Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region

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Release date: March 29, 2016

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About the data sources

The 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) and the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) are the main data sources for this fact sheet. The 2011 NHS collected social and economic data about the Canadian population. The 2012 APS was a national survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit aged 6 and older. The data are for the Aboriginal identity population, which refers to people who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a Registered Indian as defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were members of an Indian band or First Nation. It was possible to report both single and multiple responses to the Aboriginal identity questions on the NHS and the APS. The NHS data in this fact sheet are based on single responses only. The APS data represent a combination of the single and multiple Aboriginal identity populations. Nearly all off-reserve First Nations, Métis, and Inuit respondents reported a single identity.

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Aboriginal people account for the majority of the population in the Inuvialuit region

Numbering 4,400, 10% of the Aboriginal identity population in Inuit Nunangat^Note 1 lived in the Inuvialuit region in 2011. They made up 77% of the total population of the Inuvialuit region.
The Inuvialuit region was home to 3,310 Inuit, 890 First Nations people, and 185 Métis^Note 2 with the rest reporting other^Note 3 Aboriginal identities (10) or more than one Aboriginal identity (10). From 2006 to 2011, the Inuit population in the Inuvialuit region increased by 6%.^Note 4

Inuit population younger than non-Aboriginal

Almost half (48%) of Inuit in the Inuvialuit region were under the age of 25, compared with 20% of the non-Aboriginal population.
In 2011, the median age of Inuit was 26.2. This was younger than the non-Aboriginal population, whose median age was 38.9.

Six in ten Inuit children live with both parents

In the Inuvialuit region, 62% of Inuit children aged 14 and younger lived in a family with both their parents in 2011. The corresponding percentage for non-Aboriginal children was 83%. One-quarter of Inuit children lived in a lone-parent family, a rate that was higher than that of their non-Aboriginal peers (11%).

Table 1
Percentage distribution of children aged 14 and under by living arrangement, by selected Aboriginal identity group,^{Table 1 Note 1} Inuvialuit region, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Percentage distribution of children aged 14 and under by living arrangement Total Aboriginal identity population, First Nations single identity, Inuit single identity and Non-Aboriginal identity population, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations single identity	Inuit single identity	Non-Aboriginal identity population
Children of both parents^{Table 1 Note 2}	62.1	62.5	62.0	83.3
Stepchildren	8.3	4.2	9.2	0.0
Children of lone parent	25.4	31.3	24.5	11.1
Grandchildren in skip-generation family	2.5	0.0	2.7	0.0
Foster children	0.8	0.0	1.1	0.0
Children living with other relatives^{Table 1 Note 3}	0.8	4.2	0.0	0.0
Table 1 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Table 1 note 1 referrer Table 1 Note 2. Includes children in a two-parent family where there may also be stepsiblings or half-siblings present. Also includes children in a two-parent family for whom it cannot be determined if they are stepchildren. Return to Table 1 note 2 referrer Note 3. Non-relatives may be present. Excludes foster children. Return to Table 1 note 3 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011.

Three in ten Inuit live in homes in need of major repairs

In 2011, 18% of Inuit in the Inuvialuit region lived in crowded homes, that is, with more than one person per room. The comparable figure for the non-Aboriginal population was 3%.
Three in ten Inuit (30%) lived in homes in need of major repairs. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 16%.

Table 2
Percentages living in crowded homes and homes in need of major repairs, by selected Aboriginal identity group,^{Table 2 Note 1} Inuvialuit region, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Percentages living in crowded homes and homes in need of major repairs Total Aboriginal identity population, First Nations single identity, Inuit single identity and Non-Aboriginal identity population, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations single identity	Inuit single identity	Non-Aboriginal identity population
Crowding^{Table 2 Note 2}	16.1	10.7	18.3	3.3
Home in need of major^{Table 2 Note 3} repairs	27.5	22.0	29.7	16.0
Table 2 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Table 2 note 1 referrer Table 2 Note 2. More than one person per room. Return to Table 2 note 2 referrer Table 2 Note 3. For example, dwellings with defective plumbing or electrical wiring and dwellings needing structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings. Return to Table 2 note 3 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011.

