StatCan numbers reveal that the percentage of permanent residents becoming Canadian citizens has plummeted over the past 20 years.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship says Statistics Canada data points to a 40 percent decline in citizenship acceptance since 2001.
The group's CEO, Daniel Bernhard, calls the drop alarming and says it should serve as a "wake-up call" to improve the experience newcomers have in Canada.
In 2021, nearly 45.7% of permanent residents who had been in Canada less than 10 years became citizens.
That's down from 60% in 2016 and 75.1% in 2001.
StatCan's data did not identify reasons for the drop, but Bernhard suggests Canada's cost of living and job prospects are likely factors.
He says the institute is investigating the root causes.
Bernhard said the decline affects Canada's long-term economic and social prospects.
"This is a problem for all of us who care about Canada's future prosperity and dynamism," he said. "We need to resolve this for the future of our country."
The federal government has said it wants to boost immigration by adding 1.45 million permanent residents over the next three years, starting with 465,000 in 2023 and increasing to 500,000 in 2025.
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