Key Takeaways
- Non-permanent residents (NPRs) make up less than 1% of all homeowners in Canada.
- The share of NPR homeowners varies by province, but remains below 0.5% in every province analyzed.
- NPR homeowners are generally concentrated in the largest city of each province.
- Homeownership rates among NPRs are very low, with only 1.64% of NPRs in Ontario and 1.41% in British Columbia owning homes.
- Factors contributing to low homeownership rates among NPRs include limited income and employment stability, limited Canadian work and credit histories, and younger age.
Introduction to the Report
A new report from Statistics Canada has shed light on the role of non-permanent residents (NPRs) in Canada’s housing market. The report, released on December 11, 2025, suggests that NPRs play a far smaller role in the market than public perception might suggest. According to the report, less than 1% of all homeowners in Canada were NPRs at the start of 2022. This finding is significant, given the ongoing debates around immigration levels and housing affordability in Canada.
Defining Non-Permanent Residents
The report defines NPRs as individuals who hold valid temporary permits, such as work or study permits, or who have claimed refugee status as of December 31, 2021. The report draws on 2022 data from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP) and covers all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. Statistics Canada has not published figures for the territories due to small sample sizes. The report provides a detailed analysis of the share of NPR homeowners in each province, as well as the characteristics of NPR homeowners.
Provincial Breakdown of Non-Permanent Resident Homeowners
The report reveals that the share of NPR homeowners varies by province, but remains well below 0.5% in every province analyzed. Prince Edward Island (PEI) recorded the highest share of NPR homeowners, at 0.39%, while Alberta had the lowest, at 0.10%. The report also notes that NPR homeowners are generally concentrated in the largest city of each province, such as PEI’s Charlottetown or Calgary, for Alberta. Even in provinces with the highest proportions, NPRs make up a negligible share of homeowners overall, reinforcing the report’s conclusion that their presence in the ownership market is minimal.
Homeownership Rates Among Non-Permanent Residents
The report also examines homeownership rates among NPRs themselves and finds them to be very low. Among individuals who held a valid temporary permit at the start of 2022, only a small fraction owned a home. In Ontario, just 1.64% of NPRs were homeowners, while this dropped to 1.41% for British Columbia. By comparison, 40.3% of recent permanent residents (those who gained permanent resident status within the previous five years) and 47.8% of Canadian-born individuals owned homes in Ontario during the same period. This stark contrast highlights the gap in housing outcomes between temporary residents and other population groups in Canada.
Factors Contributing to Low Homeownership Rates
Statistics Canada notes that these findings are largely unsurprising, given the temporary nature of non-permanent resident status, which may discourage long-term financial commitments such as homeownership. Other contributing factors identified in the report include limited income and employment stability, limited Canadian work and credit histories, and younger age. Many international students face limits on how many hours they can work, restricting income and employment stability. NPRs often have limited Canadian work and credit histories, which can affect mortgage eligibility. NPRs tend to be younger on average than Canadian-born individuals or permanent residents, leaving less time to accumulate savings for a down payment. Together, these factors help explain why non-permanent residents remain largely absent from Canada’s homeownership market.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the report from Statistics Canada provides valuable insights into the role of non-permanent residents in Canada’s housing market. The findings suggest that NPRs play a minimal role in the market, making up less than 1% of all homeowners in Canada. The report also highlights the low homeownership rates among NPRs, which can be attributed to various factors, including limited income and employment stability, limited Canadian work and credit histories, and younger age. These findings have significant implications for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to address housing affordability and immigration issues in Canada.
