Quebecers staying put as people flee Ontario and B.C. twice as fast

More Canadians are packing up and leaving the country than ever, but Quebec residents are sticking around at rates well below the national average — a trend holding steady for four straight years.

According to Statistics Canada, about 120,640 people emigrated from Canada in 2025, up roughly 2% from the year before and part of a steady climb from 2020, when just 60,000 left. So far, 2026 is pointing in the same direction, with roughly 30,000 people leaving in the first quarter alone.

But departures aren't distributed evenly. Around 15,900 people left Quebec last year — just 13% of all Canadian departures, even though the province is home to about 22% of the country's population. In other words, Quebecers are leaving at well under half the rate you'd expect if exits were spread evenly. That 13% share has held steady for four years running, even as total departures from Canada keep climbing.

Ontario led the exodus by a wide margin. About 56,000 people left in 2025, close to 47% of the national total from a province that makes up roughly 39% of the population. British Columbia saw over 25,000 departures — more than all of Quebec — despite having only about two-thirds of Quebec's population. Line those provinces up against their populations and you'll find people in Ontario are leaving at roughly twice Quebec's rate, while B.C. is closer to two and a half times.

Alberta lands somewhere in between, slightly above the national average, while smaller provinces see modest departures. Quebec also tends to see relatively little interprovincial movement, meaning people here aren't just staying in Canada — they're staying in the province. Family ties, language, and the plain cost of moving in a shaky economy all likely play a part.