View the most recent version.Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
| Version française |
Tuesday, November 4, 1997
For release at 8:30
a.m.
Statistics Canada today releases data on immigration and citizenship from the 1996 Census, the fourth of 11 announcements that are painting a new statistical portrait of the nation.
This release describes Canada's immigrant population in terms of its size, its geographic distribution and its origins, with special emphasis on those who immigrated between 1991 and 1996. In addition, it contains information on the citizenship of Canada's population, in particular its acquisition by immigrants.
New data from the Census showed that Canada was home to about five million immigrants in 1996, a 14.5% increase since 1991. This increase was slightly more than three times the growth rate (4%) of the Canadian-born population. Immigrants represented 17.4% of the population, the largest share in more than 50 years. This share had remained at around 15% to 16% between 1951 and 1991.
The increase in the immigrant population reflects higher annual immigration levels during the 1990s. Data from Citizenship and Immigration Canada showed that an average of about 235,000 immigrants were admitted to Canada each year between 1990 and 1995, peaking at 256,000 in 1993. That compares with an average of around 150,000 during the 1950s, and less than 150,000 for the subsequent three decades.
The sources of immigration to Canada have changed greatly. The European-born continued to account for the largest proportion of all immigrants living in Canada in 1996. But for the first time this century they accounted for less than half of the total immigrant population, due to a growing influx from Asia and the Middle East.
In 1981, 67% of all immigrants living in Canada were born in Europe. By 1996, this proportion had declined to 47%. In contrast, the share of Canada's immigrant population born in Asia and the Middle East increased from 14% in 1981 to 31% in 1996.
The impact of recent immigration trends could most clearly be seen in the big cities. Toronto had the largest immigrant population of all 25 census metropolitan areas, with 42% of its population in 1996 composed of immigrants. In fact, just over a fifth (21%) of Toronto's total population were immigrants who came to Canada in the past 15 years.
Immigrants accounted for over a third of Vancouver's population in 1996, making it the census metropolitan area with the second largest immigrant population. Nearly one in every five residents of Vancouver were immigrants who arrived in Canada in the last 15 years.
Chart: Immigrants as a % of Canada's population
1901-1996
Further details on the characteristics of the immigrant population, such as employment, income, education and housing, will be available as soon as the remaining information from the 1996 Census has been processed.
Throughout much of this century, the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe have been the main sources of immigrants to Canada. In recent years, however, this trend has changed, with increasing numbers immigrating to Canada from Asia and the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.
In 1996, just over one million persons in Canada (1,039,000) were immigrants who arrived between 1991 and 1996. The Asian-born accounted for more than half (57%) of these recent arrivals, up from 33% of immigrants who came in the 1970s and 12% of those who arrived in the 1960s. Asian-born represented only 3% of those who arrived before 1961.
Nearly a quarter of all recent immigrants were from Eastern Asia, places such as Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. The next largest Asian source of recent immigrants was Southern Asia, countries such as India and Sri Lanka. (Throughout this release, the term "recent immigrants" refers to people who immigrated to Canada between 1991 and 1996.)
In contrast, the second largest group, those born in Europe, accounted for only 19% of all recent immigrants. They represented 90% of those who had immigrated before 1961. The proportion of European-born has declined steadily in each subsequent wave of immigrants since 1961.
Prior to 1961, most European immigrants came from the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. More recently, they have come from East European countries such as Poland, Romania and the new Russian Federation.
The third largest group among recent immigrants was from Central and South America, followed by those from Africa and the Caribbean and Bermuda.
This trend toward increasing numbers from Asia and the Middle East becomes clear by comparing the leading places of birth for all immigrants in Canada with the top places of birth for those who arrived between 1991 and 1996.
Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China, India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka headed the list for recent immigrants. Hong Kong accounted for one-tenth of these newcomers.
Asian countries accounted for seven out of the 10 most frequently reported countries of birth for recent immigrants. In contrast, eight of the top 10 countries of birth for those who immigrated to Canada before 1961 were European.
