New Statistics Canada Findings Challenge Myths About Immigration and Housing
Recent data released by Statistics Canada offers a clearer picture of who actually owns homes in Canada—and the findings may surprise many Canadians.
Despite widespread public debate linking immigration levels to housing affordability, the data shows that non-permanent residents play only a very minor role in Canada’s homeownership market.
At the beginning of 2022, fewer than 1% of homeowners nationwide were non-permanent residents, indicating that temporary residents are not significant drivers of housing demand through ownership.
Who Counts as a Non-Permanent Resident?
In this analysis, non-permanent residents include individuals who, as of December 31, 2021:
- Held valid work permits
- Held study permits
- Had made refugee claims
The report relies on 2022 data collected through the Canadian Housing Statistics Program and covers most provinces, excluding Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Quebec due to data limitations. Territorial data was not released because of small sample sizes.
NPRs Represent a Tiny Share of Homeowners Nationwide
Across every province studied, the proportion of homeowners who were non-permanent residents remained extremely low—well under half of one percent.
Even in provinces with the highest presence of NPR homeowners, their impact on the overall housing market was negligible.
Share of Homeowners Who Are Non-Permanent Residents (by Province)
- Prince Edward Island: 0.39%
- Manitoba: 0.25%
- Nova Scotia: 0.17%
- British Columbia: 0.13%
- Ontario: 0.13%
- New Brunswick: 0.10%
- Alberta: 0.10%
Prince Edward Island recorded the highest proportion of NPR homeowners, while Alberta recorded the lowest. In most cases, NPR homeowners were primarily located in the largest urban centers within each province.
Importantly, in all provinces analyzed, the share of NPR homeowners was lower than the share of NPRs in the overall population.
Homeownership Is Rare Among Non-Permanent Residents
Statistics Canada also examined homeownership rates from the perspective of non-permanent residents themselves—and the results were striking.
Only a very small percentage of NPRs owned homes in Canada at the start of 2022.
In Ontario:
- Just 1.64% of non-permanent residents were homeowners
In British Columbia:
- Only 1.41% of non-permanent residents owned homes
By comparison, during the same period:
- 40.3% of recent permanent residents in Ontario owned homes
- 47.8% of Canadian-born residents owned homes
These figures highlight a sharp gap between temporary residents and other population groups when it comes to housing stability and long-term settlement.
Why Temporary Residents Are Less Likely to Buy Homes
Statistics Canada notes that these trends are expected, given the temporary and uncertain nature of non-permanent resident status.
Several structural factors reduce the likelihood of homeownership among NPRs:
- Temporary status often discourages long-term financial commitments
- International students face work-hour limits, affecting income stability
- Limited Canadian credit and employment history can restrict access to mortgages
- NPRs are typically younger, with less time to build savings for down payments
Together, these realities explain why most non-permanent residents remain renters rather than homeowners.
What This Data Means for the Housing Debate
The findings suggest that non-permanent residents are not major contributors to housing ownership pressures in Canada.
While housing affordability remains a serious issue, the data indicates that factors beyond temporary immigration—such as supply constraints, population growth among permanent residents, and market conditions—play a much larger role in shaping Canada’s housing challenges.
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