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| Version française |
Tuesday, February 17, 1998
For release at 8:30 a.m.
Statistics Canada today releases 1996 Census data on ethnic and cultural origins and on the visible minority population, the seventh of 11 announcements that are painting a new statistical portrait of the nation.
This release describes the ethnic origins of Canada's population and provides data on the size, composition and geographic distribution of the visible minority population. Data on the education, labour market and other characteristics of these groups will be available over the next several months.
Ethnic origin, as defined in the census, refers to the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which an individual's ancestors belonged. It pertains to the ancestral roots or origins of the population, and should not be confused with place of birth, citizenship or nationality.
For the 1996 Census, the format of the ethnic origin question was modified significantly from 1991. In both censuses, respondents were asked: "To which ethnic or cultural group(s) did this person's ancestors belong?" In 1991, 15 of the most frequent origins were listed on the questionnaire, and respondents were asked to mark as many as were applicable. In addition, two blank spaces were provided in which they could write any other responses that might have been applicable, and several other origins were provided as examples.
In 1996, the questionnaire did not provide pre-listed answer categories (origins). Instead, four blank spaces were provided for respondents to write in their origins, and 24 examples of such origins were provided as illustrations. For the first time, "Canadian" was included among the examples because it was the fifth most frequently reported origin in 1991.
As expected, these modifications, in particular the inclusion of "Canadian" as an example, resulted in a major change in the way ethnic origins were reported. As a result, the 1996 Census data on ethnic origin can not be compared meaningfully with data from earlier censuses.
In the 1996 Census, 5.3 million persons, accounting for 19% of the total population, reported their only ethnic origin as "Canadian". An additional 3.5 million persons (12%) reported both Canadian and other origins. In 1991, when "Canadian" was not listed as an example, 3% reported Canadian only and a further 1% reported Canadian in combination with one or more other origins.
Ethnic origin, as defined in the Census, refers to the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which the respondent's ancestors belong. An ancestor is someone from whom a person is descended, and is usually more distant than a grandparent. Ethnic origin pertains to the ancestral "roots" or background of the population and should not be confused with citizenship or nationality.
A single response occurs when a respondent provides one ethnic origin only. For example, in 1996, 729,455 persons stated that their only ethnic origin was Italian. Since 1981, when respondents were first permitted to report more than one ethnic origin in the census, a distinction has been made between single and multiple responses.
A multiple response occurs when a respondent provides two or more ethnic origins. For example, 478,025 persons gave a response which included Italian and one or more other ethnic origins.
Total responses are the sum of single and multiple responses. Total response counts indicate the number of persons who reported a specified ethnic origin, either as their only origin or in addition to one or more other ethnic groups. For example, 1,207,475 respondents reported at least some Italian ancestry.
British Isles only origins include single responses of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British, as well as multiple British Isles only responses that is, a combination of any of the following: English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British (for example, "English and Irish").
French only origins include single responses of French or Acadian, as well as multiple responses of French and Acadian.
British Isles and/or French and/or Canadian origins include at least two of any of the following: a British Isles origin (English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British), a French origin (French or Acadian) or Canadian. For example, "Scottish and Canadian", "Irish and Acadian", " English, Irish, French and Canadian", etc.
Other and British Isles, French or Canadian origins include responses of at least one of the following: a British Isles origin (English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British), a French origin (French or Acadian), or Canadian in combination with another ethnic origin. For example, "English and South Asian", "Canadian and Dutch", "Irish, French, Canadian and Métis", "English, Scottish, French, German and Canadian", etc.
Other single and multiple origins include single and multiple responses which do not include British Isles origins, French origins, or Canadian. For example, "German and Ukrainian", "East Indian and Portuguese", "African and Caribbean", etc.
Virtually all persons who reported Canadian in 1996 were born in Canada and had English or French as a mother tongue. Furthermore, a comparison of reporting patterns with those in the 1991 Census showed that much of the reporting of "Canadian" was done by persons who previously provided English or French origins. This suggests that many of these respondents were persons whose families have been in Canada for several generations.
Regions of Canada which were settled the earliest, and had experienced relatively little recent immigration, tended to have the highest proportion of people reporting their origins as Canadian. In Atlantic Canada, 21% of the population reported a single response of Canadian, as did 38% in Quebec. In the other provinces, the proportion ranged from 9% to 13%.
In addition to the 5.3 million persons who reported "Canadian" as their single ethnic origin in 1996, about 4.9 million people, or 17% of the population, reported British Isles-only ancestry, and about 2.7 million, or 9%, reported French-only ancestry. The latter group included 19,000 individuals who said that Acadian was their only ethnic origin and another 12,000 who stated that they were both French and Acadian.
Among those reporting British Isles-only ancestry, English was the most frequent single reponse with two million, followed by Scottish (643,000), Irish (504,000) and Welsh (28,000). The British Isles-only group also included a large number of persons (1.6 million) who gave a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British origins.
About 2.9 million individuals, or 10% of the population, reported a combination of British Isles, French or Canadian origins in 1996. A further 4.6 million persons, or 16% of the population, reported an ancestry of either British Isles, French or Canadian, in combination with some other origin. Many of these individuals were of mixed European and British Isles ancestry.
