Canada's international student population has dropped to levels not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new federal data. A Statistics Canada report released Tuesday estimates that the number of foreign students enrolled at Canadian post-secondary institutions for the 2025-26 academic year is around 300,000, a decrease of nearly 30% from 2023-24.
Significant Decline in Enrollment
The report, titled “Feasibility study: Estimating the international student population in Canada using administrative data,” indicates that the current estimate is close to the numbers recorded in 2021-22, representing a drop of 124,000 students compared to two years earlier. This decline highlights a sharp reversal in Canada's international education sector.
Tracking Challenges Revealed
The federal government has acknowledged difficulties in accurately tracking international students. During a House of Commons committee hearing, Deputy Minister Ted Gallivan admitted that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lacked a proper entry-exit regime. “The numbers were symptoms of the fact the IRCC didn't manage an entry-exit regime, full stop,” he stated. To address this, a pilot project will launch next month to monitor the movements of international students and prevent visa overstays.
An Auditor General report released last week flagged over 153,000 international students as potentially violating their visas in 2023 and 2024, yet IRCC could only conduct about 2,000 investigations annually. Between 2018 and 2023, 800 study permits were issued based on fraudulent applications, with many individuals later seeking permanent residency.
Regional Impacts: Ontario Hit Hardest
Ontario, which hosts the largest share of international students, is expected to see the most significant declines. The report estimates that the province could lose 92,000 international students by the end of this school year, a 36% reduction from 2023-24. Ontario's share of international students has fallen from 60% to 54% this year. Similar declines are anticipated across the rest of Canada.
Policy Changes Driving the Drop
The decrease follows a major policy shift by the Trudeau government in October 2024, which paused population growth by cutting immigration targets in response to housing and affordability crises. The plan reduces permanent resident targets to 380,000 annually until 2028, limits temporary residents to under 5% of the population, and cuts student and work visas to 385,000 this year.
These measures have directly impacted international student numbers, bringing them back to levels observed during the pandemic. The government aims to better manage population growth while addressing infrastructure strains.
