In 2001, 75% of permanent residents became citizens within 10 years of arrival. In 2021, that number had dropped to 45%, so there's been a precipitous decline.
There are a number of factors, including factors relating to the cost of applying for citizenship, which is over $600 per person. For a family of four, for example, that's real money. It's also about people's experiences in Canada in getting to the point where you want to apply for citizenship: economic integration, credential recognition, social integration, having fun and having friends. This touches on housing and the availability of our services like health care and child care.
We need to make sure that immigrants have a successful time of it in Canada and that they want to be considered Canadian. I think there are a number of different ways to look at this, but the data have been declining for over 20 years. It's a concerning trend that I think we ought to turn our attention towards—