Canada consistently ranks among the top countries in the world on global freedom with a strong track record of supporting political rights and civil liberties. However, not all Canadians have the same experiences. Groups including Indigenous people and Black Canadians face discrimination and inequities related to education, employment and essential services. Some recent initiatives in response include legislation on creating a National Council for Reconciliation and the introduction of the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. At the same time, global freedom declined around the world overall in 2023 with major threats to democracy as a result of war, coups and attacks on democratic institutions.

Canada’s life expectancy decreased for the second year in a row in 2021, falling 0.7 years between 2019 and 2021. In comparison, some peer countries saw life expectancy rebound in 2021. The pandemic resulted in a drop in life expectancy in 2020 and challenges have continued in subsequent years. The opioid crisis has continued to have a negative impact, with growing concerns about increasing mortality among young people. There are inequities among key population groups as well, as life expectancy can range from five to 11 years shorter for Indigenous populations compared to non-Indigenous populations.

Canada’s fertility rate fell to a low of 1.33 children per woman in 2022 – the lowest rate in more than a century of data. The number of births recorded decreased by 5% compared to the previous year. Escalating concerns about costs of living and housing affordability are key factors influencing choices to have fewer or no children, with lower-income Canadians less likely to report having as many children as they wanted. A continued decline would position Canada among countries with the lowest fertility rates, which would have far-reaching social and economic impacts in the years ahead, including on labour markets and social services.

In 2022/23, new permanent resident admissions represented 1.20% of the population, which is aligned with CI’s target for permanent resident admissions. This proportion represents growth in recent years but is comparable to levels seen at other times in Canada’s history such as in the post-war period. The federal government remains committed to maintaining its targets for new permanent residents and introduced a strategy in 2023 that aims to take into account supports and services such as housing and health care for both immigrants and Canadians as part of immigration levels planning going forward. This planning process hasn’t typically included temporary residents but that is expected to change in the years ahead, with the addition of targets for temporary residents starting in fall 2024. As Canada welcomes greater levels of temporary and permanent immigrants, it is increasingly important to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. Addressing the challenges faced by newcomers, such as finding employment relevant to their skills and accessing affordable housing, will help support them to not only come to Canada but to stay long-term.

Canada’s population has grown significantly over the past several years and in June 2023 a new milestone was hit – a population of 40 million. There was a 2.9% increase in Canada’s population in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. International migration was connected to approximately 98% of this growth. This included significant increases in new temporary residents which outpaced the number of new permanent residents in 2022/23 (697,701 compared to 468,817). From the previous year, there was a 46% increase in non-permanent residents living in Canada. Canada continues to lead G7 countries in population growth.