Most immigrants admitted to Canada in 2012 were part of the economic category of the immigration policy

• In 2012, 160,800 immigrants—or 62.4% of all immigrants admitted to Canada—were admitted under the economic category of the immigration policy, including principal applicants as well as their spouses, partners and dependents. Among these immigrants, the principal applicants were selected for economic reasons, meaning that they were considered to be more likely to stimulate the economy or integrate into the labour market given their age, education level and knowledge of Canada's official languages.
• This situation differs from a number of years during the 1980s and early 1990s, when a larger proportion of immigrants were admitted under the family reunification category and a smaller proportion were admitted under economic criteria.
• There were 31,900 immigrants admitted in 2012 in the humanitarian category, or 12.4% of all immigrants admitted to Canada that year. This number and share has fluctuated over time in conjunction with international events.

Description for figure 23