Immigration Support Declining in Canada Amid Affordability Concerns: Survey

A new condo construction site is seen in downtown Toronto on May 25, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

Support for immigration has dipped substantially since last year as an increasing number of Canadians link high inflation and the country’s housing crisis to the record-breaking number of new arrivals, according to a new survey.

Forty-four percent of Canadians believe immigration levels are too high compared to 27 percent last year, according to the survey by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with the Century Initiative.

The 17 percent upswing in respondents speaking against current immigration levels is the most significant attitude change since Environics started polling Canadians annually in 1977.

While Canadians were largely in favour of immigration in 2022, the increasing number of financial woes this year—from rising inflation and interest payments to the soaring price of purchasing or renting a home—has altered the sentiments of many, the survey found.

“Canadians are now significantly more likely than a year ago to say there is too much immigration to the country, dramatically reversing a trend dating back decades,” the report says. “For the first time, a growing number of Canadians are questioning how many immigrants are arriving, rather than who they are and where they are coming from.”

As of June, Canada’s population had surged to 40.1 million, an increase of 1.2 million people since the beginning of last summer. The three percent increase is the largest rise in Canada’s population since 1957.

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The lion’s share of the growth was attributed to international migration and is tied to the federal Liberals plans to steadily increase immigration levels. Ottawa has said it plans to welcome 500,000 permanent residents annually by 2025.

The poll results recorded by Environics are comparable to a recent survey by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News. The poll found that two in three Canadians believe an increase in the annual target of immigrants will have a “negative or somewhat negative impact” on housing costs.

“We see these results as a clarion call for action,” Century Initiative CEO Lisa Lalande told The Globe and Mail. “You cannot address demographic decline through immigration without having these corresponding investments” in housing and other areas.

Breaking Down the Results

Sixty-four percent of homeowners worried about how they will continue to pay their mortgage or rent in the face of rising costs were twice as likely to say there is too much immigration compared to those who have no financial concerns, the survey found.

The change in sentiment was most notable in Ontario and British Columbia, which each recorded a 20 percent decline in support of immigration.

Canadian perspectives were most likely to differ across political leanings. Federal Liberal, New Democratic, and Green party supporters tended to have fewer concerns about immigration than Conservative supporters, although survey respondents of all political stripes are less enthusiastic about it than they were in 2022.

Sixty-four percent of Tory supporters agree “there is too much immigration to Canada,” up 21 points over last year. The number of Bloc, Liberal, and NDP supporters who agreed with that statement also rose significantly by 12, 11, and nine percent respectively. Overall, 44 percent of Bloc supporters, 29 percent of Liberals, and 21 percent of NDP backers expressed concern.

The Environics survey was conducted via telephone with 2,002 Canadians from Sept. 4 to 17. The company said the results are accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points in 19 out of 20 samples.