Canada's population estimates: Age and gender, 2026
Released: 2026-09-23
15.0%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts 
(year-over-year change)
20.0%
July 1, 2026
0.6 pts 
(year-over-year change)
40.9 years
July 1, 2026
0.3 years
(year-over-year change)
42.1 years
July 1, 2026
0.3 years
(year-over-year change)
12.1%
July 1, 2026
-0.2 pts
(year-over-year change)
25.7%
July 1, 2026
0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
47.8 years
July 1, 2026
0.0 years
(year-over-year change)
46.1 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
13.8%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
21.5%
July 1, 2026
0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
41.3 years
July 1, 2026
0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
42.7 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
13.3%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
23.0%
July 1, 2026
0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
43.3 years
July 1, 2026
0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
44.0 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
13.9%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
23.6%
July 1, 2026
0.4 pts
(year-over-year change)
44.4 years
July 1, 2026
-0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
44.3 years
July 1, 2026
0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
15.1%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
22.3%
July 1, 2026
0.6 pts
(year-over-year change)
43.1 years
July 1, 2026
0.3 years
(year-over-year change)
43.3 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
14.6%
July 1, 2026
-0.0 pts
(year-over-year change)
19.5%
July 1, 2026
0.6 pts
(year-over-year change)
40.4 years
July 1, 2026
0.4 years
(year-over-year change)
41.9 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
17.5%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
17.7%
July 1, 2026
0.4 pts
(year-over-year change)
37.8 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
39.7 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
18.1%
July 1, 2026
-0.3 pts
(year-over-year change)
18.2%
July 1, 2026
0.4 pts
(year-over-year change)
38.5 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
39.8 years
July 1, 2026
0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
17.3%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
16.0%
July 1, 2026
0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
38.3 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
39.4 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
13.0%
July 1, 2026
-0.1 pts
(year-over-year change)
21.1%
July 1, 2026
0.6 pts
(year-over-year change)
41.8 years
July 1, 2026
0.4 years
(year-over-year change)
43.2 years
July 1, 2026
0.3 years
(year-over-year change)
14.9%
July 1, 2026
-0.3 pts
(year-over-year change)
15.4%
July 1, 2026
0.4 pts
(year-over-year change)
38.0 years
July 1, 2026
0.0 years
(year-over-year change)
39.6 years
July 1, 2026
0.1 years
(year-over-year change)
17.4%
July 1, 2026
-0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
11.9%
July 1, 2026
0.5 pts
(year-over-year change)
35.9 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
37.5 years
July 1, 2026
0.2 years
(year-over-year change)
29.5%
July 1, 2026
-0.7 pts
(year-over-year change)
5.5%
July 1, 2026
0.3 pts
(year-over-year change)
27.6 years
July 1, 2026
0.4 years
(year-over-year change)
30.0 years
July 1, 2026
0.4 years
(year-over-year change)
Canada's population growth continues to slow
The population of Canada reached an estimated 41,798,407 people on July 1, 2026, an increase of 189,425 people (+0.5%) from July 1, 2025. This is the lowest annual July-to-July (or June to June before 1946) growth in the total size of the population since 1944/1945 (+126,000; +1.0%) and the lowest growth in percentage since 1915/1916 (+20,000; +0.3%). The July-to-July growth in 2025/2026 is lower than the annual growth from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021 (+211,226; +0.6%), which included border restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Following the slower annual July-to-July growth in 2020/2021 (+0.6%), the annual population growth rate in Canada increased in 2021/2022 (+1.8%) and in 2022/2023 (+2.7%), to reach a high in 2023/2024 (+2.8%). The July-to-July population growth rate in Canada has since been slowing on an annual basis in both 2024/2025 (+1.1%) and 2025/2026 (+0.5%).
From April 1, 2026, to July 1, 2026, the population of Canada increased by 80,343 people (+0.2%). This was the lowest growth in a second quarter since the second quarter of 2020 (+21,697; +0.1%), right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid changes in the population growth rate since 2020 are almost entirely attributable to changes in international migration.
Changing international migration trends have also resulted in the median and average ages in Canada increasing over the past two years. An aging population had been the typical pattern in the past, but very high international migration levels from 2021/2022 to 2024/2025 resulted in either decreases or stabilization of the average and median ages. Canada's population is aging once again—the median age was 40.9 years on July 1, 2026, and the average age was 42.1 years.
Changes for this release
As part of this release, Statistics Canada is applying two new adjustments to the estimates of non-permanent residents to more accurately measure the presence of permit holders in Canada.
The first adjustment is based on data sources recently acquired by Statistics Canada. The second adjustment responds to a migration context that has evolved rapidly over the past few years.
For the first adjustment, data on entries and exits from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) were used to estimate, at an aggregate level, the proportion of permit holders who left Canada before their permits expired.
