By Mata Press Service

Despite Canada's historical identity as a country built on immigration, recent public sentiment remains divided on immigration levels, states a new a new national poll.

In a survey conducted by Leger for the Association of Canadian Studies (ACS), the poll

although the Canadian government recently announced significant policy shifts—reducing annual immigration targets by 20% from 500,000 to 395,000 for 2025-2027—many Canadians still feel immigration rates are too high.

“Most Canadians agree that Canada is a nation of immigrants yet even amongst those affirming this observation there remains a feeling that there are too many…in other words, it’s a nation of immigrants with too many immigrants,” said Jack Jedwab president and CEO of the Metropolis Institute and the ACS.

According to the latest data, 58% of Canadians believe immigration numbers remain excessive, a noticeable decline from 65% in November 2024 but still representing a clear majority.

This comes despite the federal government's decision to lower immigration targets for 2025-2027 from 500,000 to 395,000 annually, a reduction of approximately 20%.

Public opinion on immigration varies significantly depending on the type of immigrants.

Immigrants arriving as economic contributors receive higher approval, with 70% viewing positively, compared to a 50% favourable view toward refugees. The discrepancy highlights a nuanced division in perceptions based on immigrant categories, with economic immigrants seen as more beneficial compared to refugees.

Regional variations further illustrate this divide. Residents in Alberta and the Prairie provinces express skepticism about Canada's dependency on immigration for population growth. Conversely, British Columbians tend to recognize immigration as essential to sustaining population growth and economic development.

The data also reveals misconceptions about immigrants' educational attainment. Only 24% of Canadians acknowledge that immigrants typically have higher education levels than Canadian-born individuals, while 42% explicitly disagree.

Notably, although 70% of respondents recognize Canada as a "nation of immigrants," 57% within that group still express concerns that immigration rates are too high. These findings underscore the complexity and contradictions in public perceptions.

The report suggests that bridging the gap between public perception and immigration’s economic and demographic contributions will require increased education and nuanced policy discussions. Addressing these contradictions is key to shaping future immigration strategies in Canada.

Key Highlights from the Report

Majority of Canadians Still Believe There Are Too Many Immigrants:

o 58% of Canadians think immigration levels are too high, down from 65% in November 2024.

o Only 3% believe there are too few immigrants.

Government’s Immigration-Reduction Has Limited Impact on Public Perception:

o The federal government reduced the 2025-2027 immigration targets by 20% (from 500,000 to 395,000 annually).

o Public sentiment on immigration levels has only slightly shifted since the announcement.

Diverging Views on Immigration’s Contribution:

o 43% of Canadians believe Canada’s population will not grow without immigration, while 37% disagree.

o Alberta and the Prairie provinces are the most skeptical about immigration’s necessity for population growth.

Support for Economic Immigration but Less for Refugees:

o 73% have a positive view of skilled workers and economic immigrants. o Only 50% hold a positive opinion of refugees.

o Canadians who believe there are too many immigrants are significantly less likely to support refugees.

Perceptions of Immigration and Education:

o Only 24% of Canadians believe that immigrants have higher educational attainment than Canadian-born individuals.

o 42% disagree with this statement, while 34% are unsure.

Economic and Cultural Contributions of Immigrants:

o 53% of Canadians believe immigration is crucial for economic growth.

o 43% think immigrants play a significant role in Canada’s sports achievements.

Contradictions in Public Opinion:

o 70% of Canadians acknowledge that Canada is a “nation of immigrants,” but 57% of those same respondents still think immigration levels are too high.

Young immigrants outperform Canadian-born counterparts

A recent study by StatsCan reveals that children who immigrated to Canada are outperforming their Canadian-born counterparts in both educational attainment and wage earnings as young adults.

The findings, based on data from the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) Children Data Module, highlight the successful integration and contributions of young immigrants to Canadian society.

Between 1980 and 2023, approximately 2 million children aged 14 or younger immigrated to Canada, representing about 20% of all immigrants during this period. The study found that in 2022, these immigrant children were more likely to pursue postsecondary education than their Canadian-born peers.

Key Findings:

Education Participation

75.5% of immigrants who arrived before age 5 participated in postsecondary education by age 20.

This rate was 69.7% for those who arrived between ages 5-9, and 60.2% for those who arrived between ages 10-14.

In comparison, only 59.6% of all Canadian 20-year-olds participated in postsecondary education.

Wage Earnings

By age 30, immigrants admitted as children earned a median wage of $58,300, 19.1% higher than the overall Canadian population of the same age ($48,970).

Those admitted under age 5 and between ages 5-9 had even higher median wages at age 30 ($59,200 and $60,600 respectively).

Admission Category Impact

Children admitted as dependents of economic immigrants showed the highest postsecondary education participation rate (73.1%) and the highest median wage by age 30 ($64,000).

This was significantly higher than family-sponsored immigrants ($47,600), refugees ($49,700), and other immigrant categories ($51,800).

The study underscores the long-term benefits of Canada's immigration policies, particularly for those admitted at younger ages and through economic immigration streams. These findings suggest that young immigrants are not only integrating well into Canadian society but are also making substantial contributions to the country's economy and educational landscape.