Languages
The 2021 Census of Population revealed that 243,155 people reported the ability to speak an Indigenous language well enough to conduct a conversation. More than 70 distinct Indigenous languages were reported in the census.
Using census data, the Indigenous languages: Visualization tool provides key statistics on Indigenous languages such as the number of speakers, people with an Indigenous language as a mother tongue as well as people who acquired it as a second language. Data on home languages and silent speakers are also included.
In 2022, 80% of Inuit aged 15 and over in Nunavut reported that speaking and understanding Inuktut was very important to them.
In Nunavut, 90% of Inuit children aged 6 to 14 have been taught Inuktut at school.
Knowledge of Inuktut among Inuit in Nunavut
Child care
In 2022, among Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 years, 49.3% of First Nations children living off reserve, 55.9% of Métis children and 36.2% of Inuit children were in child care. Among those in child care, roughly 6 in 10 First Nations and Métis children and 1 in 2 Inuit children were in centre-based child care as their main child care arrangement, and lower shares were in Indigenous-specific child care.
Among parents of Indigenous children in child care, 48.6% of parents of First Nations children living off reserve, 29.8% of Métis children and 64.2%E of Inuit children reported that their care arrangement provided an environment that encouraged learning about Indigenous traditional and cultural values and customs.
Economy
Gross domestic income earned by Indigenous people increased in 2023
Gross domestic income (GDI), also known as income-based gross domestic product, earned by Indigenous people (Indigenous GDI) reached $63.7 billion in 2023, up 6.1% from 2022. Indigenous GDI as a share of total Canadian GDI increased from 2.0% in 2012 to 2.3% in 2023.
The Daily — Indigenous peoples economic account, 2023
Gross domestic income rose in every province and territory in 2023
Continuing a trend that began in 2021, Indigenous GDI grew in every province and territory in 2023.
Yukon (+10.2%) and Nova Scotia (+9.9%) saw the largest growth in Indigenous GDI in 2023. In both regions, growth in the public administration sector was a significant contributor to the increase.
Provincial and territorial shares of total Indigenous GDI in Canada remained relatively stable in 2023. Ontario ($15.2 billion; 23.9%) continued to account for the largest share of total Indigenous GDI in Canada, while Prince Edward Island ($0.1 billion; 0.2%) accounted for the smallest.
In 2023, the share of total provincial GDI earned by Indigenous people ranged from 1.2% in Prince Edward Island to 7.7% in Manitoba. In the territories, where Indigenous people make up a larger share of the population, Nunavut (27.6%) had the largest share of GDI attributable to Indigenous people, while Yukon (13.4%) had the smallest.
The Daily — Indigenous peoples economic account, 2023
Jobs increased in nearly all sectors in 2023
In 2023, jobs held by Indigenous people grew by 2.9% to reach nearly 918,000, representing 4.4% of all jobs in Canada.
The construction (+5,580 jobs) and health care and social assistance (+4,505 jobs) sectors contributed the most to the growth in jobs held by Indigenous people in 2023. Combined, these two sectors accounted for nearly one in four jobs held by Indigenous people (23.6%). Among sectors, utilities (+9.4%) and arts, entertainment and recreation (+8.6%) had the highest rates of growth. However, these sectors represent only 2.6% of jobs held by Indigenous people.
The Daily — Indigenous peoples economic account, 2023
Higher representation and income for Indigenous employees in Indigenous-owned businesses
Across all sectors, regions and firm sizes, Indigenous-owned businesses employ a much higher share of Indigenous workers than non-Indigenous-owned businesses. For example, in the construction sector, Indigenous employees represented 24.8% of workers in Indigenous-owned businesses in 2022, compared with 4.3% in non-Indigenous-owned businesses.
In the manufacturing sector, Indigenous employees represented 16.0% of workers in Indigenous-owned businesses compared with 2.6% of those in non-Indigenous-owned businesses.
Indigenous employees also earned more in Indigenous-owned businesses in nearly every sector, with income gaps exceeding 25% in 8 of the 13 sectors.
Indigenous employment and income in Indigenous-owned businesses: A comparative analysis
Note to readers:
Estimates followed by the letter "E" should be used with caution, as they are based on small sample sizes or have wide confidence intervals.