A recent analysis shows that public sentiment in Canada has undergone the sharpest reversal on immigration in over 50 years, a shift driven strongly by younger Canadians disillusioned with the housing affordability crisis.
The findings come from a study by Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, authored by researchers at University of Toronto. The researchers examined more than four decades of polling data gathered by Environics Institute — and zeroed in on 2023–24, when opposition to immigration surged to levels not seen since the late 1970s.
Historically, attitudes toward immigration in Canada followed a familiar pattern: after decades of ambivalence or mild skepticism from some quarters, public opinion gradually became more favorable in the mid-1990s and remained stable for decades. But the new data reveal a clear generational reversal. Contrary to earlier trends — when older Canadians were typically more skeptical — younger respondents now express the highest levels of opposition.
The shift is widely being tied to the worsening housing crunch in major urban centres — particularly for younger people trying to rent or buy their first home. High rents, rising home prices and fierce competition for limited housing stock are fueling resentment among young Canadians, many of whom feel that growing immigration numbers have exacerbated the problem.
This reversal in public mood has already begun to shape government policy. Gauging the political and social risk, the federal authorities have moved to significantly curb immigration levels — especially in temporary resident categories. According to the article, projected immigration intake has been scaled back in response to mounting public discontent.
Beyond housing concerns, the debate reflects broader anxiety among many Canadians over rising demand on public services, such as health care, schools and infrastructure, as well as pressures on the labour market. Some polls show that a majority believe higher immigration is worsening access to these public resources.
At the same time, the shift in public opinion raises deeper questions about the evolving social contract in Canada — a country long celebrated for its multicultural openness. The authors of the IRPP study note that while Canada’s immigration-friendly reputation persists at the policy level, public opinion has increasingly diverged from that narrative.
The rising disillusionment among young Canadians marks a dramatic departure from decades of relative stability on immigration views, and signals a crossroads for Canada’s national conversation on inclusion, growth and sustainable development.
