Nigerians accounted for 1 in every 27 individuals granted Canadian permanent residency status in 2023

Canada granted permanent residency to 471.8k individuals in 2023, with Indian citizens leading with nearly 30% of the total.

Nigeria (3.7%), Cameroon (2.5%), and Eritrea (2.3%) were in the top ten recipients.

Source:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights/nigerians-accounted-for-1-in-every-27-individuals-granted-canadian-permanent-residency-status-in-2023/" title="Nigerians accounted for 1 in every 27 individuals granted Canadian permanent residency status in 2023"><img src="https://intelpoint.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Perm-residency.jpeg" style="width: 80%; height: auto; max-width:960px;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; margin: 0 auto; display: block;" alt="Chart: Nigerians accounted for 1 in every 27 individuals granted Canadian permanent residency status in 2023"/></a><br><span>Find more insights at <a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights?utm_source=Insight%20Embed&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=Nigerians+accounted+for+1+in+every+27+individuals+granted+Canadian+permanent+residency+status+in+2023" target="_blank" style="color: #4f9acc; text-decoration: none;">Intelpoint</a>.</span></div>Copied to clipboard!

Period:

2023

HTML code to embed chart

Want a bespoke report?

Reach out

Related Insights

Nigerian scholars in the US nearly quadruple in two decades, rising from 176 in 2000/01 to 931 in 2023/24

Nigeria has been the second leading source of African scholars in the US since 2008/09 to 2023/24, after overtaking South Africa.
By the 2023/24 academic session, the number of Nigerian scholars in the US reached 931.
Given past trends, it’s not unrealistic to predict that Nigeria could surpass Egypt in the near future, just as it did South Africa.
Approximately 20% of the African scholars in the US are Nigerians.

International students made up nearly 6% of all US higher education enrolments in 2023/2024—the highest share since 1948, up from just 1.1%

In 2023, international students made up 5.9% of total US higher education enrollment.
This is the highest share ever recorded since tracking began in 1948.
The share has grown steadily from 1.1% in 1948 to nearly 6% today.
Peak growth occurred from the late 1970s through the 2010s.
The total enrollment base in 2023 was 18.9 million, down from the 2011 peak of 21.2 million.
International student share remained resilient even as overall enrollment declined post-2010.
The 2020 dip (4.6%) resulted from the COVID disruption, but recovery was swift.

Over 90% of UK Health and Care visa approvals went to just 10 countries — all from Asia and Africa

90.7% of approvals came from 10 countries — all in Asia and Africa; the rest of the world got just 9.3%
India: 222,521 approvals (highest)
Nigeria: 149,299 approvals (2nd overall, 1st in Africa)
Zimbabwe: 92,960 approvals (3rd overall, despite smaller population)
India, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe alone account for over 460,000 approvals — more than 62% of the total
Five of the top 10 countries are African
Total approvals (2020–2024): 741,933

Canada’s study permit approvals dropped by 31% in 2024, with Nigeria, India, and the Philippines experiencing significant reductions

Canada announced a reduction in international student approvals in 2024, citing housing and resource pressures.
Global approvals dropped nearly 31% from 681.5k in 2023.
Nigerian approvals dropped 36%, ranking among the highest declines. India (-39.7%) and Nepal (-48.8%) were also major declines.
Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025, 10% lower than 2024’s cap.
The UK, US, and local universities may see more Nigerian applicants.

Nigeria has maintained the top spot for US international students from Africa since the 2007/08 academic year

Since the 2007/08 academic year, Nigeria has consistently held the top spot for the number of African international students in the US. Before this, Kenya and Egypt also led in certain periods. This trend highlights the evolving landscape of African students pursuing education in the US over the decades.

Ghana sees a 45% increase in the number of its students in the US — Africa's highest growth rate

Nigeria remains the leading African country of origin for students in the US, with over 20,000 enrolled this year. Ghana, however, recorded the continent's fastest growth rate at 45%. This increase of over 2,900 students brought Ghana’s total to nearly 9,400, making it the second-largest source of African students in the US. Nigeria also saw a 13.5% rise, adding more than 2,380 students year-over-year. Overall, the number of students from African countries in the US grew by nearly 12% in the 2023/24 academic year.