About 8.1 million people, accounting for 28% of the total population, reported origins other than the British Isles, French or Canadian. Within this group, 3.7 million people reported European single origins, 1.3 million reported single East and Southeast Asian and 590,000 reported single South Asian origins.
Among persons whose families have been in Canada for many generations, intermarriage has led to a growing number of persons having multiple ethnic origins. And, in 1996, an increasing number of people reported "Canadian" with other origins which contributed to an increase in multiple responses.
In 1996, 18.3 million persons who represented 64% of the population reported one ethnic origin, while 10.2 million or 36% reported more than one.
Table: Single and multiple ethnic origin responses
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Single(1) Multiple(2)
responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
%
______________________________
Canada 64.2 35.8
Newfoundland 73.2 26.8
Prince Edward Island 48.4 51.6
Nova Scotia 52.5 47.5
New Brunswick 60.5 39.5
Quebec 83.1 17.0
Ontario 60.7 39.3
Manitoba 55.1 45.0
Saskatchewan 50.3 49.7
Alberta 52.3 47.8
British Columbia 55.9 44.1
Yukon Territory 50.2 49.8
Northwest Territories 71.4 28.6
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) A single response occurred when the respondent reported only one origin.
(2) A multiple response occurred when the respondent reported two or more
ethnic origins.
The reporting of multiple responses varied considerably by province and ethnic group. Prince Edward Island had the highest proportion of multiple responses (52%) while Quebec had the lowest (17%).
Groups who settled in Canada more recently had less tendency to report multiple origins. As a result, persons of Aboriginal, British Isles, French and other European origins provided multiple responses to a much greater extent than those with Asian, Caribbean, African, Arab and Latin American origins.
One way of examining the ethnic origin or cultural composition of the population is to look at the total number of persons who report various origins, whether alone or in combination with other origins.
After Canadian, English and French, the most frequent ethnic origins in 1996 were Scottish, with 4.3 million responses, and Irish, with 3.8 million. The next highest of the European origins were German (2.8 million), Italian (1.2 million), Ukrainian (1 million), Dutch (916,000), Polish (787,000), Jewish (352,000) and Norwegian (346,000).
Aboriginal, Chinese and South Asian origins were also among the top 15 ethnic origins. About 922,000 persons reported Chinese ancestry and 723,000 listed South Asian origins. Unlike European origins, where multiple reporting was very high, there were relatively few multiple responses among persons with Asian origins, many of whom were recent arrivals to Canada.
Table: Distribution of the population by ethnic origin
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total British(1) French only(2)
Population Isles only
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada 28,528,125 4,873,970 2,696,270
Newfoundland 547,160 315,795 7,050
Prince Edward Island 132,855 56,825 8,495
Nova Scotia 899,970 296,850 38,450
New Brunswick 729,630 182,395 123,840
Quebec 7,045,080 214,125 2,064,985
Ontario 10,642,790 2,250,705 303,820
Manitoba 1,100,295 173,030 33,575
Saskatchewan 976,615 139,835 18,740
Alberta 2,669,195 440,445 47,575
British Columbia 3,689,755 792,615 48,120
Yukon Territory 30,650 5,230 700
Northwest Territories 64,125 6,090 915
______________________________________________________________________________
Canadian British(3) Other and(4)
Isles and/or British
French Isles,
and/or French or
Canadian Canadian
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada 5,326,995 2,914,910 4,592,405
Newfoundland 114,665 63,165 31,205
Prince Edward Island 17,305 32,955 12,765
Nova Scotia 173,135 170,495 148,350
New Brunswick 174,570 156,965 66,180
Quebec 2,655,830 676,420 381,655
Ontario 1,289,135 1,184,215 1,789,565
Manitoba 94,955 73,135 263,635
Saskatchewan 99,555 53,940 293,180
Alberta 341,500 198,605 730,950
British Columbia 357,280 299,390 855,505
Yukon Territory 4,595 2,820 8,690
Northwest Territories 4,455 2,790 10,685
______________________________________________________________________________
Other single(5)
and multiple
origins
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada 8,123,565
Newfoundland 15,265
Prince Edward Island 4,495
Nova Scotia 72,670
New Brunswick 25,670
Quebec 1,052,035
Ontario 3,825,350
Manitoba 461,955
Saskatchewan 371,365
Alberta 910,095
British Columbia 1,336,830
Yukon Territory 8,630
Northwest Territories 39,190
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) British Isles includes single responses of English, Irish, Scottish,
Welsh or other British, as well as multiple British Isles only responses
- that is, a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other
British.
(2) French origins include single responses of French or Acadian, as well as
multiple responses of French and Acadian.
(3) British Isles and/or French and/or Canadian origins include multiple
responses of any of the following: a British Isles origin (English,
Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British), a French origin (French or
Acadian) or Canadian. For example, Scottish and Canadian , Irish and
Acadian , English, Irish, French and Canadian , etc.
(4) Other and British Isles, French or Canadian origins include multiple
responses of at least one British Isles origin (English, Irish,
Scottish, Welsh or other British) and/or at least one French origin
(French or Acadian) and/or Canadian in combination with another ethnic
origin.
(5) Other single and multiple origins include single and multiple responses
which do not include British Isles origins, French origins, or Canadian.