At the same time, the increase in the number of permit extensions and the time required to process them has made it increasingly important to better account for individuals who remain in Canada while their extension application is being processed (i.e., on maintained status). The second adjustment therefore aims to better anticipate permit extensions that are not yet reflected in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) administrative data available when the preliminary demographic estimates are produced.
In September each year, with the release of demographic estimates for July 1, Statistics Canada updates previous estimates. For this release, non-permanent resident estimates, and consequently population estimates, have been updated from July 1, 2021, onward. The larger-than-usual update in 2026 to the previously released estimates of the number of non-permanent residents can be attributed to two factors. First, the more recent versions of IRCC's administrative data this year contain substantially more records reflecting permit extensions that were not yet present in the data used to produce preliminary estimates. Second, the new adjustments described above are now incorporated into the estimates.
These adjustments allow the demographic estimates to better capture the moment when permit holders are leaving—or not leaving—the country. These adjustments are also expected to reduce the magnitude of future updates associated with these emerging phenomena, if current trends continue. Statistics Canada is closely monitoring changes in immigration policies, data availability, and other factors that may influence the size of the Canadian population, and will continue adjusting its methods for demographic estimates, if required.
For more information on how Statistics Canada continues to refine the methods for estimating the population, please see: Ongoing work on international migration statistics at Statistics Canada.
Number of non-permanent residents continues to decrease
The number of non-permanent residents in Canada dropped by 154,614 people on an annual (July to July) basis in 2025/2026, to reach 2,779,774 on July 1, 2026, or 6.7% of the total population. This is down from a high of 2,984,285 non-permanent residents on October 1, 2024, or 7.2% of the total population. This was the largest decrease in the number of non-permanent residents on an annual (July to July) basis in Canada since comparable records began (1971/1972) and the first decline since 2020/2021 (-51,719). The largest decreases in 2025/2026 were among study permit holders (-140,827) and work and study permit holders (-81,163).
The second quarter of 2026 saw the total number of non-permanent residents drop by 18,875. This was the first quarter since January 1, 2022, to record a decrease in the number of asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups (-7,015, for a total of 530,090 in the country).
Differences between data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Statistics Canada collaborates closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other federal departments to estimate the number of non-permanent residents living in Canada. The demographic estimates from Statistics Canada are updated on an ongoing basis, as new or revised data become available from its partners. Caution should be exercised when comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with temporary residents and asylum claimants from IRCC due to the different objectives of the two organizations.
Please see "Non-permanent residents data at Statistics Canada," "Statistics on non-permanent residents at Statistics Canada" and "How does Statistics Canada estimate the number of non-permanent residents?." These products define non-permanent resident data at Statistics Canada and the various data sources available to users.
Fewer new permanent immigrants to Canada following lower annual targets
The number of new immigrants welcomed to Canada has decreased for the fourth consecutive year (July to July), down to 368,224 in 2025/2026. This is the first time since 2021/2022 that the annual number of immigrants has fallen below 400,000, consistent with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's lower immigration targets.
From July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, permanent immigration decreased in all provinces and Yukon, while it increased in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Canada welcomed 99,148 immigrants in the second quarter of 2026. This number is 4.2% lower than in the second quarter of 2025 (103,527).
Alberta's population continues to grow the fastest among the provinces
The fastest growth rate among the provinces from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, was seen in Alberta (+1.5%). The only province or territory to see a decrease in population during this period was the Northwest Territories (-127; -0.3%).
From July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, growth was slower in all provinces than over the same period one year earlier (2024/2025). During this same period, the provinces of Alberta (+1.5%), New Brunswick (+1.0%), Saskatchewan (+1.0%), Prince Edward Island (+0.8%), Nova Scotia (+0.8%) and Manitoba (+0.6%) all had faster population growth rates than the country as a whole (+0.5%). Conversely, the populations of the three largest provinces in Canada all grew at a slower pace than the country overall: Ontario (+0.3%), Quebec (+0.2%) and British Columbia (+0.1%). These provinces tend to welcome the largest share of international migrants and are thus more affected by changes in international migration levels.
Population aging continues with the decrease in the number of non-permanent residents
The estimates released today can also be used to analyze the changes in the age and gender structure of the population. During the very large waves of permanent and temporary immigration to Canada from the third quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2024, the median age decreased and the average age remained relatively stable, since international migrants tend to be younger. However, both the median and average ages have been increasing over the last two years, as levels of international migration are returning to those seen in the decade before 2020. This resumes the general trend of increasing median and average ages that was seen from 1967 to 2021. On July 1, 2026, the median age of people in Canada was 40.9 years and the average age was 42.1 years.
