Lunar New Year… by the numbers

2015 is the Year of the Wood Goat!

The Lunar New Year holiday—also known as the "Chinese New Year"—is not only a traditional festival for the Chinese, but also for the Korean, Vietnamese and many other East Asian populations in Canada. It is also known in some cultures as the "Spring Festival."

The "Year of the Wood Goat" (also known as the Year of the Wood Sheep and the Year of the Wood Ram in Asian astrology) begins February 19, 2015.

Here are some facts on assorted topics related to the Year of the Wood Goat, including data on goats, sheep, rams and the associated element, wood.

(Last updated: January 30, 2015)

Are you a goat?

Please note that the Asian zodiacal year runs from January or February to January or February of the next calendar year. For ease of calculation, only the January to December period of a given year is used here. All estimates of the population of persons born under the signs of the Chinese zodiac are approximations.

Here are estimates of the number of people living in Canada as of January 1, 2014, who were born during years of the Goat:

Canada
Year of birth Both sexes Male Female
1919 23,764 6,096 17,668
1931 148,660 63,191 85,469
1943 291,675 140,144 151,531
1955 493,664 245,920 247,744
1967 478,727 239,409 239,318
1979 482,774 240,130 242,644
1991 494,289 251,901 242,388
2003 368,094 188,790 179,304
Source: Demography Division, Population estimates by age and sex, as of January 1, 2014 (Updated postcensal estimates).

Data for January 1, 2015, will be released March 18, 2015.

Tip for using CANSIM tables: Click the "Add/Remove data" tab in order to add data to the table, or for changing or removing the data displayed. To add or remove data, select in each step the items you want to include, then click "Apply" at the bottom of the screen.

Goats in Canada

  • 225,461 — The number of goats on farms in Canada in 2011.

Source: CANSIM, table 004-0224.

  • 5,949 — The number of farms reporting goats in Canada in 2011.

Source: CANSIM, table 004-0004.

Map 1: Goats in Canada, 2011

Description of Map 1: Goats in Canada, 2011

Goats in Canada, 2011

Sheep in Canada

  • 1.1 million — The number of sheep and lambs on farms in Canada as of July 1, 2014.

Source: CANSIM, table 003-0031.

  • 10,111 — The number of farms reporting sheep and lambs in Canada in 2011.

Source: CANSIM table 004-0004.

  • 0.88 kg — The amount of mutton and lamb available for consumption per person in Canada in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 002-0011.

  • $1.5 million — The total farm value of wool in Canada in 2012.

Source: CANSIM, table 003-0097.

Map 2: Total sheep and lambs in Canada, 2011

Description of Map 2: Total sheep and lambs in Canada, 2011

Total sheep and lambs in Canada, 2011

Map 3: Lambs in Canada, 2011

Description of Map 3: Lambs in Canada, 2011

Lambs in Canada, 2011

Rams in Canada

  • 26,900 — The number of rams on farms in Canada as of July 1, 2014.

Source: CANSIM, table 003-0031.

  • 7,820 — The number of farms reporting rams in Canada in 2011.

Source: CANSIM, table 004-0004.

Map 4: Rams in Canada, 2011

Description of Map 4: Rams in Canada, 2011

Rams in Canada, 2011

Wood

The element associated with this year's zodiacal animal in Asian astrology is "wood."

  • $108.5 billion — The value of the wood product manufacturing industry in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 379-0031.

Here are links to Statistics Canada resources on wood:

Trade with Asia

  • $50.5 billion — The value of Canada's exports to Asia in 2013, up 9.7% from 2012. Exports from Canada to Asia were led by coal, wood pulp, precious metals and alloys, canola and softwood lumber.
  • $95.1 billion — The value of imports to Canada from Asia in 2013, up 2.9% from 2012. Imports from Asia were led by computers, communications equipment, and passenger cars.

Source: Custom tabulation provided by International Accounts and Trade Division, Statistics Canada.

See also: Imports and exports (International trade statistics).

Travel to the Asia and Pacific region

  • 9th — The rank of mainland China in terms of the most popular destinations for Canadian travellers in 2012, at 314,200 visits.
  • 13th — The rank of Hong Kong in terms of the most popular destinations for Canadian travellers in 2012, at 196,900 visits.

Source: Custom tabulation provided by Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division, Statistics Canada.

Travel from the Asia and Pacific region

  • 7th — The rank of Japan in terms of the most popular countries of origin in 2012, with 190,000 trips.
  • 9th — The rank of South Korea in terms of the most popular countries of origin in 2012, with137,300 trips.
  • 11th — The rank of Hong Kong in terms of the most popular countries of origin in 2012, with 114,100 trips.

Source: Custom tabulation provided by Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division, Statistics Canada.

See also: International Travel Survey: Frontier Counts (ITS).

Asian languages in Canada

The first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the individual at the time of the census is known as mother tongue.

  • 1,112,610 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is a Chinese language (Chinese not otherwise specified, Cantonese, Mandarin).
  • 174,455 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is an Austro-Asiatic language (Vietnamese, Khmer).
  • 142,880 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is Korean.
  • 43,040 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is Japanese.
  • 22,615 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is a Tai-Kadai language (Lao, Thai).
  • 8,210 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is a Tibeto-Burman language (Tibetan, Burmese).
  • 1,065 — The number of people in Canada whose mother tongue is Mongol.

Sources: Table 1: Population of immigrant mother tongue families, showing main languages comprising each family, Canada, 2011; Detailed Mother Tongue (192), Single and Multiple Language Responses (3), Age Groups (7) and Sex (3) for the Population Excluding Institutional Residents of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2011 Census.

