Economic impact of immigration to
Canada
Immigration and Births in Canada from 1850
to 2000[1]
The economic impact of immigration is an
important topic in Canada. Throughout its
history Canada has depended on a large
stream of immigrants for its economic suc-
cess. While the immigration rate has declined
sharply from its peak early in the 20th cen-
tury, Canada still accepts more immigrants
per capita than any other major country.
The per capita immigration rate to Canada
has been relatively constant since the 1950s,
and recent years have seen a steady increase
in the education and skill level of immigrants
to Canada. However, over the last 25 years
the economic position of newcomers to
Canada relative to the native population has
steadily declined. A 2007 Statistics Canada
study shows that the income profile of recent
immigrants deteriorated by a significant
amount from 2000 to 2004.[2] Recent immig-
rants themselves are far more likely than nat-
ive born Canadians to have low incomes, with
income and employment rates increasing to-
wards the national average with more time
spent in Canada.
Overview
Immigration to Canada
Main Immigration to Canada
Donald Alexander Smith, a migrant from
Scotland, drives the Last Spike. Migrants to
Canada at that time were British subjects
(not Canadian citizens).
According to Canada’s Immigration Program
(October 2004), Canada has the highest per
capita immigration rate in the world,[3] al-
though statistics in the CIA World Factbook
shows that a number of city states and small
island nations, as well as some larger coun-
tries in regions with refugee movements,
have higher per capita rates.[4] In 2004,
Canada received 235,824
immigrants.[5]
Canada is also unusual among western na-
tions in the widespread popular support for
high rates of immigration, and in recent
years support for immigration has increased
in Canada.[6] All of Canada’s major political
parties support either sustaining or increas-
ing the current level of immigration. While its
predecessor the Reform Party expre