The parliamentary budget officer (PBO) predicts Canada’s rate of population growth will remain flat in 2026, mainly due to cuts to non-permanent resident admissions in the latest federal Immigration Levels Plan.
This would be the second year in a row with zero population growth in Canada, which follows several years of above-average growth, including the record-breaking years of 2022 and 2023.
Statistics Canada reported flat growth in 2025, with the PBO report finding any gains were offset by a decline in the non-permanent resident population of 382,000 people.
