Aboriginal Peoples: Fact Sheet for Ontario
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About the data sources
The 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) and the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) are the main data sources for this fact sheet. The 2011 NHS collected social and economic data about the Canadian population. The 2012 APS was a national survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit aged 6 and older. The data are for the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation. It was possible to report both single and multiple responses to the Aboriginal identity questions on the NHS and the APS. The NHS data in this fact sheet are based on single responses only. The APS data represent a combination of the single and multiple Aboriginal identity populations. Nearly all off-reserve First Nations, Métis, and Inuit respondents reported a single identity.
In some communities of Northern Ontario, the NHS was not completed during the regular collection period due to forest fires. The NHS Special Collection for 13 Indian reserves and Indian settlements in Northern Ontario (October 2011) was a voluntary survey in which all households in these 13 areas received the questionnaire used to enumerate canvasser areas in the 2011 NHS. For this fact sheet, these data are included in the NHS estimates, and, therefore, are different from data in other NHS tables on the Statistics Canada website.
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One in five Aboriginal people in Canada live in Ontario
- Numbering 309,845,Note 1 22% of the Aboriginal identity population in Canada lived in Ontario in 2011. They made up 2.4% of the total population of that province.
- Just over one in ten Aboriginal people in Ontario resided in Toronto, although they represented less than 1% of the total population living there.
- Ontario was home to 209,510 First Nations people, 86,020 Métis, and 3,360 Inuit, with the rest reporting otherNote 2 Aboriginal identities (8,050) or more than one Aboriginal identity (2,910). From 2006 to 2011, the First Nations population in Ontario increased by 32%, while the Métis population rose by 17%, and the Inuit population rose by 65%.Note 3
- Of those who identified as First Nations people in 2011, a little under two-thirds (64% or 133,835) reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada. Just over one-quarter (27% or 55,885) of all First Nations people (41% of First Nations people who were Treaty or Registered Indians, or 54,730 individuals) lived on a reserve.
Aboriginal population younger than non-Aboriginal
- Four in ten (42%) Aboriginal people in Ontario were under the age of 25, compared with 30% of the non-Aboriginal population. Half of Inuit (50%) were in this age group, as were 44% of First Nations people (47% of those living on a reserve and 43% of the off-reserve population) and 37% of Métis.
- In 2011, the median age of First Nations people was 29.4; the off-reserve population was older (29.8) than those living on a reserve (27.4). Métis had a median age of 34.9; that of Inuit was 25.1. All three groups were younger than the non-Aboriginal population, whose median age was 40.2.
Half of Aboriginal children live with both parents
- In Ontario, 48% of First Nations children aged 14 and younger lived in a family with both their parents in 2011, as did 62% of Métis children and 53% of Inuit children. The corresponding percentage for non-Aboriginal children was 74%. About a third of First Nations children, 27% of Métis children and 22% of Inuit children lived in a lone-parent family, rates that were higher than that for their non-Aboriginal peers (18%).
- In 2011, 3% of Aboriginal children aged 14 and younger were in foster care; at 4%, the percentage was highest for Inuit children. Moreover, of all Ontario children in foster care in 2011, just over a quarter (27%) were Aboriginal children, the majority of whom (91%) were First Nations children.
| Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Inuit single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | On reserve | Off reserve | |||||
| percent | |||||||
| Children of both parentsTable 1 Note 1 | 51.4 | 48.0 | 48.0 | 47.9 | 62.0 | 52.7 | 74.2 |
| Stepchildren | 8.9 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 7.9 | 12.9 | 4.8 |
| Children of lone parent | 32.9 | 35.0 | 33.0 | 35.8 | 27.2 | 22.4 | 17.7 |
| Grandchildren in skip-generation family | 2.2 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 6.2 | 0.4 |
| Foster children | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 0.2 |
| Children living with other relativesTable 1 Note 2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
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On-reserve First Nations people most likely to live in crowded homes and homes requiring major repairs
- In 2011, 19% of on-reserve and 4% of off-reserve First Nations people in Ontario lived in crowded homes, that is, with more than one person per room. Among Métis, the percentage was 2%, and among Inuit, 7%. The comparable figure for the non-Aboriginal population was 5%.
