Canada had an estimated 41,798,407 residents on July 1, 2026.

That is still growth, but the pace has changed sharply.

New Statistics Canada estimates released September 23 show the country’s population increased by 189,425 people, or 0.5%, between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026. At the same time, Alberta continued to grow faster than every other province and passed 5.1 million residents.

The numbers provide an important update for anyone following Canada’s labour market, housing demand, immigration trends or Alberta’s rapid expansion.

Canada is still growing, but much more slowly

Statistics Canada says the 0.5% annual increase was the slowest July-to-July population growth rate Canada has recorded in generations.

The country’s population stood at 41,798,407 on July 1, up 189,425 from one year earlier.

That is a very different pace from the unusually rapid population increases Canada experienced earlier in the decade.

The latest estimates should not be confused with final 2026 Census counts. Statistics Canada says these demographic estimates are preliminary and can be revised as more complete information becomes available.

The official data are available in Statistics Canada’s 2026 age and population estimates and second-quarter population release.

The number of non-permanent residents declined

One of the biggest changes is in Canada’s non-permanent resident population.

Statistics Canada estimated 2,779,774 non-permanent residents on July 1, 2026.

That represented 6.7% of Canada’s total population.

The number fell by 154,614 over the previous 12 months. Statistics Canada says this was the largest annual decline in comparable records going back to 1971/1972.

The country had reached a recent high of 2,984,285 non-permanent residents in October 2024, representing 7.2% of the population at that time.

The largest decreases during 2025/2026 were among study permit holders and people holding both work and study permits.

Permanent immigration also slowed

Canada welcomed an estimated 368,224 new immigrants between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026.

That was the fourth consecutive annual decline and the first July-to-July period since 2021/2022 in which the number fell below 400,000.

During the second quarter of 2026 alone, Canada welcomed 99,148 immigrants, down 4.2% from the same quarter of 2025.

Statistics Canada describes the change as consistent with lower federal immigration targets.

Those figures measure new permanent immigrants and should not be confused with the total stock of non-permanent residents already living in Canada.

Alberta remained Canada’s fastest-growing province

The national slowdown did not affect every province equally.

Alberta recorded the fastest population growth among Canada’s provinces between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026, increasing 1.5%.

Its estimated population reached 5,101,050 on July 1, 2026.

During the second quarter alone, Alberta’s population increased another 0.4%.

This continues the demographic pressure behind many of the themes already visible in Alberta: new housing construction, infrastructure demand, employment growth and rising demand for services.

For households considering moving west, Maple Curiosity’s Moving to Alberta in 2026 guide looks at jobs, housing, taxes and living costs together.

Alberta’s non-permanent resident population also fell

Alberta had an estimated 279,477 non-permanent residents on July 1.

That was down 0.6% from the previous quarter.

At the same time, the province received an estimated 13,647 immigrants during the second quarter of 2026.

That quarterly immigrant flow was 8.2% higher than in the second quarter of 2025.

This is an important example of why a falling non-permanent resident population does not automatically mean every type of migration is declining at the same time.

Alberta is also younger than Canada overall

The demographic release contains another difference that matters for the economy.

Canada’s median age reached 40.9 years in 2026.

Alberta’s median age was considerably lower at 38.3.

People aged 65 or older made up 16.0% of Alberta’s population, compared with a larger share nationally.

Children aged 0 to 14 accounted for 17.3% of Alberta’s population.

A younger population can affect the mix of housing, schools, childcare, employment and transportation infrastructure a province needs.

Population growth and housing should not be read as the same indicator

Slower population growth can reduce one source of new housing demand, but it does not automatically mean home prices or rents fall.

Housing outcomes also depend on how many homes are built, where those homes are located, household formation, mortgage costs and existing supply.

Recent CMHC data show why Alberta can look different from the national picture. Maple Curiosity’s August 2026 housing starts analysis found that Canada’s overall construction trend declined while Calgary and Edmonton continued to move higher.

Alberta’s growth also affects household costs

Population growth can support consumer demand and employment while also increasing pressure on housing and public infrastructure when supply takes time to adjust.

For someone deciding between Calgary, Edmonton or another Canadian city, the provincial population number therefore tells only part of the story.

Rent, transportation, insurance, utilities and wages still determine what a household actually experiences.

Maple Curiosity’s Calgary vs Edmonton Cost of Living 2026 comparison looks at that household-level difference.

Canada’s population is aging again

Statistics Canada says the country’s median and average ages have begun increasing again as international migration levels moderate.

The median age reached 40.9 years on July 1, 2026, while the average age reached 42.1.

During the years of exceptionally high international migration, the arrival of large numbers of younger residents had temporarily slowed or reversed some measures of population aging.

The newest estimates show that pattern changing again.

What the new numbers mean for the Canadian economy

Population growth affects the economy through several channels.

More people can increase the potential labour supply and consumer demand, but they also increase demand for housing, transportation, healthcare and other services.

When population growth slows, the growth of those demands can also change—but the effect is not immediate and varies widely by province.

That regional difference is particularly important in 2026.

Canada as a whole grew 0.5% over the year, while Alberta grew three times that rate at 1.5%.

That is why national economic averages do not necessarily describe what households and businesses are experiencing in Edmonton or Calgary.

For the wider economic backdrop, Maple Curiosity’s Canada Economic Outlook 2026–2027 examines employment, inflation, housing and newcomer costs together.

The next population update may revise these figures

Statistics Canada emphasizes that the latest quarterly estimates are preliminary.

They are updated as more complete migration, birth, death and tax information becomes available.

The figures also should not be treated as the 2026 Census count. Statistics Canada says the first 2026 Census population counts are scheduled for release in February 2027.

For now, the September estimates show a clear shift: Canada’s overall population is still increasing, but at a much slower rate, while Alberta remains one of the country’s strongest population-growth regions.