The two five-year age groups that saw the largest decreases in 2025/2026 were 20 to 24 years (-63,838; -2.4%) and 25 to 29 years (-91,135 people; -3.1%). In total, there was a drop of 154,973 people in their 20s (-2.8%), which is consistent with the fall in the number of study permit holders in the country, since international students tend to be young adults.
The size of the 60-to-64 age group (2,658,594) has decreased for the past two years, in 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Before 2024/2025, this age group had not decreased in size since 1996/1997, as the smaller Generation X enters this age group and the larger baby boomer generation ages out.
Note to readers
The demographic estimates by age and gender released today are considered preliminary and will be updated following the standard procedure followed by Statistics Canada for decades. They are based on 2021 Census of Population counts, adjusted for census net undercoverage and incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements. To these counts, the population growth estimates for the period from May 11, 2021, to the date of the estimate are added. These estimates are not to be confused with the 2026 Census population counts, some of which will be released on February 10, 2027 (Population and Dwelling Counts) and May 5, 2027 (Age, Gender, and Sex at Birth).
Statistics Canada's demographic estimates are updated every year through its usual process, alongside the annual September release for the second quarter. Several factors may explain why preliminary estimates differ from the updated and final estimates released in subsequent years. For example, if there is a long gap between the expiration of one non-permanent resident permit and the issuance of the next, it may result in a decrease of one person in the preliminary estimates; however, this would not be reflected in the updated and final estimates. Moreover, the schedule for updated and final estimates provides more time for receiving late registrations of births and deaths, as well as for using more complete data sources, such as annual tax files used to measure interprovincial migration.
Definitions
For the purpose of calculating rates, the denominator is the average population during the period (the average of the start-of-period and end-of-period populations). For the sake of brevity, the terms growth, population growth and population growth rate have the same meaning.
The median age is an age "x," such that exactly one half of the population is older than "x" and the other half is younger than "x."
Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Gender includes the following concepts:
- gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually;
- gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender.
A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's license. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender. The gender category Men+ includes men (and/or boys), as well as some non-binary persons. The gender category Women+ includes women (and/or girls), as well as some non-binary persons.
An immigrant refers to a person who is a permanent resident or a landed immigrant. Such a person has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Persons who are born abroad to a Canadian parent are not immigrants but are included in the returning emigrant component. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms immigrant, landed immigrant and permanent resident refer to the same concept.
Non-permanent resident refers to a person from another country with a usual place of residence in Canada and who has a work or study permit, or who has claimed refugee status (asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups). Family members living with work or study permit holders are also included unless these family members are already Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents) or non-permanent residents themselves. For Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program, the terms non-permanent resident and temporary immigrant refer to the same concept. Caution should be exercised when comparing data on non-permanent residents from Statistics Canada's Demographic Estimates Program with temporary residents and asylum claimants from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), due to the different objectives of the two organizations.
Permit holders and their family members are non-permanent residents who are not asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups but who hold a permit (for work, study or temporary residence). This classification also includes their family members who are not Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents) or non-permanent residents themselves.
Persons who claimed refugee status include asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups. Separate estimates for asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are not available. Asylum claimants, protected persons and related groups are defined as:
- Asylum claimant refers to a foreign national who has made a refugee claim while in Canada on a temporary basis and whose claim is pending decision.
- Protected person refers to a person who has made a claim in Canada and received a positive decision. For population estimates, protected persons leave this population if they obtain permanent residence.
- Related groups include those who received a negative decision or withdrew or abandoned their claim and have not yet regularized their status or departed Canada.
Interprovincial migration represents all movement from one province or territory to another involving a change in the usual place of residence. A person who takes up residence in another province or territory is an out-migrant with reference to the province or territory of origin and an in-migrant with reference to the province or territory of destination.
Canada's population clock (real-time model)
Canada's population clock (real-time model) was updated today with the most recent quarterly population estimates released by Statistics Canada.
Canada's population clock is an interactive learning tool aiming to give Canadians a sense of the pace of the country's population renewal. The population estimates and census counts remain the measures used by various government programs.
Acknowledgements
The Demographic Estimates Program of Statistics Canada is grateful for the ongoing partnership with IRCC, which greatly contributes to the accuracy of the estimations of immigrants and non-permanent residents.
Products
The product "Quarterly demographic estimates, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Demographic estimates by age and gender, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Interprovincial migration indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Quarterly estimates of international migration components, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Quarterly estimates of the number of non-permanent residents by type, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Annual estimates of international migration components by age and gender, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Canada's population clock (real-time model)" (71-607-X) is also available.
The product "Technical Guide on Demographic Estimate at Statistics Canada"(91-528-X) is also available.
The Population and demography statistics, Immigrants and Non-permanent Residents Statistics and Older adults and population aging statistics portals are also available.
Data on various fertility indicators and baby names can be found in the Fertility indicators, provinces and territories: Interactive dashboard and Baby Names Observatory.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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