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.

Read the complete article