to further cap the number of international students and temporary foreign workers.
Canadians considering leaving the country is not a new trend.
The country has consistently experienced a steady stream of people leaving since StatCan began tracking emigration levels in the 1950s. In 2017, Canada saw the highest levels of emigration. After a dip during the pandemic, the number of people leaving Canada has continued to rise.
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A 2024 study from StatCan states that the likelihood of people emigrating starts to increase three to seven years after arriving in Canada. Immigrants who’ve never had children and those aged 65 and older are more likely to leave. Entrepreneurs and investors also have a higher probability of emigrating than those in the caregiver or refugee categories.
Education levels also play a significant role, with individuals who have higher levels of education being more likely to leave Canada. And where people come from also plays a huge factor.
“Immigrants born in Taiwan, the United States, France, Hong Kong, or Lebanon are more likely to emigrate,” reads the study. “Conversely, those born in the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, or Jamaica are less likely to leave Canada.”
Daily Hive has spoken to Canadians who moved to Italy, Portugal, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mexico.
Have you left Canada, or are you considering leaving? We’d love to hear from you for a future story. Email us at trending@dailyhive.com.