Pakistani Immigrants to Canada
In 2025, 8,885 Pakistanis were admitted to Canada as permanent residents.
In 2025, 8,885 Pakistani citizens were admitted to Canada, representing 2.26% of the annual immigration intake.
From 2020 to 2025, 59,015 Pakistani citizens were admitted to Canada as permanent residents.
Pakistani Immigration to Canada in Recent Years
Pakistani immigration to Canada since 2020 has remained steady and significant, with Pakistan consistently ranking among the top 10 source countries for new permanent residents. Between 2020 and 2024, Pakistan contributed roughly 2.6 percent of all immigrants admitted during that period, adding tens of thousands to the existing Pakistani Canadian community.
The 2021 census recorded 234,105 people born in Pakistan and 303,260 individuals reporting Pakistani ethnic or cultural origin, with the majority concentrated in Ontario, particularly the Greater Toronto Area including suburbs such as Milton.
In recent years, annual permanent resident admissions from Pakistan have ranged from about 6,000 to over 11,000, often through economic programs, family sponsorship, and some refugee pathways, driven by opportunities for skilled work, education, and family reunification.
Temporary migration has also grown, including thousands of international students and temporary workers, though subject to recent federal caps on study permits and overall temporary resident levels. No major country specific humanitarian programs were introduced for Pakistan similar to those for other crisis affected nations, but general asylum claims and family based entries continued amid economic and security considerations in Pakistan. Overall, inflows have supported community growth in urban centers while aligning with Canada’s shifting immigration targets that emphasize economic contributions and integration.
2016 Census
According to the 2016 Census, over 200,000 Pakistanis resided in Canada.
According to the 2016 Census, Pakistani immigrants (202,255) were among the largest foreign-born groups in Canada.
Pakistani immigrants in Canada 2001 and 2011
In 2011, the immigrant population comprised 20.6% of Canada’s population, so one in five people were immigrants.
The number of immigrants from Pakistan grew 98% from 79,315 in 2001 to 156,860 in 2011, ranking Pakistanis among the largest foreign-born groups in Canada.
In 2011, the vast majority of Pakistani immigrants (73%) resided in Ontario; most of them (97,065) lived in the Greater Toronto Area.
Note:
We would like to point out that we used data from the National Household Survey (NHS) knowing that its quality is still under criticism because this survey was conducted on a voluntary basis, so its validity, reliability and comparability with other instruments, such as population censuses have become an issue. In fact, before the first release of the NHS results, Statistics Canada issued warnings and cautions when using the NHS data, so use this data prudently.
PAKISTANI IMMIGRANTS IN CANADA (2016)