Chart: Place of birth of immigrants by period of
arrival
Immigrant population: refers to people who are, or have been at one time, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Some are recent arrivals, while others have resided in Canada for a number of years.
Recent immigrants: refers to people who immigrated to Canada between 1991 and 1996.
Asian-born: refers to people born in the Middle East as well as other parts of Asia.
Canadian-born: refers to people who were Canadian citizens by birth. Most were born in Canada, but a small number were born outside Canada to Canadian parents.
Non-permanent residents: refers to people from another country who live in Canada and have work, student or Minister's permits, or are persons claiming refugee status in Canada at the time of the 1996 Census. Non-permanent residents are not included in the immigrant population.
In addition to the total number of immigrants, the 1996 Census counted 166,715 non-permanent residents. This number represented less than 1% of the total population enumerated in the Census. As in 1991, the largest share of non-permanent residents lived in Ontario (44%). Quebec had the next largest proportion (25%) , followed by British Columbia (18%) and Alberta (7%). Similar to recent immigrants, most non-permanent residents lived in just three census metropolitan areas: Toronto (32%), Montreal (22%) and Vancouver (14%).
For immigrants as a whole, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong and India -- in that order -- topped the list of countries of birth.
Immigrants, particularly recent arrivals, were more likely than people born in Canada to live in large urban centres. This attraction to urban centres explains in part the provincial distribution of where immigrants settled.
In 1996, 85% of all immigrants -- and 93% of those who arrived between 1991 and 1996 -- lived in a census metropolitan area, compared with just 57% of Canadian-born people.
Recent immigrants were especially attracted to Canada's three largest urban areas. In 1996, nearly three-quarters of recent immigrants lived in either Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, compared with just over one-quarter of the population born in Canada.
Table: Top 10 places of birth for total immigrants, immigrants arriving
before 1961 and recent immigrants, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Immigrants
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 4,971,070 100.0
1. United Kingdom 655,540 13.2
2. Italy 332,110 6.7
3. United States 244,695 4.9
4. Hong Kong 241,095 4.8
5. India 235,930 4.7
6. People's Republic
of China 231,055 4.6
7. Poland 193,375 3.9
8. Philippines 184,550 3.7
9. Germany 181,650 3.7
10. Portugal 158,820 3.2
______________________________________________________________________________
Immigrated before 1961
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 1,054,930 100.0
1. United Kingdom 265,575 25.2
2. Italy 161,730 15.3
3. Germany 107,270 10.2
4. Netherlands 88,810 8.4
5. Poland 57,820 5.5
6. United States 45,050 4.3
7. Hungary 33,215 3.1
8. Ukraine 27,640 2.6
9. Greece 21,555 2.0
10. People's Republic
of China 17,545 1.7
______________________________________________________________________________
Recent Immigrants 1
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 1,038,995 100.0
1. Hong Kong 108,915 10.5
2. People's Republic
of China 87,875 8.5
3. India 71,335 6.9
4. Philippines 71,325 6.9
5. Sri Lanka 44,235 4.3
6. Poland 36,965 3.6
7. Taiwan 32,140 3.1
8. Viet Nam 32,060 3.1
9. United States 29,020 2.8
10. United Kingdom 25,425 2.4
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Recent immigrants are those who immigrated between 1991 and the first
four months of 1996.
Chart: Immigrants as a % or provinces,
territories
Nearly 563,000 recent immigrants settled in Ontario, giving it a total immigrant population of 2.7 million, more than half of the total in Canada. In fact, Ontario had attracted the largest share of recent immigrants (54%) compared with the other provinces and territories. In contrast, Ontario had just over one-third (37%) of Canada's total population.
Ontario's total immigrant population grew 15% since 1991, about the same as the national rate. In 1996, immigrants accounted for 26% of Ontario's total population, the largest proportion for any province and the highest for Ontario this century. This level was up slightly from 24% in 1991.
About two-thirds of Ontario's immigrant population lived in the census metropolitan area of Toronto, compared with just under a third of the province's Canadian-born.
