Canada shines as the “immigration capital of the world.”
Canada is famous for the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs, snow… and immigration.
Canada has hit another immigration record. Immigrants and permanent residents now makeup the largest proportion of the Canadian population. According to new census data released by Statistics Canada, 8.3 million people, or 23% of the population, fit into this category, topping the previous record of 22.3%.
The newly released numbers also mean that the percentage of immigrants and permanent residents in Canada is at a higher level than in any other G7 country. It’s also one of the highest in the world.
“If these trends continue, based on Statistics Canada’s recent population projections, immigrants could represent from 29.1 per cent to 34 per cent of the population of Canada by 2041,” the report said.
Between 2016 and 2021, 1.3 million new immigrants settled permanently in Canada. That record increase in immigrants for a census period means that almost 16 per cent of all immigrants in Canada came to the country recently.
Statistics Canada says that recent immigrants are younger, on average, than the rest of the Canadian population and have been critical to filling much needed jobs in the Canadian labour market.
Just over 64 per cent of new immigrants fell into the core working age of 25 to 54, with only 3.6 per cent of new immigrants in the slightly older age group of 55 to 64; by contrast, more than 17 per cent of new immigrants were younger than 15.
How immigrants help the Canadian economy
From 2016 to 2021, immigrants accounted for four-fifths of Canada’s labour force growth with a large share of recent immigrants being selected for their ability to contribute to Canada’s economy.
According to Statistics Canada, more than half of recent immigrants, 748,120 of the 1.3 million immigrants admitted to Canada between 2106 and 2021, were admitted to Canada under the economic category.
Of these economic immigrants almost 35 per cent came in though skilled worker programs, while just over a third came in through the provincial nominee program.
The share of new immigrants who first came to Canada temporarily on work or study permits or as asylum claimants before being admitted as permanent residents also increased from almost 18 per cent to 36.6 per cent in 2021.
India and the Philippines top the list of new immigrants to Canada
Asian-born immigrants accounted for a record share of recent immigrants, rising from just 12.1 per cent in 1971 to 62 per cent in 2021. Of those Asian countries, India took the top spot as the source country for new immigrants, making up 18.6 per cent
The next-largest source countries in Asia of new immigrants were the Philippines, at 11.4 per cent, and China, at 8.9 per cent. Nigerians are also immigrating to Canada in large numbers.
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