Immigrants make up nearly a quarter of Canada’s population, StatsCan reports

By Fernando Bossoes

Skedline.com reporter

Immigrants account for the largest proportion of the country’s population for the first time in Canadian history and are on track to contribute up to 34 per cent of the population by 2041, according to Statistics Canada.

According to Statistics Canada census release, more than 8.3 million people, 23 per cent of the population, were immigrants or permanent residents in 2021.

The age proportion of the census released in April revealed there are more people aged 55 to 64 than young adults aged 15 to 24. Statistics Canada’s census informs fertility levels are below the population replacement level, hitting a record low in 2020.

According to the report, immigration is the main driver of Canada’s population growth.

Age pyramid Photo credit: Statistics Canada

The Government of Canada funds services to help immigrants find work, learn about life in Canada, settle in their communities, and make connections with established immigrants and Canadians. According to the government’s website, there are more than 500 settlement service organizations across Canada that support and help immigrants adapt to life.

“These centres help you understand the day-to-day documentation and assist you in job hunting. These centres help you to settle, thus avoiding the unnecessary hassles,” says Chanmeet Dhillon, an ESL teacher from India who immigrated to Canada in 2016.

Dhillon says the Canadian government is helping people from third world countries to realize their highest potentials. “There are numerous pathways to immigration to those seeking a better life, in general a quality life which is considered inconceivable in the home countries of immigrants.”

Immigration is expected to continue to increase in the decades to come.

By 2041, immigrants could represent from 29.1 per cent to 34 per cent of Canada’s population, according to Statistics Canada’s recent population projections.

Immigration projection Photo credit: Statistics Canada

In order to understand how potential immigrants feel with this new projection, Skedline interviewed Esther Carvalho Ferreira, a 20-year-old newcomer who arrived in Canada in August to study for a Bachelor of Commerce Healthcare Management at Humber College.

“With the knowledge that 29.1 per cent to 34 per cent of the population in the future are represented by immigrants, I feel Canada will still be an excellent place to live with lots of opportunities,” says Ferreira.