A Canadian data snapshot, through a multicultural lens

Canada’s 158th birthday is fast approaching! It’s another opportunity to celebrate what it means to be Canadian, including the rich diversity of cultural communities that help build a strong and vibrant Canadian society.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is also around the corner on June 27—an opportunity to take a look at some recent Statistics Canada data and analysis related to multiculturalism. Some findings indicate that there is still progress to be made on equality and respect for all.

Diversity among business owners

In the second quarter of 2025, there were nearly one million private-sector businesses operating across Canada. One in five businesses (20.1%) were majority-owned by an immigrant to Canada; one in seven (14.4%) by a visible minority; and 4.5% by First Nations, Métis or Inuit people.

More than 450 ethnic or cultural origins

Canadians reported over 450 different ethnic or cultural origins during the 2021 Census of Population. More than 19 million people, or half the population, reported European origins.

Just over 7 million people, or one in five Canadians, reported Asian origins. Just under 1.4 million reported African origins, while over 900,000 reported Latin, Central, and South American origins. More than 774,500 reported Caribbean origins, and just over 105,000 traced their roots to Oceania.

The census also counted 1.8 million Indigenous people in 2021, representing 5.0% of the population.

Hundreds of languages spoken in Canada

Findings released last year that were based on 2021 Census data indicate that 450 different languages were spoken at home on a regular basis, including 68 Indigenous languages.

Immigration is driving up the number of Canadians who have a non-official language as their mother tongue—in 2021, one in four Canadians had a mother tongue other than English or French, the highest proportion ever recorded in the census. Canadians whose mother tongue is a non-official language engage with official languages. For example, in 2021, 68.8% of Canadians whose mother tongue was neither English nor French spoke an official language at home at least on a regular basis.

Adults in the seven largest racialized groups reporting good or excellent health

Analysis of data from the Canadian Community Health Survey found that, in 2023, the majority (55.2%) of the adult population of the seven largest racialized groups rated their health as generally very good or excellent. This rate was slightly higher than among the overall adult population (52.2%).

The Latin American (61.2%) and Filipino (58.7%) populations were most likely to rate their health this way. This was also the case for their recent immigrant counterparts of the same group.

Racialized seniors less likely to have income from multiple sources

In 2020, 26% of racialized individuals had employment income after the age of 65, compared with 29% of the non-racialized population. Median total income also varied by group, ranging from $21,800 for Korean individuals to $38,800 for Japanese individuals.

Two-thirds (65%) of racialized individuals reported market income after age 65, compared with 85% who were non-racialized. The gap was wider among those reporting Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan benefits (72% and 94%, respectively).

Discrimination in the workplace

The Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC) found that, in 2023, around 85% of Canadians who worked in the past 12 months felt that cultural differences are respected in their workplace.

Conversely, around 12% of those who worked indicated they had experienced unfair treatment, racism or discrimination while at work. Some racialized groups, such as Black and Korean people, were more likely to report these experiences.

Many racialized groups report higher-than-average participation rates in sports

The SSPC also found that more than half of Canadians (55%) aged 15 years and older participated in sports in the 12 months preceding the survey. The participation rates in sports were highest among Korean (62.1%), Chinese (61.7%), West Asian (60.4%), Arab (60.3%) people, and those reporting multiple racialized groups (59.0%).

The SSPC also found that, in 2023, over one-quarter (26%) of sports participants in athletic roles reported feeling that racism and discrimination are problems in community sports in Canada in the previous 12 months.

Learn more

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