How many people become Canadian citizens each year? New citizens by country of birth
The short answer
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes how many people become Canadian citizens every month. Its latest file, dated 1 October 2026, covers January 2023 to August 2026.
| Year | New Canadian citizens |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 380,010 |
| 2024 | 375,470 |
| 2025 | 294,170 |
| 2026 (January to August) | 219,345 |
2025 was about 22% lower than 2024. But 2026 is moving the other way: from January to August 2026 there were 219,345 new citizens, compared with 193,955 in the same eight months of 2025. That is about 13% more.
IRCC rounds these numbers to the nearest 5 and hides very small counts, so totals may not add up exactly.
Month by month
The number changes a lot from one month to the next.
| Month | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33,670 | 28,635 | 23,415 |
| February | 35,245 | 30,720 | 27,410 |
| March | 34,660 | 28,875 | 31,115 |
| April | 31,735 | 21,355 | 25,715 |
| May | 39,015 | 22,395 | 26,220 |
| June | 33,570 | 20,530 | 30,050 |
| July | 36,375 | 23,715 | 29,405 |
| August | 31,575 | 17,730 | 26,020 |
August 2025 was the lowest month of 2025, with 17,730 new citizens. Only April 2023 (15,340) was lower in the whole file. Since March 2026, every month has been higher than the same month of 2025. IRCC's data does not explain why the monthly numbers rise and fall.
Where new citizens were born
This file counts people by country of birth, not by their previous citizenship.
| Rank | 2025 | New citizens | January to August 2026 | New citizens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 69,235 | India | 53,865 |
| 2 | Philippines | 27,470 | Philippines | 17,645 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 12,700 | Nigeria | 13,450 |
| 4 | United States | 9,570 | Afghanistan | 7,375 |
| 5 | China | 8,885 | Iran | 6,775 |
| 6 | France | 8,800 | China | 6,590 |
| 7 | Iran | 8,715 | Pakistan | 6,370 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 7,455 | United States | 5,525 |
| 9 | Brazil | 6,605 | France | 5,125 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 6,520 | Brazil | 4,145 |
People born in India were about 24% of new citizens in 2025 and about 25% in the first eight months of 2026. Our article on why so many immigrants come from India looks at the programs they use to become permanent residents.
Two countries grew quickly in 2026:
- Nigeria: 13,450 new citizens from January to August 2026, up from 8,180 in the same months of 2025. In eight months, 2026 has already passed the full 2025 total (12,700).
- Afghanistan: 7,375 from January to August 2026, more than double the 3,440 in the same months of 2025.
Other examples: the Philippines was slightly lower (17,645 against 18,220), and people born in the Republic of Korea rose from 1,080 to 1,245.
What these numbers do and do not tell you
- They show how many people became citizens. They do not show how many applied, how many are waiting, or how long it took.
- A higher number in 2026 does not mean the rules changed. IRCC's file does not give reasons.
What this means for you
- If you are a permanent resident thinking about citizenship, IRCC has an official eligibility check page.
- IRCC also has an official physical presence calculator.
- Rules and fees change. Read the official pages linked at the top of this article on the day you apply.
About this article
This article was written by SK for Newcomer Board with the help of AI tools. Every number was calculated from IRCC's published file of new Canadian citizens by country of birth (January 2023 to August 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.