Canada Immigration Survey 2026: 48% Say Numbers Too High

Public opinion on immigration in Canada is showing signs of recovery after several years of growing opposition, according to a new survey by the Toronto-based Environics Institute for Survey Research. The September 2026 survey found Canadians evenly divided over whether the country accepts too many immigrants, with 48% agreeing and an equal 48% disagreeing with the statement.

The findings suggest that concerns about immigration levels may be easing after a sharp shift in public sentiment between 2022 and 2024. The institute said Canadians had become somewhat less worried about the overall number of newcomers and the potential effects of immigration on the economy and employment.

The report, released ahead of the Canadian government’s planned announcement of its new immigration levels plan in November, comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration continues to manage immigration intake following reductions introduced in 2024.

Canada Immigration Survey 2026: Public Opinion Becomes More Balanced

The latest Focus Canada report found that respondents were evenly split on whether immigration to Canada was too high. The result marks a notable change from 2024, when opposition to current immigration levels had increased substantially.

According to Environics, public opinion had shown little change during 2025, but the latest findings indicate a renewed shift towards greater openness to immigration.

The institute said Canadians were now somewhat less concerned about the overall level of immigration and its possible negative effects on the economy and jobs. The findings point to a more balanced public debate, although the survey does not establish that all concerns about immigration have disappeared.

The equal split between those who believe Canada accepts too many immigrants and those who disagree highlights the continued division in public attitudes. While opposition appears to have eased, immigration levels remain an important policy question for the federal government.

How Canadian Attitudes Changed Between 2022 and 2024

The latest improvement follows a period when public opposition to immigration rose sharply. Environics reported that the proportion of Canadians who agreed there was too much immigration doubled between 2022 and 2024.

In 2022, 27% of respondents said Canada was accepting too many immigrants. By 2024, that figure had increased to 58%, reflecting a significant change in public sentiment over just two years.

The shift coincided with a substantial increase in the number of newcomers arriving in Canada after the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in immigration levels generated criticism of the government led by then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and increased pressure on Ottawa to reduce intake.

The rapid change in opinion demonstrated how Immigration Policy can become a central political issue when population growth, housing pressures, labour-market conditions and public services become part of the national debate. However, the survey figures measure public attitudes rather than identifying a single cause for the shift.

The 2026 results suggest that the earlier rise in opposition may be easing. The proportion of respondents who believe immigration is too high is now lower than the 58% recorded in 2024, although the latest survey indicates that public opinion remains divided.

75% of Canadians Say Immigration Benefits the Economy

Despite concerns about immigration levels, a large majority of Canadians continue to believe immigration has a positive overall effect on the country’s economy.

Environics found that 75% of respondents agreed that immigration has a positive economic impact. This indicates that many Canadians distinguish between the number of newcomers entering the country and the broader economic contribution of immigration.

The institute reported that agreement with the statement stood at 85% in 2022 before declining to 68% in 2024. The latest findings show a partial recovery in confidence, with the proportion increasing by five percentage points over the past year, from 70% to 75%.

The results suggest that concerns about immigration levels do not necessarily translate into opposition to immigration’s economic role. A respondent may believe that Canada benefits from immigration while also questioning whether the country is accepting newcomers at a sustainable pace.

This distinction matters for policymakers because immigration debates often involve several separate questions: how many people should enter the country, which skills and categories should be prioritised, and whether housing, infrastructure and public services can accommodate population growth.

The survey’s economic findings provide an important counterpoint to the rise in opposition recorded earlier in the decade. While public opinion remains divided over immigration levels, three-quarters of respondents continue to recognise a positive overall economic contribution.

Canada Reduced Immigration Intake After Public Opposition Grew

The increase in public concern between 2022 and 2024 placed pressure on the federal government to reduce immigration intake. The number of newcomers reached 2.1 million in 2023, according to the supplied report, before Ottawa began implementing reductions in 2024.

The lower-intake approach has continued under Prime Minister Mark Carney. The latest survey arrives as the government prepares to present its next immigration levels plan, expected in November.

Recent remarks by Carney and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab have indicated that the government’s approach could change when the new plan is announced. The details of that plan will be important in determining how Ottawa intends to balance labour-market requirements, population growth and public concerns about immigration.

The September survey does not itself determine what the government will announce. Instead, it provides a snapshot of public sentiment ahead of a policy decision that could influence Canada’s immigration targets in the coming period.

What the New Immigration Levels Plan Could Mean

Canada’s forthcoming immigration levels plan will be closely watched because it is expected to set out the government’s approach to future intake. The latest survey provides useful context for that decision, particularly as public opinion appears to be moving away from the stronger opposition recorded in 2024.

A government deciding immigration levels must consider several factors alongside public sentiment. These can include labour-market needs, demographic trends, housing availability, the capacity of public services and the country’s broader economic objectives.

The survey’s findings suggest that the public debate may be becoming less uniformly negative than it was two years earlier. However, the continued 48% agreement that immigration is too high indicates that a substantial share of Canadians remains concerned about the number of newcomers.

At the same time, the 75% who believe immigration has a positive effect on the economy indicate that economic contributions remain an important part of public attitudes. The government will need to account for both perspectives when explaining its future policy direction.

Any change to immigration targets will ultimately depend on the government’s announced plan. The survey can help explain the political and public context surrounding that decision, but it should not be treated as a direct prediction of the policy outcome.

Survey Conducted by Environics and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute

The findings were published in the Focus Canada report by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, a Toronto-based organisation that studies public opinion and social issues.

The survey was conducted in September in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute. Its findings provide a comparative picture of how attitudes towards immigration have changed over time, including views on immigration levels and the overall economic impact of newcomers.

The year-to-year comparisons are particularly significant because they show how quickly public attitudes can change. The share of Canadians who believed immigration was too high rose from 27% in 2022 to 58% in 2024 before the latest report found respondents evenly divided on the question.

The supplied report does not include the survey’s sample size, margin of error or detailed demographic breakdowns. Those details would be needed to assess the statistical precision of the findings and to determine whether attitudes differ substantially across age groups, regions or other population categories.

What the Findings Reveal About Canada’s Immigration Debate

The latest results point to a more nuanced public conversation about immigration. Canadians appear less likely than they were in 2024 to agree that the country is accepting too many newcomers, while a strong majority continues to view immigration as beneficial to the economy.

These findings suggest that public attitudes cannot be reduced to a simple choice between supporting and opposing immigration. Views on the overall economic value of newcomers may coexist with concerns about the pace of population growth or the ability of communities to accommodate additional residents.

The shift also illustrates how public opinion can change alongside policy developments and broader economic conditions. The increase in opposition between 2022 and 2024 created pressure for lower intake, while the partial rebound recorded in the latest survey may affect the context in which the next immigration plan is debated.

However, the survey does not establish why sentiment has improved or whether the shift will continue. Future surveys and the government’s policy decisions will provide further evidence of how the debate develops.

Conclusion

Canadian public sentiment on immigration is showing signs of improvement after opposition rose sharply between 2022 and 2024, according to the latest Environics Institute survey. The September 2026 findings show that 48% of respondents believe immigration levels are too high, while an equal 48% disagree.

The report also found that 75% of Canadians believe immigration has a positive overall impact on the economy, marking a partial recovery from the decline recorded in 2024. Together, the figures suggest that concerns about immigration levels can coexist with recognition of its economic contribution.

The findings come ahead of the federal government’s immigration levels plan expected in November. As Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration considers its next steps, the survey offers a snapshot of a public debate that has become less negative than it was in 2024 but remains divided over how many newcomers Canada should accept.