Highlights

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• People with African ethnic roots make up one of the largest non-European ethnic groupings in Canada. In 2001, there were almost 300,000 people reporting they had African roots living in Canada, representing around 1% of the total population of Canada. As well, the African population in Canada is growing considerably faster than the overall population.



• The majority of the African population living in Canada were born outside the country. As well, the majority of African immigrants living in Canada today are relatively recent arrivals.



• Over nine out of 10 Canadians of African descent live in one of four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, or Alberta. Indeed, almost 60% live in Ontario where they make up close to 2% of the total population.



• The African population in Canada is relatively young. In 2001, those under the age of 25 made up 49% of all those with African ethnic origins, compared with 33% of the overall population. In contrast, people aged 65 and over made up only 3% of the African population, whereas 12% of all Canadians were seniors.



• Almost all African people in Canada can speak at least one official language. Indeed, in 2001, less than 2% could speak neither English nor French.



• People in the African community in Canada are considerably less likely than other people to be married; they are also less likely to live in a common-law relationship. In contrast, those of African descent are more likely than the rest of the population to be lone parents.



• People in the African community in Canada are somewhat more likely than the rest of the population to have university degrees. In 2001, 19% of African people aged 15 and over were university graduates, compared with 15% in the overall adult population.



• People in the African community in Canada are somewhat less likely to be employed than the rest of the population, while they are generally much more likely to be unemployed. In 2001, 13.1% of African labour force participants were unemployed, compared with 7.4% of all labour force participants.



• The incomes of the African population in Canada are generally below those of the rest of the population. In 2000, people aged 15 and over who identified themselves as having African ethnic origins had an average income from all sources of just under $24,000, about $6,000 less than the national figure.



• A relatively large proportion of African people are considered to have low incomes. Indeed, in 2000, 39% of the African population in Canada had incomes below official Low-income Cut-offs, compared with 16% of the overall Canadian population. That year, 47% of African children under the age of 15 lived in a situation considered to be low income, compared with 19% of all children in Canada.

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