Refugee Statistics in Canada

Canada has a long history of offering a safe place for refugees and over the years, over a million people have arrived in Canada as refugees and made it their temporary or permanent home. Refugees who come to Canada originate from all around the world and have various reasons why they have been forced to leave their home country.

This article explores refugee statistics in Canada. You will find information on recent refugee arrivals together with historical data, including how the number of refugees to Canada has changed over the years and where most of the refugees coming to Canada come from. We have also included key global statistics on refugees for a wider picture.

Refugee Statistics for Canadians

• Canada has welcomed over a million refugees since 1980.
• Almost half of all asylum claims in Canada are processed in Ontario and Quebec.
• Most refugees in 2024 came from Ukraine, with a total of 75,119 for just that year. This was similar to the number of Ukrainian refugees in 2022 (75,098) and 2023 (75,055).
• Only 9% of refugees aged between 25 and 54 are unemployed.
• Refugees earn on average $20,000 in their first year in Canada.
• The average age of a refugee arriving in Canada in 2022 was 31.4 years.
• Nearly two-thirds of settled refugee families live in their own homes.
• 95% of refugees say they have a strong feeling of belonging to Canada.

Refugees in Canada

When refugees arrive in Canada, they may be admitted as government-assisted refugees, have a private sponsorship, or a combination of both known as the blended visa office-referred program. All three pathways offer refugees the option to gain permanent resident status in Canada.

Government assistance: this pathway is available for refugees who meet the qualifications of the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention treaty and have a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) referral. Qualified refugees can get financial assistance from the Canadian government for up to one year.

Blended visa office-referred program: refugees who are eligible for the blended program also need to have a referral by the UNHCR. However, they will only receive financial assistance for the first six months of their stay and are expected to have private sponsorship for the following six months.

Private sponsorship: refugees who arrive in Canada and have private sponsorship still need to meet the Refugee Convention requirements or they need to be a member of the Country of Asylum Class (people who have been affected by an armed conflict, civil war, or serious violation of human rights). Private sponsorships are not assisted by the government but have private sponsors who provide them with financial support and lodgings.

Over 1 Million Refugees Have Arrived in Canada Since 1980 

According to the UNHCR, 1,088,015 refugees have arrived in Canada since 1980 and made it their home. This includes people who were resettled from another country overseas and people recognised as refugees. In 2022, 17.23% of people who had permanent resident status in Canada were refugees.

The number of people who arrive in Canada as refugees has been increasing year by year for most years except when the COVID-19 pandemic limited movement across the world. In 2024, a total of 76,685 refugees and protected persons were admitted as permanent residents in Canada, up from 74,979 in 2023, showing modest year-on-year increase.

Canada received 171,840 asylum claims in 2024 at various ports of entry and inland offices, highlighting ongoing demand for protection for refugee. Preliminary asylum claim data for 2025 shows that at least 57,440 asylum claims were processed by IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency in the first half of the year.

The Majority of Asylum Claims Are Processed in Ontario and Quebec

Data from the Government of Canada shows that almost half of all asylum claims are processed in Ontario and Quebec. Between January 2025 and June 2025, the CBSA and IRCC processed 27,130 claims in Ontario and 19,620 claims in Quebec.

After Ontario and Quebec, the number of claims processed falls significantly. British Columbia, which processed the third largest number of asylum claims in the first half of 2025, processed 5,730 claims, while Alberta processed 3,455 claims.

During January–June 2025, Manitoba processed 775 claims, Saskatchewan 280 claims, Nova Scotia 180 claims, New Brunswick 175 claims, Newfoundland and Labrador 55 claims, and Prince Edward Island 25 claims. Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut had processed no asylum claims in this period.

Over 200,000 People Came to Canada as Refugees Between 2016 and 2021

The findings from the 2021 census show that Canada received 218,430 new refugees between the 2021 and 2016 censuses. During that time, 60,795 of the recent refugees to Canada came from Syria, accounting for 27.8% of all refugees from that period. The other most common countries where refugees came from were Iraq with 15,505, Eritrea with 13,965, Afghanistan with 9,490, and Pakistan with 7,810.

However, where the majority of refugees come from in Canada depends on what is happening around the world. For example, Canada received the majority of its refugees from Poland, Vietnam, and El Salvador in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the largest share of refugees in Canada originated from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Sri Lanka. During the first decade of the new millennium, the main countries were Iraq, Afghanistan, and Colombia.

