Highlights

• Almost a million people of South Asian origin live in Canada, representing about 3% of the total Canadian population.

• 68% of Canadians of South Asian origin were born outside of Canada. Of these, 75% immigrated to Canada in the last twenty years.

• Canadians of South Asian origin make up 11% of Toronto's total population and 8% of that of Vancouver.

• 93% can carry on a conversation in one or both official languages, while only 7% cannot speak either English or French.

• 61% of adults of South Asian origin are married, compared to 50% all Canadian adults. In contrast, just 2% live common-law, compared with 10% of all Canadian adults.

• Only 4% of adults of South Asian origin live alone, compared with 13% of all adult Canadians. In the case of seniors, only 8% live alone, compared with 29% of all seniors in Canada.

• 25% of adults of South Asian origin have a university degree, compared to 15% of those in the overall population.

• 9.5% of labour force participants of South Asian origin are unemployed, compared with 7.4% of those in the overall population.

• The average income of Canadians of South Asian origin is $4,000 lower than the national average of $30,000.

• The incomes of women of South Asian origin are about 62% those of their male counterparts, the same figure as in the overall population.

• 28% of children of South Asian origin live in families with incomes below the low-income cut-offs, compared with 19% of all children in Canada.

• 70% of senior women of South Asian origin who live alone have incomes below the low-income cut-offs.