Key Findings from Statistics Canada’s Latest Data Dump

New information released yesterday by Canada’s statistical agency looks at Indigenous populations, immigration and housing

[Initially published on Passport2017.ca on October 26, 2017]

If you’re a census nerd or are simply curious about what the country actually looks like, 2017 is the gift that keeps on giving. Yesterday, Statistics Canada released its latest data dump, this time looking at Canada’s Indigenous populations, immigration and housing. Let’s have a look.

Indigenous populations in Canada

Statistics Canada counted some 1.67 million Indigenous Canadians following the 2016 census, accounting for 4.9 per cent of Canada’s total population — a 42.5 per cent growth since 2006, when Indigenous Canadians made up for 3.8 per cent of Canadians. Of those, 977,230 were members of First Nations, 587,545 were Métis and 65,025 were Inuit. The average age for Indigenous Canadians was 32.1 years old, 8.8 years less than the non-Indigenous population. With 92,810 individuals, Winnipeg has the highest Indigenous population of all Canadian cities. However, Thunder Bay has the highest proportion of Indigenous residents, with 12.8 per cent of its total citizens. Globally, the First Nations population is highly concentrated in the Western provinces — 56.8 per cent live between the western border and Manitoba’s eastern end. Last but not least, there were more than 70 Indigenous languages reported, 30-odd of which having more than 500 speakers. 260,500 Indigenous Canadians reported being able to speak a non-settler language, up 3.1 per cent from 2006. One in five Indigenous Canadian lives in a dwelling in need of “major repairs.”

Immigration

Stats Canada’s 2016 census indicates that 21.9 per cent of the Canadian population — 7.5 million of us — reported being born elsewhere. That’s close to the 22.3 per cent high reached in the 1921 census, the highest figure since 1867. 60.3 per cent of newcomers were admitted into Canada under the economic category, while 26.8 per cent were reuniting with family. 11.6 per cent were taken in as refugees. Asia (which includes the Middle East) remains the top source continent of immigrants to Canada (61.8 per cent), but Africa took the second spot for the first time (13.4 per cent), thwarting Europe (11.6 per cent). The Philippines, India, China, Iran and Pakistan are the top five source countries for immigration in Canada. If Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are still home to over half of the immigrant population in the country, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have seen increases in the number of newcomers they welcomed. Canada now counts over 250 ethnic origins among its citizens and the “vast majority” of immigrants report being able to carry out a conversation in either English or French.

Housing

Homeownership in Canada remained relatively stable since 2006 — more than 9.5 million of the 14.1 million households in the country (67.8 per cent) owned their home in 2016. The rate was 69 per cent in 2011 and 68.4 per cent in 2006. Homeownership rates were highest in Atlantic Canada, with Newfoundland and Labrador (76.7 per cent), Prince Edward Island (70.3 per cent) and New Brunswick (74.4 per cent) showing figures above the national average. Quebec is the province with the lowest proportion of homeowners (61.3 per cent), while the territories are all below the national average, the lowest rate of 20 per cent being found in Nunavut. Millennials (adults between 20 and 34) are slower to get into the housing market than previous generations at their age. A third of them still lived with their parents in 2016. 1.9 million households lived in a condo in 2016.