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Top 25 Ethnic Origins in Canada (1),
Showing Single and Multiple Responses, 1996 Census (20% Sample Data)
Canada
Total population = 28,528,125 |
Ethnic Origin |
Total responses |
Single responses (2) |
Multiple responses (3) |
1 |
Canadian (4) |
8,806,275 |
5,326,995 |
3,479,285 |
2 |
English |
6,832,095 |
2,048,275 |
4,783,820 |
3 |
French |
5,597,845 |
2,665,250 |
2,932,595 |
4 |
Scottish |
4,260,840 |
642,970 |
3,617,870 |
5 |
Irish |
3,767,610 |
504,030 |
3,263,580 |
6 |
German |
2,757,140 |
726,145 |
2,030,990 |
7 |
Italian |
1,207,475 |
729,455 |
478,025 |
8 |
Aboriginal origins (5) |
1,101,955 |
477,630 |
624,330 |
9 |
Ukrainian |
1,026,475 |
331,680 |
694,790 |
10 |
Chinese |
921,585 |
800,470 |
121,115 |
11 |
Dutch (Netherlands) |
916,215 |
313,880 |
602,335 |
12 |
Polish |
786,735 |
265,930 |
520,805 |
13 |
South Asian origins (6) |
723,345 |
590,145 |
133,200 |
14 |
Jewish |
351,705 |
195,810 |
155,900 |
15 |
Norwegian |
346,310 |
47,805 |
298,500 |
16 |
Welsh |
338,905 |
27,915 |
310,990 |
17 |
Portuguese |
335,110 |
252,640 |
82,470 |
18 |
Swedish |
278,975 |
31,200 |
247,775 |
19 |
Russian |
272,335 |
46,885 |
225,450 |
20 |
Hungarian (Magyar) |
250,525 |
94,185 |
156,340 |
21 |
Filipino |
242,880 |
198,420 |
44,460 |
22 |
American |
211,790 |
22,085 |
189,705 |
23 |
Spanish |
204,360 |
72,470 |
131,895 |
24 |
Greek |
203,345 |
144,940 |
58,405 |
25 |
Jamaican |
188,770 |
128,570 |
60,200 |
(1) |
This table shows counts for the 25
most frequently reported ethnic origins in this region, based on total
response counts. Data for the remaining ethnic groups are available in
the Nation Series. For more information, please contact your local Statistics
Canada regional office. |
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In this table, respondents who reported
one ethnic origin are included in the single response column. Respondents
who reported more than one ethnic origin are included in the multiple response
column for each ethnic group they reported. The total response column indicates
the number of respondents who reported each ethnic origin. |
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Users should be careful when interpreting
multiple response counts because respondents who reported more than one
ethnic origin are counted in the multiple response count for each ethnic
origin they reported. For example, a respondent who reported “English and
Scottish” is included in the multiple response count for “English” and
the multiple response count for “Scottish”. |
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This table cannot be used to calculate
the ethnic distribution of the population. To calculate the ethnic distribution
of the population, please refer to Table 2. |
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Comparability of ethnic origin data
between the 1996 Census and previous censuses has been affected by several
factors, including changes in the question format, wording, examples, instructions
and data processing, as well as by the social environment at the time of
the census. The 1996 Census required that respondents write in their ethnic
origin(s) on four write-in lines, whereas previous censuses provided the
respondent with both mark-in categories and write-in lines. Caution should
be used in comparing ethnic origin data from census to census. |
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(2) |
Includes persons who reported one
ethnic origin only. |
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(3) |
Includes persons who reported more
than one ethnic origin. |
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(4) |
Caution should be used in comparing
data for "Canadian" ethnic origin between censuses. |
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The increase in the reporting of
“Canadian” is the result of a number of factors. The change in the format
of the ethnic origin question between 1996 and 1991 has had an impact on
counts for this group |
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The 1991 Census question included
15 mark-in categories and two write-in spaces for the ethnic origin question.
In 1996, respondents were required to write in their ethnic origin(s) in
four write-in spaces. Twenty-four examples, including "Canadian",
were provided. "Canadian" was included as one of the examples
on the 1996 Census questionnaire because it was one of the most frequently
reported ethnic origins in the 1991 Census. |
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As a result of the change in format
of the ethnic origin question in 1996, many respondents who checked a mark-in
category to indicate their ethnic origin in 1991 may have written in "Canadian"
as their ethnic origin in 1996. |
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Although the increase in the reporting
of “Canadian” ethnic origins may have impacted the reporting of single
ethnic origins for many groups, English, Irish, Scottish and French origins
appear to have been particularly affected. |
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(5) |
Aboriginal includes North American
Indian, Métis and Inuit. |
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(6) |
South Asian includes Bangladeshi,
Bengali, East Indian, Goan, Gujarati, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Sri
Lankan, Tamil and South Asian, n.i.e. (n.i.e. means “not included elsewhere”.) |
This table contains data selected from the Ethnic Origin Area Profiles.
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