This follows record immigration in recent times taking the Canada’s population to over 40 million. The country added over a million new residents last year, with 98% of that rise driven by immigration

Toronto: In sentiment driven by growing economic anxiety, for the first time in decades, an increasing number of Canadians (44%) are questioning whether there is too much immigration to the country.

This is among the major findings of a new poll from the independent, non-profit Environics Institute for Survey Research released on Monday.

“More than four in ten Canadians now strongly (23%) or somewhat (21%) agreeing with the statement, ‘there is too much immigration to Canada,’ up 17 percentage points from one year ago and the largest one-year change ever recorded on this question,” the survey found.

They are still outnumbered by those who are satisfied with the level of immigration, at 51%, but the poll found, “Canadians are now significantly more likely than a year ago to say there is too much immigration to the country, dramatically reversing a trend dating back decades. For the first time, a growing number of Canadians are questioning how many immigrants are arriving, rather than who they are and where they are coming from.”

The trend is clear compared to the data for last year, when a whopping 69% of those sampled disagreed with the question that there was too much immigration, as against just 27% agreeing.

“The latest Focus Canada research shows a significant jump in the proportion of Canadians who believe the country accepts too many immigrants, marking a dramatic reversal from a year ago when public support for immigration numbers stood at an all-time high, which at the time marked a rising trend stretching back three decades,” the researchers noted.

The change of mood is driven by economic pressure and a general sense of malaise in the country, not a rise in xenophobia as the vast majority, 74%, continue to agree that immigration overall is good for Canada and its economy. Only 34% are satisfied with the way things are going in the country while 58% aren’t. Inflation, cost of living, housing affordability and other economic matters worry those surveyed the most.

The immigration figures are consistent with those found in other surveys recently, as a survey by the agency Nanos in September found that 53% of Canadians wanted fewer immigrants. This follows record immigration in recent times taking the Canada’s population to over 40 million. The country added over a million new residents last year, with 98% of that rise driven by immigration.

This trend in public perception is likely to influence the new immigration levels for upcoming years that are scheduled to be announced on Wednesday by Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller.