Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Chart 4: Immigrants to Canada are increasing from Asia and the Middle East
Archived Content
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
Watch the video of Dr. Fellegi discussing these charts (you need the free Windows Media Player). (31.6 MB)
Note: In his presentation, Dr. Fellegi refers to two charts that are side by side. However, these were placed vertically on the Web page, due to the requirements of Internet publishing.
You can also read the transcript of Dr. Fellegi's presentation.
What the charts show
Before 1961, about 90% of immigrants came from Europe. During the 1990s, nearly 60% came from Asia and the Middle East and only 20% from Europe.
In 2001, visible minorities accounted for 13.4% of the population in Canada. Vancouver and Toronto are the cities with the largest proportion of visible minorities.
Discussion points
- The foreign-born population now accounts for 18.4% of Canada's total population. This is the highest rate since 1931.
- Canada is home to almost 4 million individuals who identified themselves as visible minorities in 2001, accounting for 13.4% of the total population.
- Between 1996 and 2001, the visible minority population grew by 25% while the total population grew only 4%.
- During the 1990s, nearly 75% of immigrants settled in three large urban cities, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
- Immigrants compose 43.7% of Toronto's population. This is the highest portion of immigrants of any major city in North America, Europe and Australia.
Additional Statistics Canada resources
Canada's population, The Daily, March 28, 2006
Study: Immigrants who leave Canada, The Daily, March 1, 2006
Study: Initial destinations and redistribution of major immigrant groups in Canada, The Daily, June 29, 2005
Study: Canada's visible minority population in 2017, The Daily, March 22, 2005
Study: Fertility among visible minority women, The Daily, June 30, 2006
A profile of the Canadian population: where we live, Highlights from the 2001 Census
Canada's ethnocultural portrait: The changing mosaic, Highlights from the 2001 Census
