British Columbia emerging as top choice among Irish immigrants to Canada
Over the past four years, there has been a considerable amount of discussion surrounding Canada’s immigration trends—and rightfully so. The number of immigrants arriving in the country reached historical levels between 2021 and 2023, averaging more than 475,000 arrivals annually. For reference, in the previous three-year period (2018-2020), the average was 40% less, at 274,000. These figures come as no surprise following aggressive targets implemented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government upon assuming power in 2016, with further revisions promised after receiving a renewed mandate in 2021. The rationale behind surging immigration has been to address a variety of challenges across the country, including labor shortages, falling birth rates, and an aging population. Moreover, Canada’s positioning as a world leader in refugee resettlement further increases immigration numbers. In a late 2023 press conference, Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, highlighted these same challenges, citing the worker-to-retiree ratio dropping from seven to one to three to one since the early 1970s, and reaffirmed these aggressive targets as a key component in ensuring the country’s economic prosperity.
This distinct rise in immigration has characterized much of the decade thus far. However, recently, public opinion has shifted on the topic, with David Coletto, CEO of polling and market research firm Abacus data, remarking that immigration will be “one of the most salient issues in federal and provincial politics over the next year.” An ongoing housing crisis and strained social services that seem to have impacted every corner of the country have clearly shaped sentiment and contributed to immigration becoming a polarizing issue, whether that’s justified or not. In response, Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledged at the end of last year that the balance of immigration has been off-kilter, and his government has since reduced future targets: from 500,000 in 2025 and 2026 to 395,000 and 380,000, respectively.
Numerous articles have been written on the subject of immigration in Canada, be it the salutary effects or the associated challenges. Dissecting it would be beyond the scope of the Irish Canadian Caucus, but what is of interest to the organization—and has driven the authoring of this article—is where Ireland fits in the composition of these elevated levels of newcomers to Canada.
Statistics Canada tracks the place of birth for those immigrating to the country, along with their age, gender, destination, and during what period of time they arrived. As of the latest census (2021), countries with larger populations have predictably accounted for a greater share of recent immigrants to Canada (that is, individuals who immigrated between 2016 and 2021). Of Canada’s 1.3 million recent immigrants, India composed 18.6%, followed by the Philippines (at 11.4%) and China (at 8.9%). After these three countries, there is a notable drop, with Syria’s share of 4.8% being the fourth most popular place of birth among recent immigrants to Canada. Ireland, at 0.48%, finds itself 41st on the list of 251 countries, territories, and overseas regions, wedged between Hong Kong and Somalia. It’s to be expected that Ireland’s share was half-a-percent—the country only had a population of 5.0 million as of 2020, in comparison to Hong Kong’s 7.5 million or Somalia’s 16.5 million. In fact, only two countries of origin with a lesser population had a higher share of recent immigrants than Ireland: Eritrea at 1.2% and Jamaica at 1.1%.
When considering periods of time prior to 2016-2021, Ireland’s share of immigration has actually trended upwards, reaching its highest level since the Before 1980 category. This pattern, visualized below, reflects the growing waves of Irish economic migrants increasingly choosing Canada as a destination over the last two decades.
Irish Share of Immigrants to Canada by Period of Arrival (%)
Across Canada, many would describe the demographic profile of recent Irish immigrants as one that leans younger. Data from Statistics Canada would seem to reinforce this notion, with Ireland’s share of recent immigrants aged 20 to 34 reaching 0.68%—it’s highest level among arrival time periods and significantly above its total share detailed above.
Another consideration is where Irish immigrants are choosing to live and work. Historically, Ontario was a favorite among those making the transatlantic journey, with Irish immigrants during years prior to 2016 choosing the province 53% of the time. British Columbia was a distant second, at 22%, followed by Alberta at 14%. What is particularly fascinating is how this provincial distribution has changed among recent Irish immigrants, with British Columbia now being the most popular choice at 38%. This is followed by Ontario, at 35%, and Alberta at 17%, with no other province or territory having a share above 3%. This trend is even more pronounced among younger aged (20 to 34) recent Irish immigrants, with nearly half choosing British Columbia—well above Ontario’s 37% and Alberta’s 11%.
Share of Provincial Destination Among Irish Immigrants to Canada, 2016-21 (%)
This article only scratches the surface on the subject of Irish immigration, leaving several questions unanswered, such as if the rise in British Columbia bound immigrants is a pattern specific to Ireland, or which Canadian cities are attracting the most recent immigrants from the Emerald Isle. Additionally, the data provided as part of the 2021 Canadian census only accounts for a sliver of the period in which immigration realized a historically significant uptick, and therefore an update to this same analysis upon the release of the 2026 census will provide a better idea of how Ireland was positioned during the first half of this decade. What is clear, however, is Irish-born immigrants composing a greater proportion of recent newcomers to Canada and, especially among the younger cohorts, having a propensity to choose British Columbia as their next home. These decisions have already begun to shift the demographic and geographic landscape of the Irish in Canada, creating a new chapter for Ireland’s historical piece of Canada’s cultural mosaic.