One in five Inuit report ability to speak an Aboriginal language

In the Inuvialuit region, 20% of Inuit reported the ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language. The Aboriginal languages most commonly spoken by Inuit were Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut. At the same time, 20% of Inuit reported an Aboriginal language as their mother tongue.
Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 81% of Inuit aged 6 and older reported that speaking and understanding an Aboriginal language was important to them.

Chart 1 Ability to converse in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue, by selected Aboriginal identity group and area of residence, Inuvialuit region, 2011

Description for Chart 1

The title of the graph is "Chart 1 Ability to converse in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue, by selected Aboriginal identity group^{Chart 1 Note 1}, Inuvialuit region, 2011."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 3 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 25 with ticks every 5 points.
There are 2 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language."
The minimum value is 12.4 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity."
The maximum value is 20.4 and it corresponds to "Inuit single identity."
The title of series 2 is "Aboriginal language as mother tongue."
The minimum value is 9.6 and it corresponds to "First Nations single identity."
The maximum value is 19.9 and it corresponds to "Inuit single identity."

Data table for Chart 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Chart 1 Ability to converse in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue. The information is grouped by (appearing as row headers), Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language and Aboriginal language as mother tongue (appearing as column headers).
	Ability to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language	Aboriginal language as mother tongue
Total Aboriginal identity population	18.2	16.9
First Nations single identity	12.4	9.6
Inuit single identity	20.4	19.9
Chart 1 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Chart 1 note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011.

Three in ten Inuit have postsecondary qualifications

In 2011, 32% of Inuit aged 25 to 64 in the Inuvialuit region had a certificate, diploma or degree from a trade school, college or university. The comparable percentage for their non-Aboriginal counterparts was 74%.
Among those with postsecondary credentials, Inuit were more likely than non-Aboriginal graduates to have completed programs below the bachelor’s level (trades or college programs).
There was also a difference in the proportion of Inuit and non-Aboriginal people with “no certificate, diploma or degree”. In 2011, 52% of Inuit aged 25 to 64 did not have a certificate, diploma or degree. The corresponding percentage for the non-Aboriginal population was 7%.

Table 3
Highest level of educational attainment of population aged 25 to 64, by selected Aboriginal identity group,^{Table 3 Note 1} Inuvialuit region, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Highest level of educational attainment of population aged 25 to 64 Total Aboriginal identity population, First Nations single identity, Inuit single identity and Non-Aboriginal identity population, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations single identity	Inuit single identity	Non-Aboriginal identity population
No certificate, diploma or degree	44.4	25.3	51.6	6.5
High school diploma or equivalent	17.0	17.7	16.7	19.4
Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree	38.3	57.0	31.7	73.6
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma	12.4	16.5	10.8	9.5
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma	20.6	31.6	17.0	22.4
University certificate or diploma below bachelor level^{Table 3 Note 2}	1.7	0.0	1.6	4.0
University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above	3.6	6.3	2.0	37.8
Table 3 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Table 3 note 1 referrer Table 3 Note 2. Comparisons with other data sources suggest that the category “University certificate or diploma below bachelor level” was overreported in the National Household Survey (NHS). The results for this category should be interpreted with caution. For more information on concepts and data quality, refer to the NHS reference guides and Education Reference Guide on the Statistics Canada website. Return to Table 3 note 2 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011.

Employment rates and median total income increase with education

In 2011, the employment rate of Inuit aged 25 to 64 in the Inuvialuit region who did not have a certificate, diploma or degree was 40.9%. Employment rates were higher for those with further education. For example, the employment rate of Inuit with postsecondary credentials was 74.2%.

Table 4
Employment rate of population aged 25 to 64, by highest level of educational attainment and selected Aboriginal identity group,^{Table 4 Note 1} Inuvialuit region, 2011
Table summary
This table displays the results of Employment rate of population aged 25 to 64 Total Aboriginal identity population, First Nations single identity, Inuit single identity and Non-Aboriginal identity population, calculated using employment rate (percent) units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	employment rate (percent)
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations single identity	Inuit single identity	Non-Aboriginal identity population
Total	59.1	67.1	55.4	91.0
No certificate, diploma or degree	42.6	42.9	40.9	76.9
High school diploma or equivalent	65.7	71.4	64.7	92.3
Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree	75.8	77.3	74.2	91.9
Table 4 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Table 4 note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 2011.

