What changed in New Brunswick’s population in 2025?
Author: DataNB
Posted on Sep 9, 2026
Category: DataNB
DataNB has just released the seventh report in its population and demographic counts series, offering an updated look at how New Brunswick’s population changed between 2022 and 2025. The findings show that while the province continued to grow, reaching 861,040 residents by the end of 2025, the pace of that growth shifted. The increase was smaller than the yearly increases seen between 2022 and 2024, and the story behind that slowdown offers insight into how mobility patterns are evolving.
One of the biggest changes was a steep drop in first time arrivals, especially among non citizens. Permanent residents, study permit holders, and work permit holders all arrived in much smaller numbers than in 2024, coinciding with new federal limits on immigration. At the same time, departures rose among temporary residents, with study and work permit holders leaving the province in greater numbers. These combined shifts led to two consecutive quarters of population decline, something not seen since 2022.
The report also highlights how these patterns varied across regions and age groups. While arrivals fell across all Census Metropolitan Areas, declines were especially noticeable among younger working age non citizens and in regions outside NB’s largest cities. Together, these findings help explain why 2025 looked different from earlier years of strong growth – and set the stage for what future updates may reveal.