Chart: Recent Immigrants as a % or CMA's
The census metropolitan area of Toronto had 1.8 million immigrants in 1996, a 21% increase since 1991 compared with 5% for those born in Canada. In fact, Toronto had the largest immigrant population of all 25 census metropolitan areas in 1996. These individuals accounted for 42% of Toronto's population in 1996, up from 38% in 1991.
The Toronto census metropolitan area was the preferred destination of Canada's most recent immigrants. About 441,000, or 42% of all new arrivals to Canada, settled in Toronto, nearly three times its share of the total Canadian population (15%). This was the largest influx into any census metropolitan area. In comparison, 18% of recent immigrants to Canada settled in Vancouver, and 13% in Montreal.
Just over a fifth (21%) of Toronto's total population were immigrants who came to Canada since 1981. In fact, recent immigrants, those who arrived since 1991, represented one-tenth of Toronto's total population.
The sources of immigrants to Toronto have changed dramatically over time. Toronto's immigrant population who arrived before 1961 was composed almost exclusively (92%) of people born in the United Kingdom and other European countries, such as Italy and Germany. Since the 1960s, the number of European-born immigrants living in Toronto has steadily decreased. European-born individuals represented just 17% of recent immigrants who settled in Toronto, with Poland as the most frequent European source.
Table: Top 10 places of birth for total immigrants and recent immigrants, for
Toronto, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Immigrants
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 1,772,905 100.0
1. United Kingdom 158,070 8.9
2. Italy 146,515 8.3
3. Hong Kong 110,990 6.3
4. India 99,930 5.6
5. People's Republic
of China 87,615 4.9
6. Jamaica 86,910 4.9
7. Portugal 82,105 4.6
8. Philippines 80,860 4.6
9. Poland 74,220 4.2
10. Guyana 60,705 3.4
______________________________________________________________________________
Recent Immigrants 1
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 441,035 100.0
1. Hong Kong 48,535 11.0
2. Sri Lanka 36,735 8.3
3. People's Republic
of China 35,330 8.0
4. Philippines 33,210 7.5
5. India 33,185 7.5
6. Poland 18,605 4.2
7. Jamaica 16,780 3.8
8. Guyana 13,195 3.0
9. Viet Nam 12,290 2.8
10. Trinidad and Tobago 11,375 2.6
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Recent immigrants are those who immigrated between 1991 and the first
four months of 1996.
Toronto has become home to an increasing number of immigrants from Asia and the Middle East, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa. Those born in Asia and the Middle East made up six out of 10 of all recent immigrants living in Toronto in 1996. Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and the People's Republic of China were the most frequent sources of these newcomers. In fact, Toronto had more recent immigrants from Asia and the Middle East than did Vancouver. Individuals from Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago have added to the Toronto region's diversity.
Table: Top 10 places of birth for total immigrants and recent immigrants, for
Vancouver, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Immigrants
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 633,745 100.0
1. Hong Kong 86,215 13.6
2. United Kingdom 75,415 11.9
3. People's Republic
of China 72,910 11.5
4. India 53,475 8.4
5. Philippines 34,640 5.5
6. Taiwan 29,330 4.6
7. United States 22,685 3.6
8. Germany 17,785 2.8
9. Viet Nam 17,000 2.7
10. Fiji 13,855 2.2
______________________________________________________________________________
Recent Immigrants 1
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 189,660 100.0
1. Hong Kong 44,715 23.6
2. People's Republic
of China 27,005 14.2
3. Taiwan 22,315 11.8
4. India 16,185 8.5
5. Philippines 13,610 7.2
6. South Korea 6,335 3.3
7. Iran 4,640 2.4
8. United Kingdom 4,040 2.1
9. Viet Nam 3,855 2.0
10. United States 3,640 1.9
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Recent immigrants are those who immigrated between 1991 and the first
four months of 1996.