Median total income^Note 5 was also higher for those with higher education levels. Among Inuit aged 25 to 64, median total income (rounded to the nearest $1,000) ranged from $18,000 for those with no certificate, diploma or degree to $51,000 for those with postsecondary credentials.

About half of Inuit rated their health as excellent or very good

Based on results of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, just over half (52%) of Inuit aged 12 and older in the Inuvialuit region rated their health as excellent or very good in 2012, as did 46% of First Nations people.

Chart 2 Excellent or very good self-rated overall health of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group and age group, Inuvialuit region, 2012

Description for Chart 2

The title of the graph is "Chart 2 Excellent or very good self-rated overall health of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group^{Chart 2 Note 1} and age group, Inuvialuit region, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 3 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 80 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 4 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Aboriginal identity groups."
The title of series 1 is "Total."
The minimum value is 46.3 and it corresponds to "First Nations people."
The maximum value is 51.8 and it corresponds to "Inuit."
The title of series 2 is "12 to 24 years."
The minimum value is 67.8 and it corresponds to "Inuit."
The maximum value is 68.8 and it corresponds to "Total Aboriginal identity population."
The title of series 3 is "25 to 44 years."
The minimum value is 41.7 and it corresponds to "First Nations people."
The maximum value is 49.4 and it corresponds to "Inuit."
The title of series 4 is "45 years and over."
The minimum value is 29.2^{Chart 2 Note E: Use with caution} and it corresponds to "First Nations people."
The maximum value is 38.8 and it corresponds to "Total Aboriginal identity population."

Data table for Chart 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Chart 2 Excellent or very good self-rated overall health of population aged 12 and over. The information is grouped by % (appearing as row headers), Total, 12 to 24 years, 25 to 44 years and 45 years and over (appearing as column headers).
	Total	12 to 24 years	25 to 44 years	45 years and over
Total Aboriginal identity population	51.2	68.8	47.4	38.8
First Nations people	46.3	68.4	41.7	29.2^{Chart 2 Note E: Use with caution}
Inuit	51.8	67.8	49.4	37.6
^E use with caution Chart 2 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Chart 2 note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012.

Over half (56%) of Inuit aged 18 and older reported excellent or very good mental health.^Note 6
Over four in ten Inuit (45%) aged 12 and older reported that they had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition.
Among Inuit, commonly reported conditions included arthritis excluding fibromyalgia (12%) and high blood pressure (13%).

Table 5
Excellent or very good self-rated mental health of population aged 18 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group^{Table 5 Note 1} and age group, Inuvialuit region, 2012
Table summary
This table displays the results of Excellent or very good self-rated mental health of population aged 18 and over Total Aboriginal identity population, First Nations people and Inuit, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations people	Inuit
Total	55.8	53.1	55.6
18 to 24	55.3	66.7	52.6
25 to 44	56.6	59.1	57.5
45 and over	54.9	42.9^{Table 5 Note E: Use with caution}	57.3
^E use with caution Table 5 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Table 5 note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012.

More than half of Inuit smoked daily

In 2012, 54% of Inuit aged 12 and older in the Inuvialuit region reported that they smoked daily.
For those 12 and older, the rate of heavy drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the previous 12 months) was 55% for Inuit and 47% for First Nations people.

Chart 3 Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group, Inuvialuit region, 2012

Description for Chart 3

The title of the graph is "Chart 3 Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group^{Chart 3 Note 1}, Inuvialuit region, 2012."
This is a column clustered chart.
There are in total 3 categories in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis starts at 0 and ends at 60 with ticks every 10 points.
There are 3 series in this graph.
The vertical axis is "percent."
The horizontal axis is "Health behaviours."
The title of series 1 is "Total Aboriginal identity population."
The minimum value is 38.5 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
The maximum value is 52.2 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinking^{Chart 3 Note 2}."
The title of series 2 is "First Nations people."
The minimum value is 33.3 and it corresponds to "Daily smoking."
The maximum value is 48.5 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
The title of series 3 is "Inuit."
The minimum value is 35.9 and it corresponds to "Non-drinking."
The maximum value is 54.7 and it corresponds to "Heavy drinking^{Chart 3 Note 2}."

