In 2031, more than one in four Canadians could be foreign born

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, it was estimated that 20.6% of the Canadian population was foreign born. The foreign-born share of the Canadian population has grown since 1991 because of increased immigration.
Between 1911 and 1931—just after the large immigration waves of the early 20th Century that contributed to the settlement of the Western provinces—the foreign-born share of the Canadian population was relatively high at roughly 22%, close to the proportion in 2011.
The level observed between 1911 and 1931 could soon be exceeded. According to the different scenarios of recent population projections, the proportion of foreign-born persons could reach just over one-quarter of the Canadian population (between 25% and 28%) by 2031, with the foreign-born population increasing four times more rapidly than the rest of the population in coming years. In 2031, Canada could have between 9.8 and 12.5 million foreign-born persons.

Language selection