See also: 2011 Census in brief: Immigrant languages in Canada.

The chrysanthemum

The chrysanthemum is an important flower in Asian cultures. A flower in bloom symbolizes rebirth and good fortune.

  • 34.9 million — The number of chrysanthemum stems produced in Canada in 2013.
  • 12.3 million — The total number of indoor and outdoor potted chrysanthemum plants produced in Canada in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 001-0049.

Asia’s contributions to Canadian cuisine

Rice

  • 4.62 kg — The amount of rice available for consumption per person in Canada in 2013. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)

Chinese cabbage

  • 0.57 kg — The amount of fresh Chinese cabbage available for consumption per person in Canada in 2013. (Data adjusted for retail, household, cooking and plate loss.)

Source: CANSIM, table 002-0011.

Tofu

Tofu is made from processed soybeans.

  • $7 — The average expenditure on tofu per household in Canada in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 203-0028.

  • $2.5 billion — The value of farm cash receipts for soybeans in Canada in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 002-0001.

  • 27,215 — The number of farms producing soybeans in Canada in 2011, up 17% from 2006.
  • 1.6 million hectares — The area of land devoted to the production of soybeans in Canada in 2011, up 33% from 2006.

Source: CANSIM, table 004-0003.

See also: Thematic maps from the Census of Agriculture: Soybean area, 2011, Soybean area as a percentage of total cropland area, 2011, Soybean area change between 2006 and 2011; "The soybean, agriculture's jack-of-all-trades, is gaining ground across Canada," in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance.

Ginseng

  • $181.6 million — The value of farm cash receipts for ginseng in Canada in 2013.

Source: CANSIM, table 002-0001.

  • 203 — The number of farms producing ginseng in Canada in 2011, down 42% from 2006.
  • 2,969 hectares — The area of land devoted to the production of ginseng in Canada in 2011, down 12% from 2006.

Source: CANSIM, table 004-0213.

Focus on geography

You can expect to see celebrations in these larger cities and towns within the Vancouver and Toronto census metropolitan areas (CMA). These regions show the highest proportion of people reporting Chinese ethnic origin:

  • 48.5% — The percentage of the population of Richmond, British Columbia, who reported Chinese ethnic origin.
  • 39.6% — The percentage of the population of Markham, Ontario, who reported Chinese ethnic origin.
  • 31.7% — The percentage of the population of Burnaby, British Columbia, who reported Chinese ethnic origin.
  • 24.5% — The percentage of the population of Richmond Hill, Ontario, who reported Chinese ethnic origin.
  • 1.5 million — The number of people in Canada who reported Chinese ethnic origin on the 2011 National Household Survey, either as their only origin or in combination with other origins.
  • 4.5% — The proportion of the Canadian population who reported Chinese ethnic origin on the 2011 National Household Survey, either as their only origin or in combination with other origins.

Source: NHS Focus on geography series.

A new nation to call home

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the Philippines was the leading country of birth among people who immigrated to Canada between 2006 and 2011.

  • 152,300— The number of people from the Philippines who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011, or 13.1% of all newcomers during that period.
  • 122,100 — The number of people from China who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011, or 10.5% of all newcomers during that period.
  • 121,400 — The number of people from India who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011, or 10.4% of all newcomers during that period.
  • 4,805 — The number of people from Hong Kong who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011. National Household Survey results from 2011 showed that most immigrants from Hong Kong came to Canada in the 1980s and the 1990s.
  • 145 — The number of people from Macau who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011.
  • 27,670 — The number of people from South Korea who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011.
  • 775 — The number of people from Mongolia who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011, the period with the greatest immigration from this country in recent history.
  • 9,295 — The number of people from Taiwan who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011.
  • 180,300 — The number of people from Southeast Asia who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011. Immigration from this region (which includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) peaked during the period 2001-2011.
  • 11,280 — The number of people from Vietnam who came to Canada between 2006 and 2011. Immigration from Vietnam peaked in the 1980s.

Source: National Household Survey: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity.

A new home in a new city

Here are the top 10 urban destinations of recent immigrants to Canada who arrived between 2006 and 2011, by census metropolitan area (CMA).

From China (including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau):

  • Toronto
  • Vancouver
  • Montréal
  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Ottawa - Gatineau
  • Winnipeg   
  • Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo
  • Charlottetown*
  • Saskatoon

*census agglomeration (CA)

From Taiwan:

  • Vancouver
  • Toronto
  • Montréal
  • Calgary
  • Halifax
  • Edmonton
  • Victoria
  • Ottawa - Gatineau
  • Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo
  • Hamilton

From South Korea:

  • Vancouver
  • Toronto
  • Calgary
  • Winnipeg
  • Montréal
  • Edmonton
  • London
  • Moncton
  • Ottawa - Gatineau
  • Abbotsford - Mission

Source: National Household Survey, custom tabulation provided by Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division.

Place of birth

In addition to the year of immigration, the National Household Survey collects information on place of birth.

  • 585,555 — The number of people in Canada in 2011 who reported that they were born in the People's Republic of China.
  • 209,775 — The number of people in Canada in 2011 who reported that they were born in Hong Kong.
  • 5,670 — The number of people in Canada in 2011 who reported that they were born in Macau.
  • 69,550 — The number of people in Canada in 2011 who reported that they were born in Taiwan.
  • 132,940 — The number of people in Canada in 2011 who reported that they were born in South Korea.

Source: 2011 National Household Survey: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity.

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