Statistics Canada
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When Canadians migrate abroad
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Canada is often thought of as an immigrant-receiving country, but it is also a player on the world stage as a source country of migrants. Whether Canadian migration abroad is temporary or permanent, long term or short term, Canadians are making their mark in other countries.
The OECD estimates that 1.1 million people who were born in Canada were residing in other OECD countries in 2000.
The United States is by far the largest recipient of Canadians on either a permanent or a temporary basis. Among Canadian-born emigrants, 82% resided in the United States in 2000. The United Kingdom and Australia also welcome large numbers of Canadians. Italy and Poland, which have sent migrants to Canada in the past, are starting to see a trickle of their migrants return in their retirement years.
However, the OECD reports only on people who are Canadian-born. For example, 1% of Canadians who moved to Poland were Canadian-born, whereas 88% had actually returned to the country of their birth.
