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Or sign-in if you have an account.Canada had about 41.4 million people as of April 1. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National PostLower immigration rates caused Canada’s population to slightly decline in the first three months of 2026, according to Statistics Canada estimates.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe country had about 41.4 million people as of April 1, which is a decline of 0.1 per cent, or 55,025 people, compared to the previous quarter. But the agency said its estimate is preliminary and will be updated in September.Canada invited 83,149 permanent immigrants in the first quarter, which is similar to the previous quarter, but down 20.2 per cent from the same quarter last year.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe growth rate of the number of non-permanent residents, which includes newcomers such as foreign students, workers and asylum claimants, declined by 4.4 per cent compared to the previous quarter and there were about 2.55 million non-permanent residents in Canada as of April 1, according to Statistics Canada.But the agency said it expects a larger-than-usual change in its non-permanent residents estimate in September because of the “rapidly evolving context and shifting international migration policies.”The number of permit extensions given to newcomers to continue their stay in Canada increased over the past few months, but associated processing times lengthened, it said.“As a result, updates of greater magnitude to recent non-permanent resident estimates may occur, which could lead to more pronounced upward changes to population estimates,” it said.Natural population growth, measured as births minus deaths, fell by 155 people. A year earlier, the population increased naturally by 983 individuals.Canada has reported population declines in recent quarters after posting record increases in population growth rates during 2022 and 2023 in a bid to tackle job vacancies right after the pandemic. That’s because the federal government has placed curbs on the number of non-permanent residents and has lowered its permanent residency targets.Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney linked Canada’s sluggish economy to its declining population after the country reported two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Get the latest from Naimul Karim straight to your inbox Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.