Percentage of permanent residents becoming Canadian citizens in decline: StatCan data
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StatCan numbers reveal the percentage of permanent residents who become Canadians has plummeted over the past 20 years.
StatCan numbers reveal the percentage of permanent residents who become Canadians has plummeted over the past 20 years.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship says Statistics Canada data points to a 40 per cent decline in citizenship uptake since 2001.
The group's CEO, Daniel Bernhard, calls the drop alarming and says it should serve as a "wake up call" to improving the experience newcomers have in Canada.
In 2021, nearly 45.7 per cent of permanent residents who'd been in Canada for less than 10 years became citizens.
That's down from 60 per cent in 2016, and 75.1 per cent in 2001.
The StatCan data did not identify reasons for the drop, but Bernhard suggests Canada's cost of living and job prospects are likely factors.
He says the institute is investigating root causes.
