Past 5 years have seen largest wave of Ontarians leaving the province on net for other parts of Canada in three decades
Interprovincial Migration in Canada, 1995-2024: What Do the Numbers Tell Us?
TORONTO—Since 2020/21, more Ontarians have been leaving the province for other parts of Canada than have been moving to Ontario, and have been doing so at the highest rate in the past 30 years, finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Ontario used to be seen by Canadians in other provinces as an attractive place to move to, but for the past five years, Ontarians have been leaving the province and moving elsewhere in Canada in the greatest numbers in 30 years,” said Grady Munro, a senior analyst with the Fraser Institute and co-author of Interprovincial Migration in Canada, 1995-2024: What Do the Numbers Tell Us?
The study examines interprovincial migration between the years 1995/96 and 2024/25 broken down by age group as well as province of origin and destination.
In total over the past 30 years, Ontario (-168,166) has experienced some of the highest net out-migration nationwide. Quebec (-255,988) experienced even higher out-migration over the time period, and relative to their respective populations, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan experienced the largest rates of people leaving in favour of other provinces.
In Ontario, the province enjoyed net in-migration from 2015/16 and 2019/20, and also from 1996/97 to 2002/03, but suffered net out-migration from 2003/04 to 2014/15. However, the highest rates of net out-migration over the 30-year period have been the past five years from 2020/21 to 2024/25.
In contrast, provinces like British Columbia and Alberta have both experienced net in-migration over the 30-year period.
“Understanding the relative attractiveness of different provinces over time is important since it can lead to discussions about specific opportunities or challenges faced by different provinces,” said Munro.
Net and by population in-migration and out-migration by province, 1995/96 to 2024/25
Province | Net in-migration / out-migration | % of population |
British Columbia | +214,883 | 3.8% |
Alberta | +538,824 | 10.7% |
Saskatchewan | -123,603 | -9.8% |
Manitoba | -155,919 | -10.3% |
Ontario | -168,166 | -1.0% |
Quebec | -255,988 | -2.8% |
New Brunswick | -5,862 | -0.7% |
P.E.I. | +4,335 | 2.4% |
Nova Scotia | +23,299 | 2.1% |
Newfoundland and Labrador | -58,319 | -10.6% |
Media Contact:
Jake Fuss, Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute
Grady Munro, Senior Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:
Erin Clemens, Fraser Institute
604-688-0221 ext.615
erin.clemens@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org.
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