- One in five First Nations people (20%), 13% of Métis and 15% of Inuit lived in homes in need of major repairs; the rate was highest for First Nations people living on a reserve (36%).
| Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Inuit single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | On reserve | Off reserve | |||||
| percent | |||||||
| CrowdingTable 2 Note 1 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 19.0 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 7.4 | 5.0 |
| Home in need of majorTable 2 Note 2 repairs | 17.8 | 20.3 | 36.2 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 14.6 | 6.3 |
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Ability to speak an Aboriginal language highest among on-reserve First Nations people
- In Ontario, 37% of First Nations people living on a reserve reported the ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, a rate higher than among off-reserve First Nations people (5%), Métis (1%) and Inuit (8%). The Aboriginal languages most commonly spoken by First Nations people were Ojibway, Oji-Cree and Cree languages. Métis spoke mostly Ojibway, Michif and Cree languages. Inuktitut was the Aboriginal language most commonly spoken by Inuit.
- The number who reported being able to converse in an Aboriginal language exceeded the number who reported an Aboriginal mother tongue, which suggests acquisition of an Aboriginal language as a second language.
- Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey,Note 4 55% of off-reserve First Nations people, 39% of Métis and 51% of Inuit aged 6 and older reported that speaking and understanding an Aboriginal language was important to them.
Description for Chart 1
The title of the graph is "Chart 1 Ability to converse in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue, by selected Aboriginal identity group and area of residence, Ontario, 2011."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 6 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 50 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 2 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language."
The minimum value is 0.7 and it corresponds to "Métis single identity."
The maximum value is 36.5 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity (on reserve)."
The title of series 2 is "Aboriginal language as mother tongue."
The minimum value is 0.1 and it corresponds to "Métis single identity."
The maximum value is 30.3 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity (on reserve)."
| Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language | Aboriginal language as mother tongue | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Aboriginal identity population | 9.3 | 7.0 |
| First Nations single identity | 13.3 | 10.2 |
| First Nations single identity (on reserve) | 36.5 | 30.3 |
| First Nations single identity (off reserve) | 4.9 | 2.9 |
| Métis single identity | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Inuit single identity | 7.6 | 6.0 |
| Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011. | ||
Half have postsecondary qualifications
- In 2011, 52% of Aboriginal people aged 25 to 64 in Ontario had a certificate, diploma or degree from a trade school, college or university: 49% of First Nations people, 59% of Métis and 49% of Inuit. The comparable percentage for their non-Aboriginal counterparts was 65%.
- Among those with postsecondary credentials, First Nations people, Métis and Inuit were more likely than non-Aboriginal graduates to have completed programs below the bachelor’s level (trades or college programs).
- There was also a difference in the proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with “no certificate, diploma or degree”. In 2011, 27% of First Nations people aged 25 to 64, 17% of Métis and 27% of Inuit did not have a certificate, diploma or degree. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 11%.
| Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Inuit single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | On reserve | Off reserve | |||||
| percent | |||||||
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 23.5 | 26.9 | 40.3 | 22.5 | 16.8 | 26.7 | 10.7 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 24.3 | 24.2 | 18.9 | 25.9 | 24.2 | 24.4 | 24.2 |
| Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree | 52.3 | 49.0 | 40.8 | 51.6 | 59.0 | 48.9 | 65.1 |
| Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma | 11.6 | 10.8 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 13.2 | 9.8 | 7.7 |
| College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma | 26.5 | 25.5 | 21.4 | 26.8 | 29.1 | 24.4 | 23.5 |
| University certificate or diploma below bachelor levelTable 3 Note 1 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 4.6 |
| University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above | 11.3 | 9.8 | 5.0 | 11.3 | 13.9 | 11.7 | 29.3 |
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Employment rates and median total income increase with education
- In 2011, the employment rates of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit aged 25 to 64 in Ontario who did not have a certificate, diploma or degree were 39.0%, 47.5% and 32.9% respectively. Employment rates were higher for those with further education. For example, among those with postsecondary credentials, the employment rate of First Nations people was 72.6%, while that of Métis was 76.1% and that of Inuit, 82.0%.
