Can you guess how immigration numbers changed under Harper and Trudeau?
March 26, 2025
What do the numbers show us about immigration in Canada in the years Justin Trudeau was prime minister? How do these compare to the period Stephen Harper was in office?
Draw lines in the charts below to show how you think things have changed.
Then, hit the submit button to see how your guesses stack up against the actual data.
Of course, these numbers only tell part of the story, so check out the analysis at the end. But let's start here to test your perception against what these data points show.
Total population of Canada
The chart below shows the number of new permanent residents per year. This category includes resettled refugees and protected persons. During the Harper government, approximately 10 per cent of all permanent residents were resettled refugees and protected persons. This percentage increased to about 16 per cent when Trudeau was in office.
Permanent residents
Temporary workers are non-permanent residents who hold work permits. The chart shows the number of permit holders each year, based on the year their permits became effective.
Temporary workers
The chart below shows the number of students who have been issued study permits each year. The numbers are based on the year their permits became effective.
International students
The chart below shows the number of new asylum claimants each year.
Asylum claimants
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government raised annual immigration levels in a bid to strengthen the economy, fill gaps in the labour force and compensate for Canada’s aging population.
Canada’s reputation as a country that openly welcomes immigrants also became a key part of the Liberal brand. Trudeau came into office promising to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees within months.
Soon after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in 2017 and proposed a ban on immigrants from some Muslim countries, Trudeau posted online that Canadians would welcome refugees “regardless of their faith.”
But after years of ambitious immigration targets, the government has since admitted that things went a bit too far. In particular, there was a significant increase in the number of temporary foreign workers and international students admitted to Canada in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Canada emerged from the pandemic, the federal government raised the limits on foreign workers due to concerns about labour shortages. Business groups pushed for and applauded these changes.
The number of international students also shot up, driven partly by post-secondary institutions bringing in more than they could accommodate
Last January, the government announced a new cap on international student permits. In August, they imposed new limits on temporary foreign worker programs.
And in October, the government announced a significant reduction in permanent immigration levels. Trudeau admitted the government could have acted quicker and “turned off the taps faster,” blaming “bad actors” for gaming the system.
Polling has shown dwindling public support for immigration in Canada, potentially putting a decades-long consensus in jeopardy.
In 2025, the government aims to welcome 395,000 permanent residents, down more than 20 per cent from the previous year. That level is still higher than Harper-era levels, which peaked at just over 270,000.
Do these numbers match your reality? Do you have a story you’d like to share? Is this an issue you’ll be voting on in this election? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
Try some more charts
How we got the numbers
The total population of Canada is sourced from Statistics Canada, specifically the Population estimates, quarterly table.
Data on permanent residents is provided by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Information from 2006 to 2015 was obtained through a custom request, while data from 2015 onward comes from the Permanent residents – monthly IRCC updates.
Data on international students comes from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Information from 2006 to 2015 comes from a custom request. Data from 2015 onward comes from the Temporary residents: study permit holders – monthly IRCC updates.
Data on temporary workers comes from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Information from 2006 to 2015 comes from a custom request. Data from 2015 onward is sourced from the Monthly IRCC updates - Canada – Temporary Foreign Worker Program work permit holders and the Monthly IRCC updates - Canada – International Mobility Program work permit holders.
Data on asylum claimants comes from a custom request to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
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