Canadians Are Leaving For Good In Record High Volumes

Canadians are now leaving their country in record numbers, and the trend is sharply accelerating. In the first quarter of 2025, about 27,100 citizens and permanent residents permanently moved abroad. That marks the second-highest Q1 in history, only behind 2017, and it followed the same 3% year-on-year growth seen across all of 2024. Over the twelve months up to the end of Q1 2025, total emigration reached around 106,900 people—only slightly below the level seen in 2017 and up 3% from the prior year.

This sharp uptick is not just a temporary blip. Data show that emigration began rising steadily after 2021 and has continued climbing through 2024 into 2025. Quarterly departures that once stayed under 10,000 are now frequently topping 15,000, signifying sustained momentum in Canadians opting to leave for good. The steady growth of departures over several years points to deeper dissatisfaction or shifting opportunity structures in Canada.

A large share of those leaving are coming from Canada’s two most expensive provinces: Ontario and British Columbia. In Q1 2025, Ontario accounted for over half of emigrants—well above its share of national population—while BC made up about one-fifth, meaning together they accounted for roughly 70% of departures. Experts note that record housing costs in these provinces are a major driver pushing people to seek better affordability elsewhere.

While Ontario and BC dominate the numbers, other regions are seeing growth too. Alberta supplied just over 12% of Q1 emigrants, matching its population share, and both Quebec and the Prairie provinces also saw rising departures—though still at lower levels in absolute terms. Even Atlantic provinces, which historically had very low emigration, posted their second-largest Q1 figures since the 1980s, albeit from small bases.

Economists and policy analysts warn that this trend represents a “human capital flight”—not just capital or money leaving Canada, but skilled, prime-age workers who take their talent elsewhere. When countries train and educate workers only to see them depart, replacing them with new graduates is not an even swap. The long-term impact on innovation, productivity, and growth can be grave.

Canada’s leaders have prioritized immigration to fuel population growth, but they have largely ignored the reverse trend of citizens leaving permanently. Emigration data requires formal notice, so some departures may be uncounted—but even the official figures suggest growing flight in places where opportunity and quality of life feel out of reach for residents. If the current pace holds through the rest of 2025, Canada may face its highest annual exodus on record, raising pressing questions about retention and confidence in the country’s future.