Table: Proportion of population by ethnic origin
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total British(1) French only(2)
Population Isles only
______________________________________________________________________________
%
_______________________________________________
Canada 100.0 17.1 9.5
Newfoundland 100.0 57.7 1.3
Prince Edward Island 100.0 42.8 6.4
Nova Scotia 100.0 33.0 4.3
New Brunswick 100.0 25.0 17.0
Quebec 100.0 3.0 29.3
Ontario 100.0 21.1 2.9
Manitoba 100.0 15.7 3.1
Saskatchewan 100.0 14.3 1.9
Alberta 100.0 16.5 1.8
British Columbia 100.0 21.5 1.3
Yukon Territory 100.0 17.1 2.3
Northwest Territories 100.0 9.5 1.4
______________________________________________________________________________
Canadian British(3) Other and(4)
Isles and/or British
French Isles,
and/or French or
Canadian Canadian
______________________________________________________________________________
%
_______________________________________________
Canada 18.7 10.2 16.1
Newfoundland 21.0 11.5 5.7
Prince Edward Island 13.0 24.8 9.6
Nova Scotia 19.2 18.9 16.5
New Brunswick 23.9 21.5 9.1
Quebec 37.7 9.6 5.4
Ontario 12.1 11.1 16.8
Manitoba 8.6 6.6 24.0
Saskatchewan 10.2 5.5 30.0
Alberta 12.8 7.4 27.4
British Columbia 9.7 8.1 23.2
Yukon Territory 15.0 9.2 28.4
Northwest Territories 6.9 4.4 16.7
______________________________________________________________________________
Other single(5)
and multiple
origins
______________________________________________________________________________
%
Canada 28.5
Newfoundland 2.8
Prince Edward Island 3.4
Nova Scotia 8.1
New Brunswick 3.5
Quebec 14.9
Ontario 35.9
Manitoba 42.0
Saskatchewan 38.0
Alberta 34.1
British Columbia 36.2
Yukon Territory 28.2
Northwest Territories 61.1
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) British Isles includes single responses of English, Irish, Scottish,
Welsh or other British, as well as multiple British Isles only responses
- that is, a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other
British.
(2) French origins include single responses of French or Acadian, as well as
multiple responses of French and Acadian.
(3) British Isles and/or French and/or Canadian origins include multiple
responses of any of the following: a British Isles origin (English,
Irish, Scottish, Welsh or other British), a French origin (French or
Acadian) or Canadian. For example, "Scottish and Canadian", "Irish and
Acadian", "English, Irish, French and Canadian", etc.
(4) Other and British Isles, French or Canadian origins include multiple
responses of at least one British Isles origin (English, Irish,
Scottish, Welsh or other British) and/or at least one French origin
(French or Acadian) and/or Canadian in combination with another ethnic
origin.
(5) Other single and multiple origins include single and multiple responses
which do not include British Isles origins, French origins, or Canadian.
The diversity of Canada's population also is reflected in the substantial differences which exist across the provinces in terms of the ethnic or cultural origins of their populations.
About 1.1 million persons reported Aboriginal ancestry in 1996, an increase from 1 million in 1991. About 867,000 persons reported North American Indian ancestry. Of these, 395,000 were single responses, while 473,000 were in combination with other groups. There were 221,000 people who reported Métis origins -- 50,000 single responses and 171,000 multiple. About 50,000 persons reported Inuit ancestry. The majority (33,000) reported Inuit only, while 17,000 reported other origins as well.
One of the objectives of the 1996 Census was to provide information on the numbers and characteristics of persons who are members of a visible minority in Canada, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in color". Under this definition, the regulations to the Act specify the following groups as visible minorities: Chinese, South Asians, Blacks, Arabs and West Asians, Filipinos, Southeast Asians, Latin Americans, Japanese, Koreans and Pacific Islanders.
The information on the visible minority population was collected using a new Census question which asked respondents whether they were a member of one of the population groups defined as a visible minority under the provisions of the Employment Equity Act.
In previous censuses, this information was derived primarily from responses to the question on ethnic or cultural origin. However, with the increased reporting of "Canadian" only, this question could no longer be considered reliable to provide sufficient information to identify the various groups comprising the visible minority population. In 1996, a direct question was added, asking respondents to indicate their population group by checking one or more of 10 mark-in categories.
Table: Visible minority population by group
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
# %
______________________________________________________________________________
Total visible minority
population 3,197,480 100.0
Chinese 860,150 26.9
South Asian 670,585 21.0
Black 573,860 17.9
Arab/West Asian 244,665 7.7
Filipino 234,200 7.3
Latin American 176,975 5.5
Southeast Asian 172,765 5.4
Japanese 68,135 2.1
Korean 64,835 2.0
Visible minority,
n.i.e.(1) 69,745 2.2
Multiple visible
minority(2) 61,570 1.9
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Includes Pacific Islanders and other visible minority groups
(2) Includes respondents who reported more than one visible minority group
(n.i.e) = not included elsewhere
In censuses prior to 1996, counts of Aboriginal persons were derived primarily from a question which asked respondents about their ancestry. (In 1991, the question was: "To which ethnic or cultural group(s) did this person's ancestors belong?") Respondents were asked to report as many origins as were applicable, for example, French, English, German, North American Indian, and so on.
