51% of Older Canadians Want Fewer Legal Immigrants in the Country: Poll

Travellers make their way through Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Nov. 14, 2022. The Canadian Press/Cole Burston

More older Canadians say they want fewer legal immigrants admitted to the country than their younger counterparts do, according to a recent survey.

The poll, conducted by Research Co. with 1,000 adults nationwide in late July, found that views on immigration in Canada “fluctuate widely by age.”

“By a 7-to-1 margin, Canadians aged 55 and over prefer a decrease in legal immigration levels over an increase,” said Mario Canseco, president of Research Co., in a statement on Aug. 14.

‘The gap is significantly closer among their younger counterparts.”

Poll results indicated that 51 percent of respondents aged 55 and older think the number of legal immigrants allowed to relocate to Canada should be decreased. Those aged 35 to 54 made up the second-largest group, with 40 percent supporting a reduction. In contrast, only 30 percent of participants aged 18 to 34 favoured cutting immigration levels.

Absent the age breakdown, about two in five Canadians (41 percent) said they prefer fewer legal immigrants coming to the country, compared to 16 percent who want to see an increase, and 34 percent who support maintaining current levels.

The divide in views holds true across provinces as well. Respondents in B.C. appear to welcome legal immigrants more, with 52 percent saying “immigration is having a mostly positive effect” in Canada. A similar perception was noted in Quebec and Alberta, though support was slightly lower—at 49 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

The Atlantic provinces topped the list when it comes to viewing immigration having “a mostly negative effect” (54 percent). Ontario followed at 43 percent, while 39 percent of respondents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba shared the same view.

‘Melting Pot’ or ‘Mosaic’

The survey also examined participants’ views based on the political parties they support. Among the polled who voted in the 2025 federal election in late April, 59 percent of NDP voters and 55 percent of Liberal voters said they believe immigration is having a positive effect on Canada.

“The proportion is decidedly lower among those who cast ballots for Conservative Party candidates (27%),” researchers said.

In terms of ethnicity, the poll found that half of respondents of European descent (50 percent) would like to reduce legal immigration to Canada. The proportions holding that view are lower among Canadians whose ancestry is indigenous (36 percent), South Asian (28 percent) and East Asian (26 percent).

Asked if they think the hard work and talent of immigrants make the country better, over two-thirds (68 percent) of Canadians said yes, with 33 percent saying they “strongly agree” and 35 percent “moderately agree.”

Meanwhile, a similar proportion (66 percent) agree that “immigrants should only be allowed in Canada if they adopt Canadian values,” with 32 percent saying they “strongly agree” and 34 percent “moderately agree.”

When asked to choose whether Canada should be a “melting pot” or a “mosaic” society, Canadians are divided, the poll found.

A slightly larger proportion (44 percent) of respondents indicated they preferred the melting pot, which means “immigrants should assimilate and blend into Canadian society,” the poll said.

Two in five (40 percent) endorsed the mosaic model instead, which the poll described as situation where “cultural differences within Canadian society are valuable and should be preserved.”

The poll was conducted online from July 26 to July 28, 2025. It has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.