愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Most Canadians want fewer new immigrants accepted in 2025: Nanos survey

Share

A majority of Canadians say the country should accept fewer immigrants in 2025 than it did in 2024, with nearly three-quarters saying immigration should be reduced until housing becomes more affordable, according to a Nanos survey for 愛污传媒.

Two out of three, or 64 per cent, of Canadians surveyed said the country should accept fewer immigrants in 2025 compared to 2024. Meanwhile, about one in four, or 26 per cent, of Canadians said we should let in about the same number of immigrants, while only five per cent said we should accept more.

In August, Immigration Minister Marc Miller promised 鈥渟ignificant鈥 changes to the number of permanent residents let into the country, including stricter rules to reduce the stream of temporary foreign workers who were allowed into Canada in higher numbers in recent years to address the labour shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau also signalled in August that there would be more changes coming this fall to reduce the number of permanent residents. And this week, Miller announced a 10 per cent reduction in the number of international student permits, which would result in 鈥渁pproximately 300,000 fewer study permits鈥 issued in the next three years.

This year, the target for study permits was 364,000 鈥 a 35 per cent decrease from the nearly 560,000 permits issued in 2023.

The government鈥檚 move came after experts 鈥 and federal public servants -- warned the government that population growth was putting increasing strain on an already unsustainable housing market.

The survey also found an overwhelming number of Canadians, at 72 per cent, want the number of immigrants coming into Canada reduced until housing becomes affordable.

This includes 49 per cent who support, and 23 per cent who somewhat support, a reduction. That鈥檚 an increase since September 2023 when the same question was asked to Canadians. Back then, 35 per cent said they would support, and 24 per cent said they would somewhat support, a reduction.

Immigration and the economy

Meanwhile, when it comes to Canadians鈥 perceptions about the impact of immigrants on the economy, 40 per cent say immigrants make the economy stronger (22 per cent) or somewhat stronger (18 per cent); while 29 per cent said they make the country either weaker (11 per cent) or somewhat weaker (18 per cent).

Broken down by region, people in the Prairies (47 per cent) were most likely to say immigrants make the economy stronger, while people in Atlantic Canada (34 per cent) were most likely to say immigrants make the economy weaker.

Canadians鈥 perceptions on refugees

When it comes to refugees 鈥 people who leave their countries to escape either war, persecution or natural disasters -- the Nanos survey found that more than two in five, or 46 per cent, of Canadians wanted fewer to be let in to the country. Just over one in three, or 35 per cent, said Canada should accept the same number, while 15 per cent said we should accept more.

Canada`s current allows for between 72,000 and 76,000 refugees annually through three different resettlement streams. 

Regionally, people in the Prairies (49 per cent) were most likely to say Canada should accept fewer refugees, while Ontario had the most respondents (19 per cent) who said Canada should accept more.

鈥淣o one plans to become a refugee. Individuals gain education and experience that should not go untapped just because they become displaced, 鈥 according to the in a 2023 statement.

Methodology

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,093 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between August 30th and September 2nd, 2024 as part of an omnibus survey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey online.

The margin of error for this survey is 卤3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

This study was commissioned by 愛污传媒 and the research was conducted by Nanos Research.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court.

Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.

The University Health Network (UHN) is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.

The investigation into the sudden death of a Walmart employee over the weekend is still underway, but few details are being provided.

A woman has been found dead after her house was swept away in a mudslide in the Metro Vancouver city of Coquitlam over the weekend.

Local Spotlight

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.

A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.

A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.

Stay Connected