The 1996 Census asked both an ancestry and an identity question. The identity question asked: "Is this person an Aboriginal person, that is North American Indian, Métis or Inuit (Eskimo)?"
In 1996, 1,101,955 people reported Aboriginal ancestry, either as a single response (477,630) or as part of a multiple response (624,330). Some 867,225 reported North American Indian ancestry, 220,740 reported Métis and 49,845 Inuit.
The counts based on identity, released in The Daily on January 13, 1998, showed that 799,010 persons reported that they were North American Indian, Métis or Inuit. Of these, 554,290 were North American Indian, 210,190 were Métis and 41,080 were Inuit. These numbers slightly exceed the total Aboriginal population of 799,010 since a small number, about 6,400, reported that they considered themselves as members of more than one Aboriginal group.
Two points should be noted. Firstly, undercoverage in the 1996 Census was considerably higher among Aboriginal people than among other segments of the population due to the fact that enumeration was not permitted, or was interrupted, before it could be completed on 77 Indian reserves and settlements having an estimated population of 44,000 persons. Secondly, comparisons of the 1996 Aboriginal ancestry data with data from previous censuses must be made with caution, since changes to the wording of the 1996 question, in particular the inclusion of Canadian among the examples of answer categories listed on the census questionnaire, may have had an impact on the pattern of responses for Aboriginal ancestry.
Chart: Visible Minority Population by
Immigrant Status and Period of Immigration
Since the 1970s, sources of immigration to Canada have changed greatly, with many more immigrants coming from non-European countries. Over half the immigrant population who arrived since the 1970s, and three-quarters of those who came in the 1990s, are members of a visible minority group.
In 1996, Canada was home to 3.2 million persons who identified themselves as members of a visible minority. They represented 11.2% of the total population in Canada, up from 9.4% in 1991 and 6.3% in 1986. The Census showed that about three out of every 10 individuals who identified as a visible minority were born in Canada, and the rest were immigrants.
While Ontario and British Columbia contained half of Canada's total population, they accounted for almost three-quarters of the visible minority population.
The proportion of visible minorities varied considerably from less than 1% of the population of Newfoundland to highs of 18% in British Columbia, and 16% in Ontario. The proportion was below the national average of 11% in all of the other provinces and territories.
Table: Visible minority population
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Total Total Visible
population visible minorities
minority as % of
population total
population
______________________________________________________________________________
%
Canada 28,528,125 3,197,480 11.2
Newfoundland 547,155 3,815 0.7
Prince Edward Island 132,855 1,520 1.1
Nova Scotia 899,970 31,320 3.5
New Brunswick 729,625 7,995 1.1
Quebec 7,045,085 433,985 6.2
Ontario 10,642,790 1,682,045 15.8
Manitoba 1,100,295 77,355 7.0
Saskatchewan 976,615 26,945 2.8
Alberta 2,669,195 269,280 10.1
British Columbia 3,689,760 660,545 17.9
Yukon Territory 30,650 1,000 3.3
Northwest Territories 64,125 1,670 2.6
______________________________________________________________________________
Geographic
distribution
of visible
minorities
______________________________________________________________________________
%
Canada 100.0
Newfoundland 0.1
Prince Edward Island 0.0
Nova Scotia 1.0
New Brunswick 0.3
Quebec 13.6
Ontario 52.6
Manitoba 2.4
Saskatchewan 0.8
Alberta 8.4
British Columbia 20.7
Yukon Territory 0.0
Northwest Territories 0.1
______________________________________________________________________________
A total of 860,000 individuals identified themselves as Chinese in the 1996 Census, the largest visible minority population. They accounted for 3% of Canada's total population. The next largest group was 671,000 South Asians, who comprised 2.4% of Canada's population, and 574,000 Blacks, representing 2%. Together, Chinese, South Asians and Blacks represented two-thirds of the visible minority population in Canada.
The remaining one-third of the visible minority population, about 1.1 million people, included Filipinos, Southeast Asians, Latin Americans, Japanese, Koreans, Arabs and West Asians.
Consistent with immigrant settlement patterns, almost all visible minorities, about 94%, lived in a census metropolitan area in 1996, compared with 62% of the total population. Also, they tended to be concentrated in a small number of census metropolitan areas.
Seven out of every 10 visible minority persons in Canada lived in just three census metropolitan areas: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. This was more than twice the proportion of Canada's population who resided in these areas (33%).
Toronto was home to 42% of the total visible minority population in Canada, the largest proportion of any census metropolitan area, while 18% lived in Vancouver and 13% in Montreal.
Visible minorities made up a much higher share of the total population of Toronto (32%) and Vancouver (31%) than they did in Montreal (12%). Four other urban areas also had a relatively high share: Calgary (16%), Edmonton (14%), Ottawa-Hull (12%) and Winnipeg (11%).
About 1.7 million individuals identified themselves as members of a visible minority in Ontario, 16% of the province's total population. Ontario had more than half (53%) of Canada's visible minority population but only 37% of the national population.
There were 1.3 million members of the visible minority population in the census metropolitan area of Toronto, which represented 42% of visible minorities in Canada. In comparison, 15% of Canada's total population resided in Toronto.
