Since being confirmed as a breeder in Canada in 1965, the Canadian breeding population has grown as large as 185 pairs in 1975, but has also been absent in many years, with observations since 2010 limited to two sites (Carter et al., 2014). However, the breeding population has not been monitored consistently enough to define a long-term trend. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provides the best basis for trend assessment, as it has annual coverage since 1970, and samples the larger Canadian wintering population. It shows little change in abundance over that period, with current levels nearly identical to those in the early 1970s. The British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey suggests an increase in the wintering population since the late 1990, but the results are imprecise and reliability is too low to influence the overall assessment of the species.

The goal for Brandt's Cormorant is to remain at or above its average population level from 1970 to 2022, based on the Christmas Bird Count. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.