December 18, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
British Columbia experienced a notable decline in non-permanent residents in the third quarter of 2025, data from Statistics Canada shows, contributing to a nationwide population contraction that marks one of the most dramatic demographic shifts in recent history. The drop in non-permanent residents including international students, temporary workers and other temporary permit holders reflects broader changes in Canadian immigration policy and its immediate social and economic effects.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of non-permanent residents nationwide fell by 176,479 between July 1 and October 1, 2025 — the largest decrease on record since comparable data began in 1971 driving a 0.2 per cent decline in Canada’s total population to roughly 41.6 million people.
Impact In British Columbia
In British Columbia (B.C.), the loss of non-permanent residents was particularly pronounced: 26,242 fewer temporary residents were recorded during the quarter, reflecting a wider trend of declining arrivals and rising exits among people holding study, work or combined permits.
The decline in B.C. contributed to a population decrease of about 0.3 per cent for the province during the same period one of the steepest drops among Canadian provinces as foreign students and temporary workers left the province in numbers exceeding those entering. The majority of the decline was among study permit holders and work-plus-study permit holders, echoing national patterns.
Nationwide Trends
Across Canada, the decrease in non-permanent residents outpaced inflows by a wide margin: 339,505 temporary permits expired or holders departed, compared with only 163,026 new permits issued during the quarter. This resulted in a net outflow that was the primary driver of the national population contraction.
Despite the drop in temporary residents, Canada continued to accept permanent immigrants, welcoming 102,867 new permanent residents in the third quarter a level consistent with recent trends and part of the government’s 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
Policy And Population Dynamics
The population decline is the first outside the COVID-19 pandemic era and reflects shifts in federal immigration policy aimed at reducing the share of non-permanent residents. The government has pledged to lower the proportion of non-permanent residents from about 7.3 per cent to 5 per cent of the total population by 2027, adjusting study permit numbers and other temporary-resident categories to achieve that goal.
The effects are already visible in provinces like B.C. and Ontario, which both saw significant losses in temporary permit holders. Analysts say the trend reflects a combination of policy limits on international students and temporary workers, record-high permit expirations, and broader migration shifts.
Economic And Social Implications
Demographers and economists warn that sustained declines in non-permanent residents could have mixed effects on the Canadian economy. On the one hand, reduced pressure on housing and services may ease affordability problems in cities such as Vancouver and Toronto. On the other, slower population growth could restrain labour market expansion and long-term economic growth, particularly in sectors that have relied heavily on international students and temporary labour.
The changing population landscape in B.C. and across Canada highlights the immediate impacts of immigration policy changes and raises questions about the balance between short-term demographic shifts and long-term economic needs.