Four out of five members of the visible minority population in Ontario lived in Toronto. This was twice Toronto's share of the province's total population. About one-quarter of visible minorities in Toronto were Chinese, a further one-quarter were South Asian and one-fifth were Black.
Except for Arab/West Asians and Japanese, the largest number of each of the visible minority groups lived in Toronto. Almost half the South Asian and Black population of Canada lived in Toronto, along with about two-fifths of Canada's Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos.
Table: Visible minority population in the Toronto census metropolitan area
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
# %
______________________________________________________________________________
Total visible minority
population 1,338,090 100.0
Chinese 335,185 25.0
South Asian 329,840 24.7
Black 274,935 20.5
Filipino 99,110 7.4
Arab/West Asian 72,160 5.4
Latin American 61,655 4.6
Southeast Asian 46,510 3.5
Korean 28,555 2.1
Japanese 17,050 1.3
Visible minority,
n.i.e.(1) 45,655 3.4
Multiple visible
minority(2) 27,435 2.1
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Includes Pacific Islanders and other visible minority groups
(2) Includes respondents who reported more than one visible minority group
(n.i.e) = not included elsewhere
In 1996, British Columbia had the second largest visible minority population after Ontario. There were 661,000 persons in British Columbia who were members of a visible minority group. These individuals accounted for 18% of British Columbia's total population, the highest proportion of any province.
A total of 565,000 individuals in Vancouver identified themselves as members of a visible minority, 18% of the Canadian total. About 85% of British Columbia's visible minority population lived in Vancouver, compared with just under half of the province's total population.
Table: Visible minority population in the Vancouver census metropolitan area
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
# %
______________________________________________________________________________
Total visible minority
population 564,590 100.0
Chinese 279,040 49.4
South Asian 120,140 21.3
Filipino 40,710 7.2
Japanese 21,880 3.9
Southeast Asian 20,370 3.6
Arab/West Asian 18,155 3.2
Korean 17,080 3.0
Black 16,400 2.9
Latin American 13,830 2.4
Visible minority,
n.i.e.(1) 6,775 1.2
Multiple visible
minority(2) 10,210 1.8
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Includes Pacific Islanders and other visible minority groups
(2) Includes respondents who reported more than one visible minority group
(n.i.e) = not included elsewhere
Vancouver has experienced high levels of Asian immigration in recent years. Asians comprised about nine out of 10 members of Vancouver's visible minority population. Chinese formed the largest group in Vancouver, accounting for half of the total. South Asians were the second largest group, forming one-fifth of the visible minority population in Vancouver.
Vancouver was also home to the largest community of Japanese in Canada, as well as the second highest numbers of Chinese, South Asians, Filipinos and Koreans. Overall, 32% of the Chinese and Japanese in Canada lived in Vancouver, as did 26% of Koreans.
Quebec's visible minority population in 1996 was 434,000, the third largest total after Ontario and British Columbia. They represented 6% of Quebec's population.
A total of 401,000 individuals identified themselves as members of a visible minority in Montreal in 1996, representing 92% of the province's visible minority population. In contrast, Montreal had less than half (47%) of the total population of Quebec.
Montreal had sizeable communities among several visible minority groups. Blacks were Montreal's largest such group, accounting for 30% of the visible minority population. Arab/West Asians, who represented 18% of Montreal's visible minority population, constituted its second largest group as well as Canada's largest Arab/West Asian community.
About 30% of the nation's Arab/West Asian population and 21% of the Black population lived in Montreal, which was also home to the second largest Latin American and Southeast Asian communities. About 26% of Latin Americans and 22% of Southeast Asians lived in Montreal.
Table: Visible minority population in the Montreal census metropolitan area
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
# %
______________________________________________________________________________
Total visible minority
population 401,425 100.0
Black 122,320 30.5
Arab/West Asian 73,950 18.4
Latin American 46,700 11.6
South Asian 46,165 11.5
Chinese 46,115 11.5
Southeast Asian 37,600 9.4
Filipino 14,385 3.6
Korean 3,500 .9
Japanese 2,315 .6
Visible minority,
n.i.e.(1) 3,485 .9
Multiple visible
minority(2) 4,875 1.2
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Includes Pacific Islanders and other visible minority groups
(2) Includes respondents who reported more than one visible minority group
(n.i.e) = not included elsewhere
Census metropolitan areas in other regions of Canada also had substantial visible minority populations.
In Alberta, they represented 16% of Calgary's population, and 14% of Edmonton's. The profile of the groups in these two urban areas was similar. Chinese and South Asians were the largest visible minority groups in both, Chinese comprising just over one-third of their visible minority population, and South Asians one-fifth.
Members of visible minorities made up 12% of the total population in the census metropolitan area of Ottawa-Hull. Blacks were the largest group, comprising 27% of the visible minority population. Arab/West Asians, Chinese and South Asians also made up a large share of the visible minority population in Ottawa-Hull.
In Winnipeg, visible minorities comprised 11% of the total population. Filipinos, the main group, constituted over one-third (35%) of all the visible minority population in Winnipeg. This was the third largest Filipino community in Canada after Toronto and Vancouver.