Ukraine Was the Most Common Origin of Refugees in Canada in 2024

In 2024, the largest number of refugees came to Canada from Ukraine. In total, 75,119 new refugees were received in Canada that year. The next largest number was from Iran with 10,427, while Mexico was third with 9,505 refugees. Other countries with a large number of refugees were:

• Turkey – 9,312
• Haiti – 9,290
• India – 8,473
• Colombia – 7,987
• Pakistan – 4,415
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – 4,147
• Nigeria – 4,096

Refugees in Canada Have a Low Unemployment Rate

Refugees in Canada contribute to the economy of Canada. While most refugees get financial assistance from the government during their first twelve months in Canada, they are not a burden on taxpayers because most of them find employment.

The unemployment rate among refugees aged 25-54 is 9%, which is close to the 6% among Canadian-born people. The longer the refugee has spent in Canada, the more likely they are to be in employment. For example, among refugees who arrived in Canada in the 1980s, the unemployment rate is identical to the Canadian-born workforce.

Most Refugees Earn an Average of $20,000 in Their First Year in Canada

According to the UNHCR, the majority of refugees in Canada earn at least $20,000 during their first year, while refugees who have been in the country for at least five years earn between $40,000 and $79,999 per year. The portion of refugees in this income bracket is 23%, which is similar to Canadians at 27%.

Over 50% of Refugees in Canada Are Highly Skilled

Many of the refugees, who arrive in Canada are highly skilled. 51% of all refugees are trained in professions such as dentists, doctors, architects, and software engineers. Approximately one-third of refugees in Canada work in jobs that require high-school or job-specific training and about one-fifth were employed in jobs requiring a university degree.

In addition to many refugees being highly trained, refugees in Canada are also slightly more likely than Canadians to be self-employed or own their own company. The portion of entrepreneurs among refugees who have been in Canada for at least ten years is 14.4% compared to 12.3% of Canadians.

Most Refugees Coming to Canada Are of Working Age

The population of Canada is aging because people are living longer than before and having fewer children. The refugee population is on average 11.1 years younger than the population born in Canada. In 2022, the average age of refugees admitted to Canada was approximately 31.4 years, compared with 28.9 years in 2016.

Almost Two-Thirds of Settled Refugees Own Their Homes

Despite most refugees arriving in Canada needing financial assistance during their first year, most of them go on to earn their own homes. Around 65% of refugee families who have settled in Canada and lived in the country for at least ten years own their own homes. Approximately one-third of refugee families buy their homes within five years of arrival. The portion of Canadians who own their own home is 79%.

Refugees Have a High Citizenship Uptake

Refugees are the most likely immigration category to take on Canadian citizenship. Immigrants, including refugees, can become Canadian citizens after living in Canada for a minimum of three years. 89% of people who arrive in Canada become citizens. Among economic-class immigrants, the portion is 84%, and among family-class immigrants, it is 80%.

The high uptake of citizenship is likely the result of many reasons combined such as inability to return to their home country and availability of jobs in Canada. However, one of the most important reasons is the sense of belonging. 95% of refugees say they feel strongly about belonging to Canada. Among Canadians, the portion who have a strong feeling of belonging is 91%.

World-Wide Refugee Facts

In 2024, 50% of all refugees under the UNHCR mandate came from just three countries. Approximately 6.25 million were from the Syrian Arab Republic, 6.06 million from Ukraine, and 5.7 million from Afghanistan.

At the end of 2024, approximately 40% of forcibly displaced people were children. That means around 17.1 million refugees were under 18 years of age, based on the total of 42.7 million refugees globally.

Many children are also born as refugees. It is estimated that around 1.9 million children were born as refugees between 2018 and 2022. (No newer estimate for births among refugees has been published since this period.)

While many refugees end up settling in their new countries, some can return home. In 2024, around 433,600 refugees were able to return to their home country.

Conclusion

Each year Canada receives a large number of refugees and many of them end up settling in Canada permanently. While they require financial assistance on arrival, the majority of refugees enter the workforce and contribute to the Canadian economy and society. The refugee population is also younger than the average Canadian population, helping to combat the aging population in Canada.