Data table for Chart 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Chart 3 Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over. The information is grouped by (appearing as row headers), Total Aboriginal identity population , First Nations people and Inuit (appearing as column headers).
	Total Aboriginal identity population	First Nations people	Inuit
Daily smoking	49.3	33.3	53.7
Heavy drinking^{Chart 3 Note 2}	52.2	46.9	54.7
Non-drinking	38.5	48.5	35.9
Chart 3 Note 1. Data for Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small number of Métis living in the region. Return to Chart 3 note 1 referrer Chart 3 Note 2. Heavy drinking refers to the consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the 12 months preceding the survey. Return to Chart 3 note 2 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012.

At the same time, 36% of Inuit aged 12 and older were non-drinkers; that is, consumed no alcohol in the previous 12 months, while 49% of First Nations people were non-drinkers.
At ages 12 to 24, almost half (48%) of Inuit were non-drinkers.

Table 6
Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over, by selected Aboriginal identity group^{Table 6 Note 1} and age group, Inuvialuit region, 2012
Table summary
This table displays the results of Selected health behaviours of population aged 12 and over Total Aboriginal identity population and Inuit, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
	percent
	Total Aboriginal identity population	Inuit
12 to 24
Daily smoking	36.7	41.9
Heavy drinking^{Table 6 Note 2}	52.8	53.5
Non-drinking	50.0	47.7
25 to 44
Daily smoking	59.6	60.0
Heavy drinking	53.4	55.2
Non-drinking	21.1	20.0
45 and over
Daily smoking	50.9	60.0
Heavy drinking	49.2	52.9
Non-drinking	44.8	40.0
Table 6 Note 1. Data for First Nations people and Métis are included in the total Aboriginal identity population but are not shown separately because of the small numbers living in the region. Return to Table 6 note 1 referrer Table 6 Note 2. Heavy drinking refers to the consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the 12 months preceding the survey. Return to Table 6 note 2 referrer Source: Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012.

This fact sheet was prepared by Kristina Smith and Shirley Li of the Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division of Statistics Canada.

Notes

Footnote E.

use with caution

Return to note ^E referrer

Footnote 1.

Inuit Nunangat is the homeland of Inuit of Canada and encompasses four regions. The Inuvialuit region is the Inuit region in the northern Northwest Territories. The other three regions are: Nunatsiavut (Northern coastal Labrador), Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and the territory of Nunavut. These regions collectively encompass the area traditionally occupied by Inuit in Canada.

Return to note 1 referrer

Footnote 2.

While the National Household Survey (NHS) count for the Métis population in the Inuvialuit region is provided here, data for other characteristics are not included because of the small number living in the region.

Return to note 2 referrer

Footnote 3.

This includes people who reported having Registered Indian status and/or being members of an Indian band or First Nation without reporting an Aboriginal identity.

Return to note 3 referrer

Footnote 4.

A number of factors should be taken into account when comparing data on Aboriginal people over time. Please refer to the Aboriginal Peoples Reference Guide, National Household Survey, 2011, Catalogue no. 99-011-X2011006 and the Aboriginal Peoples Technical Report, Catalogue no. 99-011-X.

Return to note 4 referrer

Footnote 5.

Total income includes income from all sources, including employment income, income from government programs, pension income, investment income and any other money income. The calculation includes population with income and without income (with an income of zero).

Return to note 5 referrer

Footnote 6.

Questions on self-rated mental health were only asked of respondents who were providing answers to the survey directly, on their own behalf (i.e., data are not available when questionnaires were completed by proxy interview).

Return to note 6 referrer

Date modified:: 2016-03-29

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Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region

Archived Content

About the data sources

Aboriginal people account for the majority of the population in the Inuvialuit region

Inuit population younger than non-Aboriginal

Six in ten Inuit children live with both parents

Three in ten Inuit live in homes in need of major repairs

One in five Inuit report ability to speak an Aboriginal language

Three in ten Inuit have postsecondary qualifications

Employment rates and median total income increase with education

About half of Inuit rated their health as excellent or very good

More than half of Inuit smoked daily

Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region Inuit: Fact Sheet for Inuvialuit Region

Archived Content

Aboriginal people account for the majority of the population in the Inuvialuit region

Inuit population younger than non-Aboriginal

Six in ten Inuit children live with both parents

Three in ten Inuit live in homes in need of major repairs

One in five Inuit report ability to speak an Aboriginal language

Three in ten Inuit have postsecondary qualifications

Employment rates and median total income increase with education

About half of Inuit rated their health as excellent or very good

More than half of Inuit smoked daily

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