In Halifax, visible minorities represented 7% of the population. Although the visible minority population in Halifax was not as large as that of other census metropolitan areas, Halifax was home to a sizeable Black community. Blacks comprised over half (54%) of the visible minority population in Halifax. The second largest group in Halifax consisted of Arab/West Asians, who formed 14% of the city's visible minority population.
Over two-thirds (68%) of Canada's visible minority population were immigrants in 1996, while 29% were born in Canada. The remainder were non-permanent residents, that is people from another country who live in Canada and have work, student or minister's permits, or persons claiming refugee status.
Nova Scotia had the highest proportion of Canadian-born (69%) among the visible minority population, followed by New Brunswick (56%), a result of earlier generations of Blacks who settled in these two provinces. These were the only provinces in which the majority of the visible minority population was Canadian-born.
Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec had the highest share of immigrants among Canada's visible minority population, about 70%.
Just under one-quarter (24%) of the total visible minority population in Canada were recent immigrants. The proportion of recent immigrants among the visible minority population was particularly high in British Columbia (27%) and Ontario (25%) as a result of high immigration levels in the 1990s. (The term "recent immigrants" refers to those who arrived in Canada between 1991 and 1996.
The proportion of the Canadian-born visible minority population varied widely from group to group, in large measure a reflection of historical immigration patterns. About 65% of the Japanese were born in Canada, the highest proportion among the visible minority groups, followed by 42% of Blacks and 29% of South Asians. Among the remaining visible minority groups, about one-fourth were born in Canada.
For more information, contact Media Relations at (613) 951-4636.
Table: Visible minority population by immigration status and by period of immigration 1996 ______________________________________________________________________________ Total Non-immigrant Immigrant population population population ______________________________________________________________________________ Total population 28,528,125 23,390,340 4,971,070 Total visible minority population 3,197,480 28.6 68.1 Black 573,860 42.0 54.5 South Asian 670,590 28.6 69.1 Chinese 860,150 24.0 73.5 Korean 64,835 19.7 70.7 Japanese 68,130 65.0 21.3 Southeast Asian 172,765 23.4 74.9 Filipino 234,195 23.0 74.6 Arab/West Asian 244,665 20.3 74.5 Latin American 176,970 17.8 75.8 Visible minority, n.i.e.1 69,745 26.8 72.1 Multiple visible minority2 61,575 39.7 58.6 ______________________________________________________________________________ Non-permanent residents ______________________________________________________________________________ Total population 166,715 Total visible minority population 3.3 Black 3.5 South Asian 2.3 Chinese 2.5 Korean 9.6 Japanese 13.7 Southeast Asian 1.7 Filipino 2.4 Arab/West Asian 5.2 Latin American 6.3 Visible minority, n.i.e.1 1.1 Multiple visible minority2 1.7 ______________________________________________________________________________ Period of Immigration ______________________________________________________________________________ Immigrant pop. Before 1981 1981-1990 Total population 4,971,070 57.1 22.0 Total visible minority population 2,175,945 31.9 32.7 Black 312,865 42.8 28.7 South Asian 463,470 35.4 29.1 Chinese 632,285 29.0 31.6 Korean 45,855 34.3 30.5 Japanese 14,545 54.6 19.3 Southeast Asian 129,465 26.7 48.6 Filipino 174,680 30.9 30.2 Arab/West Asian 182,240 21.5 36.5 Latin American 134,215 20.4 43.9 Visible minority, n.i.e.1 50,255 40.8 32.7 Multiple visible minority2 36,065 41.3 35.0 ______________________________________________________________________________ Period of Immigration ______________________________________________________________________________ 1991-1996 Total population 20.9 Total visible minority population 35.4 Black 28.5 South Asian 35.5 Chinese 39.4 Korean 35.1 Japanese 26.1 Southeast Asian 24.7 Filipino 39.0 Arab/West Asian 42.0 Latin American 35.8 Visible minority, n.i.e.1 26.5 Multiple visible minority2 23.7 ______________________________________________________________________________ (1) Includes Pacific Islanders and other visible minority groups (2) Includes respondents who reported more than one visible minority group (n.i.e) = not included elsewhere
Caution should be used in comparing ethnic origin data between the 1996 Census and previous censuses. The historical comparability of ethnic origin data has been affected by several factors including changes in data collection and processing, respondents' understanding or views about ethnicity, awareness of family background, and the length of time since immigration.
In 1996, comparability has been particularly affected by the change in question format and the examples provided on the questionnaire. While the 1991 Census question included fifteen mark- in categories and two write-in spaces, in 1996 respondents were required to write in their ethnic origin(s) in four write-in spaces. Twenty-four examples, including "Canadian", were provided. "Canadian" was included as one of the examples on the 1996 Census questionnaire because it was one of the most frequently reported ethnic origins in the 1991 Census.
The change in format to an open-ended question in 1996 has affected response patterns especially for groups which had been included as mark-in response categories in 1991. In addition, response patterns have been affected by the presence of examples which were not included in previous censuses. To illustrate, some respondents who checked the mark-in "Black" in 1991 may have written-in "Haitian" or "Jamaican" in 1996. Many respondents who marked "English" or "French" in 1991 may have written in "Canadian" in 1996.
