The Institute for Canadian Citizenship says Statistics Canada data points to a 40 percent decline in citizenship uptake since 2001.
The group’s CEO, Daniel Bernhard, calls the drop alarming and says it should serve as a “wake up call” to improving the experience newcomers have in Canada.
That’s down from 60 percent in 2016, and 75.1 percent in 2001.
He says the institute is investigating root causes.
“But ultimately, what’s changing is that people have decided that they’re less interested in being ‘Team Canada.’”
Bernhard said the decline affects Canada’s long-term economic and social outlook.
The federal government has said it wants to boost immigration by adding 1.45 million permanent residents over the next three years, starting with 465,000 in 2023 and increasing to 500,000 in 2025.