Canadians Leaving Canada Statistics 2026

Updated May 2026 · Sources: Statistics Canada, CRA departure data

How many Canadians are actually leaving? The short answer: more than at any point in the last 50 years. This page aggregates the latest emigration data from Statistics Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, and demographic research - updated as new figures are released.

Key Numbers at a Glance

The headline: Net emigration in 2024-25 was the highest level recorded in the 50-year Statistics Canada data series.

Annual Emigration Trend

Canada does not have a national exit-tracking system. Statistics Canada estimates emigration primarily through tax filing patterns - when a Canadian resident stops filing T1 returns, they are eventually identified as an emigrant. This methodology creates a lag of 12-18 months before figures are finalized, which is why the most recent confirmed annual numbers trail the current date.

What the data shows:

• Departures in Q3 2025 were 34 percent higher than the same quarter six years earlier
• The trend line has been consistently upward since 2020
• Q1 2025 saw a 3% year-over-year increase in citizen and permanent resident departures
• Non-permanent resident departures (international students, temporary workers) surged 54% in Q1 2025

Who Is Leaving Canada

The departure profile skews heavily toward working-age, educated professionals:

Age Breakdown

• 67% of Canadian emigrants are between ages 20 and 44
• The concentration in prime working years reflects economic motivations as the primary driver

Profession and Education

• Highest emigration rates among: natural sciences, engineering, finance, medicine
• Graduate students and early-career researchers are disproportionately represented
• Entrepreneurs and investors seeking capital markets with fewer restrictions

Geographic Concentration

• Vancouver and Toronto accounted for nearly half of all emigration in 2024
• Both cities combine the highest cost-of-living pressure with the highest density of internationally mobile professionals

Where Canadians Are Going

Top destinations for Canadian emigrants (see Canada vs. USA - the #1 destination by volume):

1. United States - approximately 38% of Canadian emigrants. Attracts with larger professional markets, higher salaries, deeper capital pools, and proximity.
2. United Kingdom - Commonwealth ties, language, professional credential recognition.
3. Australia - Climate, standard of living, strong Canadian expat communities, professional opportunities.
4. Portugal and Europe - Growing cohort seeking lower cost of living, EU mobility, and quality of life. Digital nomad visas (Portugal D8, Spain, Greece) have accelerated this.
5. Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, and Central America - Pre-retiree and retiree cohort. Warmer climate, territorial tax systems, significantly lower cost of living.

Why Canadians Are Leaving

Statistics Canada measures the who and where better than the why. The full analysis of why Canadians are leaving covers the structural drivers in detail. Cross-referencing departure trends with polling and qualitative research points to consistent drivers:

Economic Factors

• Housing affordability collapse in major markets (Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary)
• Real wage stagnation relative to cost-of-living increases
• Higher marginal tax rates relative to peer countries, especially for high earners
• Limited access to early-stage venture capital for entrepreneurs

Professional Factors

• US compensation benchmarks significantly higher in tech, finance, and medicine
• Canadian professional designations widely recognized abroad, lowering switching costs
• Expanding remote work options reduce the geographic penalty of working for foreign employers

Lifestyle and Tax Factors

• Canada taxes residents on worldwide income. Non-residents are no longer subject to Canadian income tax (with exceptions for Canadian-source income)
• Countries with territorial tax systems - where only local income is taxed - offer significant advantages for high earners with mobile income
• Climate, quality of life, and reduced cost of living in sunbelt destinations

Tax Filing Data: A Proxy for Departure Volume

The CRA does not publish annual departure return statistics separately from the general T1 population, but practitioners and researchers use T1 departure return (T1-M) filing trends as one indicator. Cross-border tax advisors have reported a consistent increase in departure return engagements since 2022, with the highest volume in BC and Ontario - consistent with the Statistics Canada geographic data.

Key tax events for departing Canadians (see the full departure tax guide):

• Departure return (T1 with NR status change) filed in the year of departure
• Deemed disposition of worldwide assets on departure date (excluding principal residence)
• NR73 (determination of residency status) filed as appropriate
• NR4 and NR4-OAS for ongoing Canadian-source income after departure

QRP and Residency Program Applications: Belize Benchmark

For Canadians choosing Belize specifically:

• As of 2022 (most recent official figures): 311 approved QRPs plus 300 dependents
• The Belize government has publicly stated it aims to grow this to approach Costa Rica's 70,000 retiree figure
• QRP applications require proof of $2,000+/month income, minimum age 40
• The program was amended in 2023 to make it more attractive to prospective retirees

Data Methodology Notes

Statistics Canada uses four primary methods to estimate emigration:

1. T1 tax return patterns - Residents who stop filing are identified as potential emigrants after a lag period
2. Border Services data - Entry and exit data (partial, not comprehensive)
3. Permanent Resident Landing File - Tracks immigrant departures specifically
4. Survey data - Canadian Community Health Survey and related instruments

Because Canada has no mandatory exit registration, all emigration figures are estimates. The Statistics Canada figures are the most authoritative available but carry inherent margin of error, particularly for permanent departures vs. long-term absences.

Update Schedule

This page is updated quarterly as Statistics Canada releases new estimates. The figures above were last updated May 2026.

Sources: Statistics Canada Tables 17-10-0040-01, 91-209-X, and 36-28-0001; The Hub analysis of Statistics Canada data (April 2026); CRA departure return practitioner data.

If you are considering it yourself, the step-by-step departure guide covers the full process from decision to arrival. If you are in the planning phase, the Departure Blueprint covers the full financial sequence: departure tax calculation, RRSP strategy by destination country, principal residence timing, and a province-by-province checklist. Available at /blueprint.