The increase in the reporting of "Canadian" ethnic origins has had an impact on the reporting of single ethnic origins for many groups. Single response counts for British Isles origins and French origins appear to have been particularly affected.
Chart: Population group question, 1996
Table: Top 15 ethnic origins, based on total responses1
1996
______________________________________________________________________________
Canada
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 28,528,125 18,303,625 10,224,495
Canadian 8,806,275 5,326,995 3,479,285
English 6,832,095 2,048,275 4,783,820
French 5,597,845 2,665,250 2,932,595
Scottish 4,260,840 642,970 3,617,870
Irish 3,767,610 504,030 3,263,580
German 2,757,140 726,145 2,030,990
Italian 1,207,475 729,455 478,025
Aboriginal origins 1,101,955 477,630 624,330
Ukrainian 1,026,475 331,680 694,790
Chinese 921,585 800,470 121,115
Dutch (Netherlands) 916,215 313,880 602,335
Polish 786,735 265,930 520,805
South Asian origins 723,345 590,145 133,200
Jewish 351,705 195,810 155,900
Norwegian 346,310 47,805 298,500
______________________________________________________________________________
Newfoundland
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 547,160 400,345 146,815
English 327,295 211,180 116,115
Canadian 168,085 114,660 53,415
Irish 121,530 46,000 75,535
Scottish 38,170 6,305 31,865
French 37,260 7,010 30,245
Aboriginal origins 24,590 7,765 16,825
German 7,665 1,025 6,640
Welsh 3,375 515 2,855
Norwegian 1,700 425 1,275
Dutch (Netherlands) 1,520 255 1,260
Italian 1,505 230 1,270
Chinese 1,415 895 520
British, n.i.e. 1,295 680 620
South Asian origins 1,060 775 275
American 935 65 865
______________________________________________________________________________
Prince Edward Island
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 132,855 64,345 68,510
Scottish 56,980 12,905 44,075
English 51,085 14,615 36,475
Canadian 39,675 17,305 22,370
Irish 39,505 7,400 32,100
French 31,240 7,710 23,535
German 5,775 530 5,245
Dutch (Netherlands) 3,970 1,115 2,860
Aboriginal origins 2,400 385 2,010
Welsh 1,535 70 1,465
Acadian 1,275 375 895
Ukrainian 600 100 500
Danish 565 100 460
Lebanese 545 300 245
Italian 515 60 455
Polish 490 55 435
______________________________________________________________________________
Nova Scotia
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 899,970 472,205 427,765
English 337,520 110,890 226,630
Canadian 324,495 173,135 151,360
Scottish 290,280 67,125 223,160
Irish 183,430 22,870 160,560
French 171,500 34,335 137,170
German 101,050 17,560 83,490
Dutch (Netherlands) 41,475 6,415 35,060
Aboriginal origins 26,795 8,130 18,665
Welsh 13,310 1,120 12,185
Italian 11,200 1,975 9,225
Polish 8,170 1,630 6,535
Acadian 7,405 1,390 6,015
Lebanese 6,015 2,855 3,160
Ukrainian 5,760 1,035 4,720
African (Black), n.i.e. 5,035 1,545 3,485
______________________________________________________________________________
New Brunswick
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 729,630 441,200 288,430
Canadian 299,380 174,570 124,810
French 239,325 110,265 129,060
English 222,695 75,685 147,005
Irish 143,155 24,750 118,400
Scottish 139,955 22,680 117,275
German 30,450 3,830 26,620
Acadian 21,735 8,850 12,885
Aboriginal origins 17,095 6,465 10,630
Dutch (Netherlands) 14,650 2,405 12,245
Welsh 7,655 855 6,800
Italian 4,645 800 3,840
American 3,750 355 3,400
Danish 3,215 635 2,575
British, n.i.e. 2,485 635 1,850
Ukrainian 2,355 305 2,050
______________________________________________________________________________
Quebec
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 7,045,080 5,851,025 1,194,060
Canadian 3,323,195 2,655,830 667,365
French 2,870,200 2,055,555 814,645
Irish 313,660 59,755 253,905
English 288,210 75,480 212,725
Italian 244,740 165,675 79,060
Scottish 188,145 31,405 156,740
Aboriginal origins 142,385 55,070 87,320
German 102,930 23,730 79,195
Jewish 92,390 60,495 31,895
Québécois 77,960 54,920 23,040
Haitian 75,705 66,915 8,790
Greek 57,415 46,745 10,665
Chinese 55,870 47,095 8,780
South Asian origins 50,645 41,485 9,160
Lebanese 47,745 35,195 12,545
______________________________________________________________________________
Ontario
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 10,642,790 6,457,115 4,185,675
English 3,086,145 926,655 2,159,490
Canadian 2,700,870 1,289,135 1,411,730
Scottish 1,887,695 290,760 1,596,935
Irish 1,723,065 224,965 1,498,100
French 1,330,465 301,635 1,028,825
German 984,765 234,585 750,180
Italian 743,425 482,830 260,600
Dutch (Netherlands) 433,690 168,215 265,470
South Asian origins 427,470 342,375 85,095
Chinese 422,770 365,420 57,355
Polish 370,455 164,085 206,375
Ukrainian 276,950 90,230 186,725
Aboriginal origins 246,070 69,385 176,680
Portuguese 231,805 181,465 50,335
Jewish 191,445 108,430 83,015
______________________________________________________________________________
Manitoba
