What is driving the noticeable shift in how Canadians feel about immigration?

In June 2023, Canada’s population reached 40 million. For the first time in history, the population grew by more than a million (2.7%) in a single year. Temporary and permanent migration accounted for 96% cent of this population growth.

Over the past few decades, Canadians have been more positive than negative in their attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. In 2019, Canada was ranked the most accepting country for immigrants (in a survey of 145 countries) on Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index.

Over the last few years, Environics public opinion data also indicated Canadians felt very positively about immigrants and immigration levels.

Something changed in 2023.

A million newcomers in two years

A few months after reaching this population milestone, the federal government released its new Immigration Levels Plan to welcome 485,000 permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025 and 2026.

This announcement came on the heels of an Environics public opinion survey revealing a significant increase in the number of Canadians who believe the country accepts too many immigrants. That marks a dramatic reversal from a year ago, when support for immigration levels stood at an all-time high.

Canadians are still more likely to disagree (51%) than agree (44%) that immigration levels are too high, but the gap between these views has shrunk over the past year, from 42...

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