Why Canadians Are Leaving in 2026: Data and Reasons

Key takeaways

In 2021, two in three people who emigrated from Canada were aged 20 to 44 (Statistics Canada, March 2026)
About 61% of emigrants were immigrants, and close to 70% held a university degree
The US is home to 61.4% of Canadian-born people living abroad, followed by the UK (7.8%) and Australia (4.6%)
StatCan’s quarterly estimates put 2025 emigration at a level not seen in decades; the figures are revised over time
Housing costs, pay and career options, and family are the reasons most often cited; no single official survey measures them

Who this page is for

Who this page is for: people thinking about leaving Canada who want facts, not headlines, and readers who want to understand the trend. If you have already decided to go, start with the leaving Canada tax guide and the leaving Canada checklist.

How many people are leaving Canada?

Canada does not count people at the border as they leave. Statistics Canada (StatCan) estimates emigration from tax records, child benefit records and other data, and it revises the numbers later. So treat any single figure as an estimate.

StatCan’s quarterly table of international migration components (Table 17-10-0040-01) is the official source. Based on that table, emigration in 2025 was reported at around 120,000 people, the highest yearly total since the early 1950s, with roughly 55,000 returning emigrants. The table was last updated on September 23, 2026; check it for the latest revised values.

Emigration is still much smaller than immigration. Canada admitted 368,224 new permanent residents from July 2025 to June 2026, and its population was about 41.8 million on July 1, 2026 (StatCan, September 23, 2026).

Who leaves: age, education and background

StatCan’s “Portrait of Canadian emigration” (released March 18, 2026, using 2021 data) found:

Characteristic	Share of emigrants (2021)
Aged 20 to 44	67.0%
Aged 45 to 64	23.4%
Aged 65 and over	7.3%
Immigrants (born outside Canada)	61.2%
Master’s degree or higher	31.1%
Bachelor’s degree	38.7%
Worked in natural and applied sciences	22.9%
Worked in business, finance and administration	21.2%

In short: people who leave are mostly young adults with degrees, often in technical and business jobs. Immigrants are heavily over-represented. Read why immigrants leave Canada for that part of the story.

Where do they go?

Among people born in Canada and living abroad in 2020, StatCan found:

United States: 61.4%
United Kingdom: 7.8%
Australia: 4.6%
France: 2.3%
Italy: 2.0%

Immigrants who leave often return to their country of birth or move on to the US. Moves to the US through permanent residence have fallen over time: 11,870 Canadian-born people got US green cards in 2023, down from 21,752 in 2001 (StatCan, July 2025). See moving to the US and working holiday visas for Canadians.

The main reasons people give

There is no official Canadian survey that asks emigrants why they left. The reasons below come from polling, research and the patterns in the data. Treat them as common themes, not measured shares.

Housing costs

An Angus Reid Institute poll in June 2024 found 39% of immigrants who arrived in the last 10 years were seriously considering leaving their province because of housing costs, compared with 27% of people born in Canada. Of those thinking of moving for housing, 42% said they would consider leaving Canada altogether.

Pay, taxes and careers

The high share of degree holders and science and tech workers among emigrants points to job markets abroad, especially the US, where salaries in some fields are higher. Compare what your pay would buy with the salary purchasing power tool.

Credential recognition and underemployment

Many immigrants struggle to work in their field in Canada. Some leave when they cannot get licensed or find matching work.

Healthcare access

Long waits for family doctors and specialists are a frequent complaint. Some people leave for countries where they can pay for faster care, or return to family support at home.

Family, climate and lifestyle

Caring for aging parents, a partner’s job, or simply weather and lifestyle are common personal reasons, especially for retirees.

Reading the numbers carefully

Estimates get revised. StatCan updates emigration counts as more tax data comes in. Always check the date.
Emigration is not the same as “brain drain”. Many people come back. StatCan also counts returning emigrants each quarter.
Population change has other causes. The recent fall in temporary residents (down 154,614 from July 2025 to July 2026) reflects new federal caps on students and workers, not just people choosing to leave.
Polls are not plans. “Considering leaving” is much more common than actually leaving.

The bigger picture in 2025 and 2026

Emigration is rising at the same time as Canada is cutting temporary immigration. StatCan’s September 2026 estimates show:

Canada’s population was 41,798,407 on July 1, 2026, up 189,425 (0.5%) in a year, much slower growth than in 2023 and 2024.
The number of non-permanent residents (students, workers and others) fell by 154,614 in the year to July 1, 2026, to 2,779,774, or 6.7% of the population.
The largest drops were among study permit holders (down 140,827).
New permanent residents fell for the fourth year in a row, to 368,224 from July 2025 to June 2026.

Many temporary residents who leave are not counted as “emigrants” in the same way as citizens and PRs. They are counted as a fall in non-permanent residents. So if you see headlines about “people leaving Canada”, check which group they mean.

Many people come back

Leaving is often not permanent. StatCan counts returning emigrants every quarter: Canadian citizens and permanent residents who lived abroad and moved back. Returning emigrants offset a large part of the people who leave, so net emigration is smaller than the headline count.

People return for family, for healthcare, for children’s schooling, or because a job abroad ended. If there is any chance you will come back, plan for it before you go:

Keep your PR status valid, or become a citizen first if you qualify.
Keep records of your departure date and asset values, so you can unwind departure tax.
Do not contribute to your TFSA while abroad; your room is waiting for you.
Keep at least one Canadian bank account and credit card in good standing.

The returning to Canada checklist covers the steps when you move back.

If you are thinking of leaving

Before you decide, compare the full picture: taxes when you leave, pensions, health coverage and your immigration status. Our should I leave Canada? tool walks through the trade-offs. PR holders should also read will I lose my PR if I leave?

Common questions

How many people left Canada in 2025?

Statistics Canada’s quarterly estimates (Table 17-10-0040-01) were reported at about 120,000 emigrants in 2025, the highest yearly level in about 70 years. These are estimates and are revised over time.

Where do most Canadians move to?

The United States. In 2020, 61.4% of Canadian-born people living abroad lived in the US, followed by the UK and Australia.

Are immigrants more likely to leave than people born in Canada?

Yes. In 2021, immigrants made up 61.2% of people who emigrated, far more than their share of the population.

Is housing the main reason people leave?

It is one of the most cited. In a 2024 Angus Reid poll, 39% of recent immigrants were seriously considering leaving their province over housing costs. But there is no official survey of why emigrants left.

How does Statistics Canada know who has left?

It estimates emigration from administrative data such as tax and benefit records, because Canada has no exit registration. The numbers are revised as more data arrives.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 5, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Why are people leaving Canada in 2026? What the data shows