| Total Aboriginal identity population | First Nations single identity | Métis single identity | Inuit single identity | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | On reserve | Off reserve | |||||
| employment rate (percent) | |||||||
| Total | 63.4 | 60.8 | 54.1 | 63.0 | 68.4 | 64.8 | 75.5 |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 40.7 | 39.0 | 40.5 | 38.2 | 47.5 | 32.9 | 55.4 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 62.3 | 61.2 | 55.9 | 62.4 | 64.2 | 64.0 | 70.9 |
| Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree | 74.0 | 72.6 | 66.7 | 74.1 | 76.1 | 82.0 | 80.5 |
| Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011. | |||||||
- Median total incomeNote 5 was also higher for those with higher education levels. Among First Nations people aged 25 to 64, median total income (rounded to the nearest $1,000) ranged from $15,000 for those with no certificate, diploma or degree to $34,000 for those with postsecondary credentials. The range for Métis was from $20,000 to $40,000, and for Inuit, from $19,000 to $42,000.
Half rate their health as excellent or very good
- Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, half (51%) the Aboriginal population aged 12 and older in Ontario rated their health as excellent or very good in 2012: 52% of First Nations people living off reserve, 50% of Métis, and 57% of Inuit.
- First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit aged 12 to 24 had overall health ratings closer to their non-Aboriginal peers than those in the older age groups.
Description for Chart 2
The title of the graph is "Chart 2 Excellent or very good self-rated overall health of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group and age group, Ontario, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 5 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 90 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 4 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Total."
The minimum value is 50.1 and it corresponds to "Métis."
The maximum value is 61.3 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 2 is "12 to 24 years."
The minimum value is 62.5 and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 80.2 and it corresponds to "Inuit."
The title of series 3 is "25 to 44 years."
The minimum value is 45.1 and it corresponds to "Métis."
The maximum value is 67.1 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 4 is "45 years and over."
The minimum value is 40.7 and it corresponds to "Off-reserve First Nations people."
The maximum value is 53.9 and it corresponds to "Non-Aboriginal identity population."
| % | Total | 12 to 24 years | 25 to 44 years | 45 years and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | 51.2 | 65.1 | 52.0 | 41.3 |
| Off-reserve First Nations people | 51.7 | 62.5 | 55.3 | 40.7 |
| Métis | 50.1 | 69.1 | 45.1 | 42.9 |
| Inuit | 56.8 | 80.2 | 66.4 | Note F: too unreliable to be published |
| Non-Aboriginal identity population | 61.3 | 70.1 | 67.1 | 53.9 |
|
F too unreliable to be published Sources: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012; and Canadian Community Health Survey, 2012. |
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- The majority of off-reserve First Nations people (58%), Métis (61%) and Inuit (60%) aged 18 and older reported excellent or very good mental health.Note 6
- Just under two-thirds of off-reserve First Nations people (63%) and Inuit (60%) and just over two-thirds of Métis (69%) aged 12 and older reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 53%.Note 7
- Among off-reserve First Nations people, Métis and Inuit,Note 8 commonly reported conditions included arthritis excluding fibromyalgia (21% for First Nations people, 26% for Métis), high blood pressure (16% for First Nations people and 19% for Métis), and asthma (17% for First Nations people, 19% for Métis and 17%Note E: Use with caution for Inuit). In addition, 15% of off-reserve First Nations people and 14% of Métis reported being diagnosed with a mood disorder, and 15% of off-reserve First Nations people, 14% of Métis and 10%Note E: Use with caution of Inuit reported an anxiety disorder.
| Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Inuit | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | |||||
| Total | 58.9 | 57.8 | 61.0 | 59.8 | 71.7 |
| 18 to 24 | 60.9 | 54.8 | 73.9 | Table 5 Note F: too unreliable to be published | 73.1 |
| 25 to 44 | 59.9 | 61.1 | 56.9 | 70.0 | 72.9 |
| 45 and over | 57.6 | 55.9 | 60.7 | Table 5 Note F: too unreliable to be published | 70.6 |
|
F too unreliable to be published Sources: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012; and Canadian Community Health Survey, 2012. |
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More than one in four off-reserve First Nations people and Métis smoke daily
- In 2012, 27% of off-reserve First Nations people aged 12 and older in Ontario reported that they smoked daily, as did 29% of Métis and 21%Note E: Use with caution of Inuit. The comparable percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 14%.
- First Nations people, Métis and Inuit in all age groups in Table 6 were more likely to smoke on a daily basis than were non-Aboriginal people.
Description for Chart 3
The title of the graph is "Chart 3 Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group, Ontario, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 3 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 40 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 5 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Health behaviours."
The title of series 1 is "Total Aboriginal
identity population
(excluding reserves)."
The minimum value is 27.1 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 32.5 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinkingChart 3 Note 1."
The title of series 2 is "Off-reserve First
Nations people."
The minimum value is 26.5 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 35.6 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinkingChart 3 Note 1."
The title of series 3 is "Métis."
The minimum value is 24.4 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
The maximum value is 28.5 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The title of series 4 is "Inuit."
The minimum value is 20.9Note E: Use with caution and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 26.9Note E: Use with caution and it corresponds to "Heavy drinkingChart 3 Note 1."
The title of series 5 is "Non-Aboriginal identity
population."
The minimum value is 14.0 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 26.4 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
| Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Inuit | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily smoking | 27.1 | 26.5 | 28.5 | 20.9Chart 3 Note E: Use with caution | 14.0 |
| Heavy drinkingChart 3 Note 1 | 32.5 | 35.6 | 27.7 | 26.9Chart 3 Note E: Use with caution | 21.1 |
| Non-drinking | 27.5 | 29.4 | 24.4 | Chart 3 Note F: too unreliable to be published | 26.4 |
|
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
|
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- For those 12 and older, the rate of heavy drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the 12 months preceding the survey) was 36% for off-reserve First Nations people, 28% for Métis, and 27%Note E: Use with caution for Inuit compared with 21% for non-Aboriginal people. Off-reserve First Nations people and Métis in almost all age groups were more likely than non-Aboriginal people to report heavy drinking.
- At the same time, 29% of off-reserve First Nations people were non-drinkers (consumed no alcohol in the 12 months preceding the survey), compared with 26% of the non-Aboriginal population. The percentage for Métis was 24%. At ages 12 to 24, 44% of First Nations people and 36% of Métis were non-drinkers. The corresponding percentage for their non-Aboriginal peers was 42%.
| Total Aboriginal identity population (excluding reserves) | Off-reserve First Nations people | Métis | Non-Aboriginal identity population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | ||||
| 12 to 24 | ||||
| Daily smoking | 16.2 | 16.2 | 16.6Note E: Use with caution | 8.6 |
| Heavy drinkingTable 6 Note 2 | 38.7 | 44.2 | 30.6 | 33.9 |
| Non-drinking | 41.2 | 44.4 | 35.7 | 41.5 |
| 25 to 44 | ||||
| Daily smoking | 32.1 | 31.2 | 33.9 | 16.5 |
| Heavy drinking | 32.4 | 33.3 | 30.9 | 24.9 |
| Non-drinking | 11.8 | 11.2 | 13.3Table 6 Note E: Use with caution | 20.0 |
| 45 and over | ||||
| Daily smoking | 30.3 | 29.8 | 31.5 | 14.7 |
| Heavy drinking | 29.4 | 33.3 | 23.8Table 6 Note E: Use with caution | 14.4 |
| Non-drinking | 31.4 | 34.8 | 25.8 | 24.4 |
E use with caution
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This fact sheet was prepared by Kristina Smith of the Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division of Statistics Canada.
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