National Indigenous History Month... By the numbers

Children and youth

According to the 2021 Census, 433,485 Indigenous children aged 1 to 14 made up 24% of the total Indigenous population. More specifically, this age group represented 26% of First Nations people (25% with and 29% without registered Indian status), 21% of Métis, and 31% of Inuit. In comparison, 15% of the non-Indigenous population was between the ages of 1 and 14. (First Nations children living off reserve, Métis children, and Inuit children and their families: Selected findings from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey)
In 2022, 70% of Indigenous children aged 1 to 5 (excluding those living on reserve) had participated in at least one harvesting or cultural activity in the previous 12 months. (Harvesting and cultural activities among Indigenous children)
In 2022, four in five (80%) Indigenous children aged 1 to 14 (excluding those living on reserve) were reported by their parent to have excellent or very good health (79% of First Nations children living off reserve, 82% of Métis children, and 77% of Inuit children). (First Nations children living off reserve, Métis children, and Inuit children and their families: Selected findings from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey)

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. (Indigenous language families in Canada: New reports from the 2021 Census of Population)
Census data revealed that the share of Indigenous language speakers who learned the language as a second language rose from 25.7% in 2016 to 29.5% in 2021. The remaining share (70.5%) learned it as their mother tongue. (Indigenous language families in Canada: New reports from the 2021 Census of Population)
In 2022, 29% of First Nations children living off reserve, 14% of Métis, and 66% of Inuit children aged 6 to 14 were taught an Indigenous language at school. (First Nations children living off reserve, Métis children, and Inuit children and their families: Selected findings from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey)

About 18% of First Nations people living off reserve, 16% of Métis, and 40% of Inuit travelled outside their community for health care in the 12 months prior to the 2024 survey. (Health care access and experiences among Indigenous people, 2024)
In 2024, health care services that support Indigenous traditional medicines, healing and wellness practices in the Canadian health care system were very or somewhat important to First Nations people living off reserve (86%), Inuit (82%) and Métis (70%). (Health care access and experiences among Indigenous people, 2024)

In 2022, Indigenous gross domestic income (GDI) reached $60.2 billion, up 9.8% from 2021. This represented 2.3% of Canada's total GDI. The fastest growth was in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+30.6%) and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (+21.1%). Combined, these sectors accounted for 6.8% of Indigenous GDI. (Indigenous peoples economic account, 2022)
About 90% of Indigenous-owned businesses are small (less than 10 employees), with 31.4% located in rural areas. (Survival Rate and Performance of Indigenous-owned Businesses)

In 2024, about 6 in 10 First Nations people living off reserve (59%), Métis (58%) and Inuit (62%) reported rising prices added to the amount of stress in their household and relationships during the past six months. (Impacts of rising prices on the well-being of Indigenous people, 2024)
In 2024, rising costs such as for gasoline, ammunition, or equipment limited the ability to hunt, fish, or trap for 17% of First Nations people living off reserve, 14% of Métis, and 32% of Inuit. Additionally, 61% of Fist Nations people living off reserve, 59% of Métis, and 64% of Inuit reported that rising prices had limited the amount of healthy and nutritious food they could buy during the past six months. (Impacts of rising prices on the well-being of Indigenous people, 2024)

In 2022, the number of jobs held by Indigenous people in Canada grew by 4.4% year over year to reach nearly 886,000. Nearly 1 in 22 jobs in Canada were held by Indigenous people. (Indigenous peoples economic account, 2022)
Trades most often chosen by Indigenous journeymen were electricians (15%), carpenters (10%) and welders (8%), whereas the trades most often chosen by Indigenous journeywomen were hairstylists (40%) and cooks (12%). (Indigenous journeypersons: Trends and socioeconomic characteristics, 2010 to 2020)
In 2021/2022, First Nations (72%), Métis (65%) and Inuit (69%) women were more likely to enter undergraduate degree programs than their male counterparts (First Nations men 28%; Métis men 35%; Inuit men 31%). Indigenous women, regardless of their Indigenous identity, were also more likely than non-Indigenous women (59%) to enter the same programs. (Highlights on Indigenous new entrants to postsecondary education)

As of 2024, about 8 in 10 First Nations people living off reserve (82%), Métis (81%), and Inuit (78%) reported experiencing an extreme weather event or natural disaster that caused a severe disruption to their daily activities. (Emergency preparedness and extreme weather experiences of Indigenous people, 2024)
In 2024, 18% of First Nations people living off reserve, 21% of Métis, and 17% of Inuit reported feeling extremely or very prepared for an extreme weather event or natural disaster. (Emergency preparedness and extreme weather experiences of Indigenous people, 2024)