The Demographics of Canadian Permanent Residence Admissions

This piece takes a deep dive into the data comes from the 2026 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, published November 5, 2026. It covers the calendar year 2025, which seems like a lifetime ago at this point. But, there’s plenty of interesting takeaways that apply today.  

Key Takeaways 

Summary of the Annual Report 2025 Data 

Here’s a snapshot of the data from 2025:  

Canadian Permanent Residence Programs in 2025: By The Numbers 

Economic immigrants made up 57.3% of 2025 admissions, and women slightly outnumbered men overall (203,320 women to 190,425 men). Every category shrank compared with 2024. 

Within the economic class: 

1. Provincial Nominee Program: 85,120 admissions – this figure is above its planned range of 20,000-65,000. Though the 2025 admissions plan originally slashed the PNP quota, and this was walked back by the federal government due to provincial backlash.  
2. Federal high-skilled (Express Entry programs): There were a total of 79,730 high-skilled admissions in 2025, of which the Canadian Experience Class accounted for 49,590. This is around 62%.  
3. Caregivers, Atlantic, rural and other pilots: about 16,000 combined. 

TR to PR Priority 

Transitioning in-Canada workers on temporary status has been a governmental priority for the past few years. In 2025, 145,735 former work permit holders (−9%) and 20,790 former international students (−18.7%) became permanent residents. While the overall number of TR to PR admissions decreased from 2024, the proportion increased – in line with the government’s priority. This trend has accelerated so far in 2026. 

Transitioning in-Canada workers on temporary status has been a governmental priority for the past few years. In 2025, 145,735 former work permit holders (−9%) and 20,790 former international students (−18.7%) became permanent residents. While the overall number of TR to PR admissions decreased from 2024, the proportion increased – in line with the government’s priority. This trend has accelerated so far in 2026. 

Planning for next year?  

For economic immigration hopefuls currently in Canada, 2027 will mark an interesting year. The 200k additional spots for in-Canada admissions is a time-limited measure implemented next year to transition a significant number of economic temporary residents (around 100,000) to permanent resident status. That said, this is combined with historic levels of competition for Express Entry spots. All in all, candidates need to be planning their pathways and optimizing their profiles – not adopting a wait and see approach.  

Where Newcomers Settled in Canada in 2025 

As in past years, Ontario attracted the highest number of newcomers in 2025. Together, 84% of new permanent residents settled in Alberta, BC, Ontario, and Quebec.  

PNPs played a crucial role in attracting immigrants to Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while pilot programs drew newcomers to the Atlantic region.  

Where Newcomers Came from in 2025 

India is the top source country in almost every stream, but the mix varies sharply by pathway. Economic admissions shifted toward French-speaking African countries, which the report links to French-language Express Entry draws. 

Here’s a snapshot of the data from the report:  

India accounted for 30.2% of economic admissions, 30% of family admissions, 24.6% of study permits and 28.9% of work permits. The rest of the economic top ten were China, Algeria, Morocco, Ukraine and Tunisia. 

Language profile and Francophone immigration 

About 86% of new permanent residents spoke English, French or both; 14.3% (56,255) spoke neither official language. 

Rows may not sum to 100% because a small number did not state a language. 

Outside Quebec, Canada admitted 29,650 French-speaking permanent residents, or 8.9% of admissions. That beat the 8.5% target for 2025. Most (24,665) came through economic programs. Cameroon alone supplied 40%, followed by Algeria, Morocco, France and Côte d’Ivoire. Most of those admissions were through the economic class.  

We’re going to cover Francophone immigration in more detail next week. Keep an eye on our newsletter for updates as they’re published. Join us here. 

If the latest data from IRCC has left you feeling uncertain about your pathway to permanent residence in Canada in 2027, consider a consult with our in-house RCIC Rebecca Major. You can book yours here.