Canada's population grew modestly through mid-2026, reaching an estimated 41.8 million on July 1 with a 0.5% annual increase—the slowest pace in decades—according to revised Statistics Canada quarterly estimates. Permanent resident admissions continued to support growth but at reduced targets around 380,000 annually under the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, while net outflows of non-permanent residents (including international students and temporary workers) have accelerated due to lower arrival caps and policy measures aimed at bringing their share of the population below 5% by late 2027. These deliberate reductions in temporary inflows, combined with historically low natural increase, have produced near-flat or slightly negative quarterly changes in some periods, leading traders to assign a narrow edge to a full-year decline despite the year-to-date positive revision.