In 1996, British Columbia had the second largest immigrant population after Ontario. It had 903,000 immigrants, a 25% increase since the previous census, highest among the provinces. Almost 217,000, or 21% of all recent immigrants to Canada, chose to settle in British Columbia, a higher proportion than B.C.'s 13% share of Canada's total population.
As a result of this higher level of recent immigration, as well as internal migration and natural increase, B.C.'s total population recorded the highest growth rate of any province since the 1991 Census, more than twice the national average.
Overall, immigrants accounted for 24% of B.C.'s total population in 1996, compared with 22% in 1991. Seven of every 10 immigrants in British Columbia lived in the census metropolitan area of Vancouver, compared with four in 10 of the province's Canadian-born population. About 88% of recent immigrants to British Columbia chose to live in Vancouver.
The census metropolitan area of Vancouver had a total of 634,000 immigrants in 1996, of which 190,000 were recent immigrants.
Immigrants accounted for over a third (35%) of Vancouver's population in 1996, making it the census metropolitan area with the second largest immigrant population. Vancouver attracted 18% of all recent immigrants to Canada, three times higher than its share of Canada's total population (6%).
Vancouver's total immigrant population increased by nearly a third between 1991 and 1996, the highest growth rate among immigrants of any census metropolitan area.
Nearly one-fifth (19%) of Vancouver's total population consisted of immigrants who came to Canada since 1981. Like Toronto, one-tenth of Vancouver's total population were recent immigrants.
The majority of Vancouver's recent immigrants were Asian-born. Four of every five newcomers to the census metropolitan area were from Asia and the Middle East, compared with less than 10% of those who came before 1961. The most frequent sources of recent immigration were Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, which accounted for half of all newcomers to Vancouver.
On the other hand, only 10% of recent immigrants to Vancouver were European-born, down substantially from 85% of those who immigrated before 1961.
In 1996, Quebec had 665,000 immigrants, a 12% increase since the previous census. In contrast, Quebec's population born in Canada grew at a much slower rate (3%).
Immigrants accounted for 9.4% of the province's total population in 1996, up from 8.7% in 1991. Throughout this century, immigrants have represented less than one-tenth of Quebec's population. The lowest proportion was recorded in the 1901 Census when 5.4% of Quebec's population was immigrant. The highest proportion was, in fact, the 1996 level.
Table: Top 10 places of birth for total immigrants and recent immigrants, for
Montreal, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Immigrants
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 586,470 100.0
1. Italy 72,325 12.3
2. Haiti 43,075 7.3
3. France 32,255 5.5
4. Lebanon 26,475 4.5
5. Greece 23,060 3.9
6. Viet Nam 21,920 3.7
7. Portugal 19,910 3.4
8. United Kingdom 17,365 3.0
9. Poland 16,115 2.7
10. United States 15,935 2.7
______________________________________________________________________________
Recent Immigrants 1
______________________________________________________________________________
Number %
Total 134,535 100.0
1. Haiti 9,995 7.4
2. Lebanon 9,610 7.1
3. France 7,540 5.6
4. People's Republic
of China 6,650 4.9
5. Romania 5,225 3.9
6. Sri Lanka 4,675 3.5
7. Philippines 4,640 3.4
8. India 4,380 3.3
9. Viet Nam 4,135 3.1
10. Morocco 3,820 2.8
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Recent immigrants are those who immigrated between 1991 and the first
four months of 1996.
The 151,000 recent immigrants who chose to settle in Quebec represented 15% of all recent immigrants who came to Canada. This proportion was lower than Quebec's 25% share of Canada's total population.
The attraction of a major urban centre for immigrants was perhaps most pronounced in Quebec. In 1996, 88% of Quebec's immigrants lived in Montreal, more than double the share of the provincial Canadian-born population. Similarly, about 90% of the 151,000 recent newcomers to Quebec also chose to live in Montreal.
Montreal had the third largest immigrant population (586,000) among all census metropolitan areas. Montreal's immigrant population increased 13% since 1991, more than twice the rate (5%) of its population born in Canada.