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 1,100,295 605,750 494,540
English 272,275 63,920 208,355
Canadian 213,690 94,955 118,735
German 203,265 77,950 125,315
Scottish 198,445 25,440 173,005
Ukrainian 159,735 58,585 101,150
French 147,610 33,500 114,110
Irish 142,390 13,515 128,880
Aboriginal origins 138,890 80,465 58,420
Polish 77,240 17,525 59,710
Dutch (Netherlands) 51,595 15,600 36,000
Filipino 26,280 23,175 3,105
Icelandic 25,735 5,470 20,265
Russian 21,465 2,485 18,980
Swedish 19,885 2,175 17,710
Italian 17,205 7,820 9,385
______________________________________________________________________________
Saskatchewan
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 976,615 491,505 485,110
German 283,135 90,640 192,495
English 261,470 54,080 207,390
Canadian 211,960 99,560 112,400
Scottish 178,170 18,985 159,185
Irish 143,430 11,545 131,885
Ukrainian 125,395 45,150 80,245
Aboriginal origins 117,350 72,505 44,845
French 114,750 18,710 96,035
Norwegian 60,610 10,060 50,550
Polish 50,550 7,535 43,010
Dutch (Netherlands) 35,305 6,560 28,745
Swedish 30,775 3,705 27,075
Russian 25,420 3,665 21,760
Hungarian (Magyar) 24,205 6,425 17,780
Welsh 14,510 945 13,565
______________________________________________________________________________
Alberta
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 2,669,195 1,394,770 1,274,420
English 755,985 172,640 583,340
Canadian 689,665 341,505 348,160
German 531,265 144,250 387,015
Scottish 515,815 59,135 456,675
Irish 411,365 38,705 372,665
French 306,785 47,285 259,505
Ukrainian 258,920 85,475 173,440
Aboriginal origins 155,650 64,650 91,000
Dutch (Netherlands) 136,835 46,965 89,865
Polish 126,670 29,460 97,215
Norwegian 106,665 13,985 92,680
Chinese 98,135 83,280 14,850
Swedish 71,910 7,410 64,500
Italian 58,140 21,730 36,405
South Asian origins 56,195 46,510 9,680
______________________________________________________________________________
British Columbia
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 3,689,755 2,064,200 1,625,555
English 1,211,510 339,155 872,355
Canadian 817,485 357,280 460,205
Scottish 753,225 106,630 646,595
Irish 535,050 53,325 481,725
German 498,380 130,330 368,050
French 339,020 47,685 291,335
Chinese 312,330 280,585 31,750
Aboriginal origins 184,445 76,430 108,010
Dutch (Netherlands) 176,235 60,765 115,470
Ukrainian 168,765 40,650 128,120
South Asian origins 165,010 141,750 23,260
Italian 117,895 46,525 71,365
Norwegian 108,700 15,955 92,745
Polish 102,390 24,580 77,815
Swedish 90,490 11,230 79,260
______________________________________________________________________________
Yukon
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 30,650 15,395 15,250
Canadian 9,000 4,595 4,405
English 8,935 1,870 7,070
Scottish 6,790 690 6,100
Aboriginal origins 6,440 3,615 2,825
Irish 5,395 490 4,905
German 4,495 995 3,500
French 4,295 690 3,605
Ukrainian 1,485 290 1,200
Dutch (Netherlands) 1,230 255 970
Norwegian 1,145 140 1,005
Swedish 790 55 735
Welsh 725 30 695
Polish 625 65 560
Russian 585 50 535
Italian 545 75 470
______________________________________________________________________________
Northwest Territories
_______________________________________________
Total Single Multiple
responses responses responses
______________________________________________________________________________
Total population 64,125 45,765 18,360
Aboriginal origins 39,850 32,760 7,095
English 8,965 2,100 6,870
Canadian 8,770 4,455 4,310
Scottish 7,160 910 6,250
Irish 5,630 710 4,925
French 5,390 875 4,515
German 3,955 715 3,245
Ukrainian 1,670 340 1,340
Dutch (Netherlands) 1,045 270 770
Polish 870 125 750
Norwegian 780 75 705
Welsh 660 55 605
British, n.i.e. 585 230 355
Swedish 570 40 530
Italian 525 130 395
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) This table should not be used to calculate the ethnic distribution of
the population because respondents who reported more than one ethnic
origin are included in the total and multiple responses for each ethnic
origin reported. For example, a respondent who reported "English and
Scottish" is included in total and multiple responses for English and
for Scottish.
(n.i.e.) = not included elsewhere.
Statistics 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
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 ethnic origin and visible minorities are:
From The Nation series: six tables, which provide data for Canada, provinces and territories, and in most cases for census metropolitan areas (catalogue no. 93F0026XDB96000). 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 census divisions and census subdivisions. Profiles for the remaining geographic levels-CMA/tracted CA/CT, CMA/CA, FED (1987 and 1996 Representation Orders)/EA, and FSA-will be released on March 17, 1998. 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.