Canadians Are Leaving At The Fastest Pace In 74 Years

Canadians continue to flee in record volumes, in a trend that’s picking up, not plateauing. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows emigration—when citizens or permanent residents move abroad—climbed again in Q1. Canadians are now leaving at the fastest pace in 74 years of records. 

StatCan estimates 30,092 emigrants in Q1 2026, up 0.9% (+276 people) from last year. Don’t let the minor growth rate fool you. This was the fifth straight quarter of annual growth and the highest it’s been in 74 years. 

This data is often conflated with Canada’s intentional pullback of non-permanent residents (NPRs), but they’re different issues. The country saw 199,260 NPRs leave in Q1 2026, up 16.5% (+28,230) from last year—the biggest Q1 on record for NPR outflows. NPR departures began climbing even before policymakers decided to throttle intake volumes; the temporary nature of those visas means it shouldn’t surprise. 

There were 120,916 emigrants in the 12 months ending Q1 2026, up 1.4% (+1,630) from a year prior—and this isn’t a quarterly comparison skew. The rolling 12-month sum has accelerated for three straight years, reaching its highest level on record. Canadians have never left the country at such a rapid pace.  

Emigration rising aggressively signals a much deeper problem brewing. One that policymakers fundamentally don’t understand.

Canada Hiding The Problem With Immigration Is Misguided

Policymakers often dismiss emigration data, relying on the view that people are relatively replaceable. The mindset is that losing one Canadian isn’t a problem if we mint two of these human capital tax units. People can be trained, and there’s no short-term problem that money can’t solve. When you’re of the gilt class, it’s hard to understand why everyone isn’t fond of your rule. 

The problem is these aren’t recent immigrants leaving. They aren’t facing culture shock or foreign credential hurdles. These aren’t people sold on diploma mill marketing, only to realize they’ve been scammed. These are Canadians, and other countries are offering a more compelling pitch. 

The demographic leaving makes this worse. Most countries only want immigrants who are young, talented, and bringing in-demand skills—which is exactly who’s walking out the door. It’s been a problem in the startup sector, where many Canadians feel the need to leave to succeed.   

New Canadians might eventually replace them—but that assumes the replacement talent doesn’t notice the same exit signs. Canada attracts top global talent, but if the people who build the opportunities are leaving, the pitch hollows out fast.