More Canadians are saying goodbye, not for vacation, but for good.
New data from Statistics Canada (StatCan) shows that 120,016 Canadians permanently emigrated in the 12 months ending Q2 2025, the highest number ever recorded. That’s up 3% from last year, and a staggering 26% increase since 2019.
In the latest quarter alone, 24,714 Canadians left the country, marking the strongest second quarter for emigration in decades. The trend, which began accelerating in 2017, paused briefly during the pandemic, and has surgedagain since 2022.
For context, the number of people who left Canada this year is roughly equal to the entire population of Brantford, Ontario.
Why Emigration Matters
Emigration, when Canadians leave the country permanently, may sound like a simple statistic, but it’s a critical economic signal.
When outflows rise steadily over several years, it points to a deeper lack of opportunity and competitiveness. The first to leave are often young, educated, and skilled professionals, the very people the economy needs most.
Those without means or global mobility typically stay behind, even if they want to leave. The result? A slow erosion of Canada’s talent base, innovation capacity, and tax revenue.
“These are the Canadians we can least afford to lose,” said Better Dwelling, which first analyzed the StatCan report. “They’re taking their skills, businesses, and capital abroad — and they’re not coming back.”
Canada’s Growing Competitiveness Problem
The surge in emigration comes as Canada faces weak productivity, falling business investment, and record capital outflows.
Economists have long warned that Canada’s growth model, built on population increases rather than productivity gains, is unsustainable. While immigration levels remain historically high, the outflow of Canadian talent is undermining that population growth.
In short: Canada is gaining people but losing competitiveness.
- Business investment per worker in Canada has fallen nearly 20% since 2015.
- GDP per capita continues to shrink, marking one of the worst performances among G7 nations.
- Canadian entrepreneurs are increasingly starting companies abroad, where tax rates and regulations are more favorable.
Even policymakers admit that while “the world wants Canada,” the country seems less able to keep its own citizens.
Why The Numbers May Be Even Higher
StatCan’s data likely underestimates the true number of Canadians moving abroad. Many emigrants never officially report their departure or file their final tax returns, making them invisible in official counts.
Before 2025, Canada tracked incoming travelers but not outgoing residents, making it difficult to know how many people had permanently left. This gap may have also inflated immigration figures in past years, contributing to the perception of stronger growth than reality.
That could help explain why housing demand and infrastructure pressure often outpace real economic output, a growing mismatch between population and prosperity.
A Slow-Burning Trend That’s Hard to Reverse
The rise in Canadians leaving the country isn’t a sudden shift, it’s the culmination of nearly a decade of slow decline in opportunity, affordability, and business confidence.
Canada is seeing:
- Record-high emigration (120,016 in 12 months)
- Capital flight to foreign markets
- Falling entrepreneurship rates
- Persistent brain drain in healthcare, engineering, and tech sectors
If current trends continue, experts warn that Canada could see a long-term decline in innovation and productivity, one that immigration alone can’t fix.
The Bottom Line
Canada’s population may be growing on paper, but it’s increasingly built on temporary gains. Beneath the surface, record numbers of skilled, working-age Canadians are leaving, and taking their potential with them.
It’s not just about numbers; it’s about competitiveness. Canada can’t rely on population growth to offset the loss of its most capable people forever. The longer this trend continues, the harder it will be to reverse.
References
- Statistics Canada – Table 17-10-0020-01: Components of population growth, quarterly estimates (statcan.gc.ca)
- Better Dwelling (Sept 2025) – Canadians Moving Abroad Hits a New Record As The Country Fails to Compete(betterdwelling.com)
- Financial Post – Canada’s Brain Drain Accelerates as Skilled Workers Leave for Better Opportunities Abroad(financialpost.com)
- BNN Bloomberg – Canada Faces Record Capital Flight Amid Global Competitiveness Concerns(bnnbloomberg.ca)
- OECD Data – GDP per Capita and Productivity Indicators, Canada 2025 (oecd.org)
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