Overview of Canadian citizenship in 2021
Archived Content
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.
Description: Overview of Canadian citizenship in 2021
In Canada, approximately 9 in 10 people are Canadian citizens, either by birth or by naturalization
Canadian citizenship is associated with certain rights and responsibilities, such as voting, holding a Canadian passport, and serving on a jury.
Type of Canadian Citizenship | Distribution (%) of the population |
---|---|
Canadian citizen by birth | 74.4 |
Canadian citizen by naturalization | 16.8 |
Not a Canadian citizen | 8.8 |
Canadian citizens by descent— those born abroad to parents who are Canadian citizens—represent a relatively small population.
Number of Canadian citizens by descent in 2021: 322,530
The United States and United Kingdom are the top countries of birth of Canadian citizens by descent.
More than 6 million immigrants reported having Canadian citizenship by naturalization, representing 80.7% of all immigrants admitted to Canada at least three years before the 2021 Census
Immigrants who have been living in Canada longer are more likely to be Canadian citizens.
Period of immigration | Naturalization rate (%) |
---|---|
Before 1980 | 94.2 |
1980 to 1990 | 94.5 |
1991 to 2000 | 94.2 |
2001 to 2005 | 89.0 |
2006 to 2010 | 78.6 |
2011 to 2015 | 57.5 |
2016 to 2017 | 16.9 |
80.7% of eligible immigrants have Canadian citizenship
Since 1977, Canada has recognized multiple citizenships
In 2021, more than 3.7 million Canadian citizens reported having more than one citizenship. The proportion was higher among Canadian citizens by naturalization (44.7%) than Canadian citizens by birth (3.7%).
Canadian citizens by birth | Canadian citizens by naturalization |
---|---|
Canada and the United States | Canada and the United Kingdom |
Canada and the United Kingdom | Canada and Pakistan |
Note: Naturalization is the process by which immigrants acquire Canadian citizenship. To be eligible, landed immigrants (permanent residents) generally must meet certain criteria, such as a residency requirement and demonstrating knowledge of Canada and of English or French.
Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021.
- Date modified: