Where do immigrants most often live in Canada
The study revealed high mobility among newcomers. Family immigrants and refugees tend to stay put, while former students are more likely to relocate.
A study on immigrant mobility conducted by Statistics Canada has shown that the provinces with the highest retention rates for newcomers are Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
Starting from 2016, over a five-year period, 93.1% of immigrants remained in Ontario. British Columbia had a retention rate of 87.3%, while Alberta's was 84.5%. These are among the highest retention rates across all Canadian provinces. According to the latest data published in December 2024 (for the 2017 immigrant cohort), the figures have slightly changed: Ontario maintained its leading position with 93.5%, British Columbia reached 87.5%, and Alberta 87.3%.
Popular Cities
According to data published in 2024, among major cities, Vancouver maintains the lead in immigrant retention with a rate of 83.4% for the 2017 cohort. Toronto shows a decrease to 78.3%, reflecting a general trend of outflow from large metropolitan areas.
In the Atlantic regions, Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, showed the highest retention rate for newcomers at 57.7%. The overall provincial retention rate is 62.8%. Typically, immigrants don't stay long in Atlantic Canada and move to larger, more popular regions. However, the launch of the Atlantic Immigration Program in 2017 significantly improved the figures: in Nova Scotia, the one-year retention rate for skilled immigrants increased from 21.5% to 63.9%.
Retention Factors
Overall, within 5 years, most newcomers (86%) stay in the province they initially moved to, but some candidates are more likely to relocate than others.
According to the study, immigrants who came to Canada through family reunification programs show the highest retention rates. Data published in 2024 shows that family immigrants stay in their initially chosen locations 92.0% of the time.
Another important factor influencing the decision to change residence is employment. Immigrants often stay in the province or city where they have a job offer. According to current data, refugees show a retention rate of 87.0%, while economic immigrants overall have a rate of 78.7%. Family immigrants remain the most stable in their choice of residence. Among economic immigrants, participants of the Provincial Nomination Program show the highest mobility: their retention rate has decreased to 69.1%.
The lowest retention rate was among immigrants who studied at a Canadian university before applying for permanent residence. It's assumed that students are more likely to move in search of suitable work. Current data shows that the 5-year retention rate among former international students is 79.1%.
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New trends show that large cities are facing challenges in retaining immigrants: high housing prices and the possibility of remote work are encouraging moves to smaller urban centers. For example, in Ontario, cities like Windsor (79.7%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo are showing growth in retention rates, surpassing Toronto's results. According to statistics from the first quarter of 2025, Canada's overall population growth has slowed to a record low of 0.0%, reflecting a new policy of reducing immigration levels and potentially influencing future immigrant settlement patterns.
Thus, the geography of immigration in Canada is becoming increasingly diverse. Newcomers are more often considering alternatives to traditional metropolises in favor of affordability and quality of life, shaping new growth centers in provincial and medium-sized cities.
