Toronto's population is officially shrinking — Here's where everyone is moving to
The population of Toronto is officially shrinking for the first time in years. After years of steady growth, capped off by record-high gains, Toronto's population has suddenly reversed. The latest population numbers from Statistics Canada show that Canada's largest city has officially lost people, not just slowed down in growth, but actually declined. This is not a temporary blip.
Between July 2024 and July 2025, the population of the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) dropped by 992 people. This might not seem significant for a region with over 7.1 million residents, but it marks only the second time since at least 2001 that Toronto didn't grow year-over-year.
The only other time? During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also the biggest net population loss of any metro area in the country last year. In fact, it's one of only two CMAs to record a population drop in 2025, the other being Kamloops, B.C., which shrank by 259 people.
So, what's happening, and where are Torontonians moving to?
It's not about births or immigration.
The city isn't losing residents because fewer people are being born or coming from abroad. In fact, it's the opposite. According to Statistics Canada, births in the Toronto CMA hit their highest level since 2019-2020, marking a five-year high. Immigration was also strong, landing above pre-pandemic levels from 2018-2019, even if it cooled off compared to the record-breaking surge of the past three years.
However, these gains were no match for the emigration trend.
The Toronto CMA recorded the highest level of net emigration since data collection began in 2001. Simultaneously, it saw its largest-ever loss of non-permanent residents. Despite still recording a net-positive gain from international migration in 2025, it was the smallest net gain in this category since comparable data became available over two decades ago.
In the previous year, the net gain through international migration was a record-breaking 339,801, more than six times higher than the 2025 total.
In other words, people are still being born here and newcomers are still arriving. However, they are no longer enough to offset the number of people leaving, not to mention those heading to other parts of Canada.
Toronto is losing people to the rest of Canada.
A significant aspect of this story is internal migration within the country, and no city feels it more than Toronto. In 2024-2025, the Toronto CMA lost a staggering 77,492 people to internal migration, which is more than the entire population of Fredericton, New Brunswick.
This includes people moving to other parts of Ontario or leaving for different provinces. It's the largest internal migration loss of any metro area in the country, and by a significant margin.
Toronto saw the highest losses from both internal and inter-provincial migration. Montreal was a distant second on both fronts.
This trend isn't new, but it's becoming harder to ignore. Even with more babies being born and newcomers arriving from abroad, it's clear that a growing number of people are finding reasons to leave.
For many, life elsewhere in Canada is more sustainable or affordable than what Toronto currently offers.
So, where are people going?
Surprisingly, many Torontonians aren't moving far, but those who do are heading across the country.
The top destination for former Toronto residents is Oshawa, with 11,797 more people moving there from Toronto than in the opposite direction in a single year. Hamilton follows closely behind, with a net gain of 10,765 people from Toronto.
Beyond the Greater Toronto Area (GTHA), Torontonians are increasingly eyeing Alberta. Calgary saw a net gain of 7,069 from Toronto, the third-highest of any city, while Edmonton pulled in another 5,562.
In fact, only one place sends more people to Toronto than it loses: Montreal. Over the latest 12-month period, 5,297 people moved from Montreal to Toronto, compared to 4,125 who went the other way, resulting in a net gain of 1,172 for Toronto.
Mississauga leads the exodus.
It's important to note that the 'Toronto CMA' includes surrounding GTA municipalities like Brampton, Mississauga, Markham, Vaughan, Oakville, Richmond Hill, and even smaller towns and cottage-country spots like Georgina, Caledon, and Orangeville. While the entire CMA saw a small population dip, not every part contributed equally to the loss.
Mississauga had the biggest drop, losing over 16,700 people, a 2.14% decrease in its population from 2024. The City of Toronto itself lost just over 8,500, while Brampton shed another 5,822.
However, other places like Milton, Pickering, Oakville, and Vaughan saw gains, some quite significant, helping to balance out the CMA's overall numbers.
Torontonians in search of cheaper, quieter lives.
Even though international immigration remains relatively high, the data shows that more and more Canadians, including new immigrants, are settling in smaller or more affordable places.
According to Statistics Canada, the share of Ontario's new immigrants choosing Toronto has dropped from 76% to just over 60% in five years. Meanwhile, cities like Ottawa are gaining popularity, with its share of immigrants nearly doubling over the same period.
With sky-high housing prices, long commutes, and a rising cost of living, the data clearly indicates that the Toronto dream isn't working for everyone. Whether it's affordability, a slower pace, or a fresh start, tens of thousands of people are looking elsewhere and making the move.
For now, Toronto remains the country's largest city. However, if this trend continues, it might not hold that title forever.
What about you? Would you ever leave Toronto?
