Feasibility study - Estimating the international student population in Canada using administrative data - Abstract overview

Oct 15, 2026

Following changes to Canada’s international education program announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2024, this feasibility study evaluates producing up-to-date estimates of the number of international students enrolled in public postsecondary institutions. It leverages the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) and supplements it with administrative data sources to address a gap for recent academic years. Preliminary findings indicate a sharp decline in new cohorts in 2025/2026 and a more moderate decrease in total enrolment, especially in college programs and Ontario.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Feasibility and data sources

Preliminary results

Catalogue no. 81‑595‑MISSN 2818‑7628 ISBN 978‑0‑660‑97925‑0 Education, Learning and Training Research Paper Series Feasibility study: Estimating the international student population in Canada using administrative data by Félix Blain, André Lebel, Camille Proulx and Ted Si Yuan Cheng Release date: May 5, 2026 How to obtain more information For information about this product or the wide range of services and data available from Statistics Canada, visit our website, [www.statcan.gc.ca](www.statcan.gc.ca). You can also contact us by Email at infostats@statcan.gc.ca Telephone, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. , at the following numbers: • Statistical Information Service 1‑800‑263‑1136 • National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired 1‑800‑363‑7629 • Fax line 1‑514‑283‑9350 Standards of service to the public Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients. To obtain a copy of these service standards, please contact Statistics Canada toll‑free at 1‑800‑263‑1136. The service standards are also published on [www.statcan.gc.ca](www.statcan.gc.ca) under “Contact us” >“Standards of service to the public”. Note of appreciation Canada owes the success of its statistical system to along‑standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co‑operation and goodwill. Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2026 Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement. An HTML version is also available. Cette publication est aussi disponible en français. Acknowledgments We would like to thank those who contributed at various stages of this feasibility study: Pierre Daoust, Camille Charbonneau, Shou Xiang Chen, and Nicolas Taylor from the Social Statistics Methods Division; Mélanie Meunier and Julien Bérard‑Chagnon from the Centre for Demography; Liliana Corak, Klarka Zeman, Youssouf Azmi, Katherine Wall and Christopher Penney from the Canadian Centre for Education Statistics; and finally, Sébastien Larochelle‑Côté, Director General of the Socioeconomic Statistics and Social Data Integration Branch. Feasibility study: Estimating the international student population in Canada using administrative data by Félix Blain, André Lebel, Camille Proulx and Ted Si Yuan Cheng Abstract Following the changes to the international education program announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2024, this study examines the feasibility of producing current estimates of the number of international students enrolled in public postsecondary institutions in Canada. Using data from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) and supplemented by administrative data sources, these estimates are intended to fill an important data gap for recent academic years, specifically 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 . Preliminary results suggest that the new government measures led to a sharp decline in the new cohorts of international students and, to a lesser extent, a decline in total international student enrolment in public postsecondary institutions. The results indicate that in the short term—over two academic years—these measures may have significantly reduced the size of new cohorts of international students (‑64%) in 2025/2026 and, more moderately, the total number of international students in public postsecondary institutions (‑29%) . The total number of international students appears to have particularly fallen in college programs (‑42%) and in Ontario (‑36%) . Keywords: International students, international edu

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this feasibility study?

To assess whether it is feasible to produce current estimates of the international student population in Canada’s public postsecondary institutions.

Which data sources does the study use?

It uses the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) and supplements it with administrative data sources.

What do the preliminary results suggest about recent government measures?

The measures correspond to a sharp decline in new cohorts of international students in 2025/2026 and a smaller reduction in total enrolment in public postsecondary institutions.

Oct 15, 2026

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