Highlights

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• There were almost a quarter of a million Canadians with Latin American origins living in Canada in 2001. The Latin American community is also one of the fastest growing cultural groups in Canada; indeed, the number of people reporting Latin American origins rose by 32% between 1996 and 2001, while the overall population grew by only 4% in the same period.



• Almost all Canadians of Latin American origin live in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia or Alberta. In fact, in 2001, almost half the Latin American population resided in Ontario while another quarter lived in Quebec.



• The Latin American community in Canada is relatively young. In 2001, 47% of all those with Latin American origins living in Canada, versus 33% of the overall population, were under the age of 25. In contrast, seniors made up only 3% of the people who reported Latin American origins, compared with 12% of all Canadians.



• Almost all Canadians of Latin American origin can carry on a conversation in at least one official language, while only 6% reported they could speak neither English nor French.



• Canadians of Latin American origin are less likely than other adults to be married. They are also somewhat less likely than other adults to live in a common-law relationship, while they are somewhat more likely to be lone parents.



• Canadians of Latin American origin are slightly more likely than adults in the rest of the population to have university degrees. In 2001, 17% of Canadians aged 15 and over of Latin American origin were university graduates, compared with 15% in the overall adult population.



• Working-age adults of Latin American origin are somewhat more likely to be employed than the rest of the adult population. In 2001, 64% of adults of Latin American origin aged 15 and over were employed, compared with 62% of all Canadian adults.



• The incomes of Canadians of Latin American origin are generally lower than those of the overall population. In 2000, the average income from all sources for Canadians of Latin American origin aged 15 and over was almost $22,500, about $7,500 less than the figure for all Canadians.



• Canadians of Latin American origin are also more likely than other people to have low incomes. In 2000, the incomes of 28% of people who reported Latin American origin were below Statistics Canada's Low-income Cut-offs, compared with 16% of all Canadians.