Proportionately, 18% of its total population was immigrant, only a slight increase from 1991, but this was still less than half of the corresponding proportion for Toronto (42%). Overall, 13% of all recent immigrants to Canada chose to reside in Montreal. This was about the same as Montreal's share of Canada's total population.
The 135,000 recent immigrants who settled in Montreal made up 4% of its total population in 1996. Immigrants who arrived during the last 15 years made up 8%.
The countries of origin of Montreal's immigrants differed substantially from those of immigrants in Toronto or Vancouver, reflecting higher levels of immigration to Quebec from francophone nations such as Haiti. Almost 10,000 recent immigrants from Haiti have settled in Montreal, the highest level from any country. Lebanon was second with 9,610 recent immigrants, followed by France with 7,540.
Individuals from Asia and the Middle East accounted for four of every 10 recent immigrants to Montreal, the largest group. The most frequent sources of immigrants from Asia and the Middle East were Lebanon, China and Sri Lanka.
European immigration to Montreal declined substantially during the 1960s and 1970s. About 90% of those who immigrated before 1961 were from Europe, from countries such as Italy. This proportion fell to 68% of those who came in the 1960s and to 33% in the 1970s. The European-born accounted for only 19% of arrivals in both the 1980s and 1990s.
Other large urban areas in Quebec received only a small fraction of immigrants in comparison to the proportion who resided in Montreal. For example, about 5,000 recent immigrants resided in the census metropolitan area of Québec. Overall, immigrants accounted for only 2.6% of its population.
Chart: Immigrants a % or CMA's
In 1996, 15% of Alberta's total population was immigrant, the third highest proportion among the provinces and territories. Since 1991, Alberta's immigrant population has grown at the same rate (6%) as its population born in Canada. Nearly 70,000 recent immigrants settled in Alberta. This number represented 7% of all recent immigrants to Canada, a proportion lower than Alberta's overall share (9%) of the Canadian population.
About 33,775 of these recent arrivals to Alberta settled in Calgary and 27,270 in Edmonton. Overall, 9% of Calgary's total population consisted of immigrants who came within the past 15 years compared with 8% for Edmonton.
Certain census metropolitan areas in southern Ontario and the Western provinces had higher proportions of immigrants than the national average. Immigrants accounted for almost a quarter (24%) of Hamilton's population, the third highest after Toronto and Vancouver, followed by Kitchener, Calgary, Windsor, London and Victoria, in that order.
Unlike Toronto and Vancouver, some of these census metropolitan areas such as Hamilton and Victoria had older immigrant populations, that is over half of their immigrant populations arrived prior to 1971.
This year, 1997, marks the 50th anniversary of Canadian citizenship. Prior to 1947, people from Canada were legally classified as British subjects residing in Canada. Canadian citizenship was recognized with the passage of the first Canadian Citizenship Act in 1947. Since then, over 4.2 million people who have immigrated to Canada have become Canadian citizens, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
The 1996 Census showed that 95% of Canada's total population were Canadian citizens. Of those, the vast majority (87%) were Canadian citizens by birth. The remaining 13% were naturalized citizens.
Those without Canadian citizenship represented 5% of the population in 1996, or about 1.5 million people. These individuals were for the most part (89%) landed immigrants who were not eligible to apply for citizenship, or had chosen not to do so. The remaining 11% were non-permanent residents.
The most frequent countries of citizenship reported by people living in Canada without Canadian citizenship were: United States (9% of non-Canadians), United Kingdom (9%), and those from Hong Kong (8%).
The majority of immigrants who settle in Canada obtain Canadian citizenship as soon as they are eligible, usually within three to four years after immigrating. Of all immigrants eligible to become Canadian citizens, 83% had done so by 1996. The tendency to obtain citizenship, however, varied by the region or country of origin.
About 92% of immigrants from Eastern Europe who were eligible to apply had obtained citizenship by 1996, as had 90% of those from Africa and 88% of those from South East Asia. In contrast, immigrants born in the United States were the least likely to have obtained Canadian citizenship. In 1996, only 56% of American immigrants to Canada eligible to obtain Canadian citizenship had done so.
Table: Total population by citizenship status, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Population %
______________________________________________________________________________
Total - Citizenship
Status 28,528,125 100.0
Canadian citizens 26,984,840 94.6
Canadian by birth 23,390,340 82.0
By birth only 23,252,740 81.5
By birth and
other
country(ies) 137,605 0.5
United States(1) 40,340 0.1
United Kingdom 22,665 0.1
France(1) 10,560 0.04
All other
countries(2) 64,040 0.2
Canadian by
naturalization 3,594,500 12.6
By naturalization
only 2,998,070 10.5
By naturalization
and other
country(ies) 596,430 2.1
United Kingdom 128,230 0.4
Poland 46,040 0.2
Italy 29,770 0.1
All other
countries(2) 392,390 1.4
Citizen of other
country(ies) 1,543,285 5.4
United States 146,305 0.5
United Kingdom 137,020 0.5
Hong Kong(3) 122,200 0.4
All other
countries(4) 1,137,760 4.0
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Includes dependencies.
(2) Includes all other dual citizens with Canada, other than those shown, as
well as persons who reported two citizenships in addition to Canada.
(3) Includes all who reported Hong Kong, whether or not they provided
specific details of the type of documentation they held.
(4) Includes persons who reported only one citizenship, other than those
shown, as well as persons who reported two citizenships.
Among recent immigrants, 59% of those who arrived in 1991 and 1992 had become citizens by 1996. This rate was higher than a decade earlier when 48% of the people newly eligible for naturalization (those who immigrated in 1981 and 1982) had obtained their citizenship by 1986.
Only a small proportion of the population in 1996, about 3%, had dual or multiple citizenship, up from 2% in 1991. Dual or multiple citizenship refers to holding citizenship in two or more countries. Canada has recognized dual citizenship since 1977.
Most people with dual citizenship were naturalized Canadian citizens who had retained the citizenship of their country of birth, or of another country. In 1996, one in every five naturalized Canadians (17%) had dual citizenship with Canada. The countries of citizenship most likely to be held, along with Canada, were the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, the United States and Portugal.
Immigrants who wish to become a Canadian citizens must apply for it. This process of obtaining citizenship is called naturalization.
You can apply for Canadian citizenship if you are at least 18 years of age; have been a legal permanent resident in Canada for three years of the previous four years; have lived in Canada for three years out of the previous four years ; can communicate in English or French; have knowledge of Canada, including the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
In addition, nearly 140,000 Canadian citizens by birth held dual or multiple citizenship of other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
For more information on this release, contact Media Relations at (613) 951-4636.
Other tablesStatistics Canada has started consultations on 2001 Census content and post-censal survey topics. For information write : 2001 Census Content Determination Project, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6. Internet : consultation2001@statcan.ca
December 2, 1997 Mother tongue, home languages,
official and non-official languages
January 13, 1998 Aboriginal
February 17, 1998 Ethnic origin, visible minorities
March 17, 1998 Labour activities, occupation and
industry, household activities, place
April 14, 1998 Education, mobility and migration
May 12, 1998 Sources of income, family and
household income
June 9, 1998 Families: social and economic
characteristics, occupied private
June 9, 1998 Families: social and economic
characteristics, occupied private
The 1996 Census products released today for the above variables are:
From The Nation series: nine tables, which provide data for Canada, provinces, and territories, and in some cases for census metropolitan areas (catalogue no. 93F0023XDB96000). The price for the set (or any subset) of tables is $60. Extracts from three of these tables will be available free of charge on the Statistics Canada Internet site (www.statcan.ca) under 1996 Census.
From the Area Profiles series: electronic area profiles for these variables at the census division and census subdivision level. Profiles for the remaining geographic levels-CMA/tracted CA/CT, CMA/CA, FED (1987 Representation Order)/EA, and FSA-will be released on December 4, 1997. Prices for area profiles vary depending on the format and geographic level required by the user.
For further information, contact your nearest Statistics Canada Regional Reference Centre.