Who stays, who leaves: Tracking immigrant retention in New Brunswick
Author: NB-IRDT Staff
Posted on Aug 14, 2025
Category: DataNB
Immigrant retention is a key concern for New Brunswick as the province continues to welcome record numbers of newcomers.
In 2022, 3,865 primary applicants arrived in NB—nearly 70% more than the year before. NB-IRDT’s latest update in its immigrant retention series shows that 79% of them were still living in the province one year later, representing a return to pre-pandemic retention patterns.
Digging deeper reveals that retention is highest among those arriving through family sponsorship, while newcomers from India—NB’s top source country—had the lowest one-year retention rate.
The report also highlights regional differences, with Moncton receiving the most newcomers and the Fundy and Capital regions seeing the greatest improvements in retention.
These findings, presented in Immigrant Retention in New Brunswick: 2022 Landing Cohort Update, help paint a clearer picture of where newcomers settle, how long they stay and how immigration streams influence retention.