In 2004, Canada's population reached 31.9 million. Since 2001, Canada's total population has grown by 3%, or 925,000 people.
From a provincial perspective, population growth between 2001 and 2004 was greatest in Western Canada. The territory of Nunavut reported an increase of 5.3% in their population over this three-year period. The Northwest Territories followed closely behind with an increase of 4.9%.
While many provinces experienced population increases between 2001 and 2004, the population fell in others. The most significant decreases were in Newfoundland, where the population decreased by 1.0%, and in Saskatchewan (0.5%).
Canada's Population 2001 to 2004
Province/Territory
2001
2002
2003
2004
Share of Canada's Population in 2004
% change 2001-2004
Newfoundland & Labrador
522,000
519,400
518,400
517,000
1.6%
-1.0%
Prince Edward Island
136,700
136,900
137,300
137,900
0.4%
0.9%
Nova Scotia
932,400
934,500
936,200
937,000
2.9%
0.5%
New Brunswick
749,900
750,300
750,900
751,400
2.4%
0.2%
Quebec
7,397,000
7,445,700
7,492,300
7,542,800
23.6%
2.0%
Ontario
11,897,600
12,102,000
12,256,600
12,392,700
38.8%
4.2%
Manitoba
1,151,300
1,155,600
1,161,600
1,170,300
3.7%
1.7%
Saskatchewan
1,000,100
995,900
994,400
995,400
3.1%
-0.5%
Alberta
3,056,700
3,116,300
3,158,600
3,201,900
10.0%
4.8%
British Columbia
4,078,400
4,115,400
4,152,300
4,196,400
13.1%
2.9%
Yukon
30,100
30,100
30,600
31,200
0.1%
3.7%
Northwest Territories
40,800
41,500
42,200
42,800
0.1%
4.9%
Nunavut
28,100
28,700
29,100
29,600
0.1%
5.3%
CANADA
31,021,300
31,372,600
31,660,500
31,946,300
100.0%
3.0%
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using data from Statistics Canada's CANSIM, Table 051-0001.
Canada's Population, by Age Group, 2004
Age Group
Number
% Distribution
0-4 years
1,695,900
5.3%
5-9 years
1,915,200
6.0%
10-14 years
2,117,200
6.6%
15-19 years
2,125,900
6.7%
20-24 years
2,223,200
7.0%
25-34 years
4,381,100
13.7%
35-44 years
5,154,300
16.1%
45-54 years
4,805,900
15.0%
55-64 years
3,386,700
10.6%
65-74 years
2,212,900
6.9%
75+ years
1,928,100
6.0%
TOTAL POPULATION
31,946,300
100.0%
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using data from Statistics Canada's CANSIM, Table 051-0001.
URBAN OR RURAL?
Canada's population is primarily urban based. Data from the 2001 Census revealed that 79.6% of Canadians or 23,585,940 people resided in urban centres, with the remainder, 20.4%, living in rural locations. Ontario and British Columbia reported the highest concentrations of urban dwellers in 2001.
Not surprisingly, the largest proportion of Canada's rural population lived in the Territories. Nunavut was the highest at 67.6%.
Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), Population by Age Group, 2003
Census Metropolitan Area
Under 20 years
Aged 20-64 years
Aged 65+ years
Total Population
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
St. John's
42,104
23.4%
118,676
66.0%
18,929
10.5%
179,709
Halifax
88,859
23.5%
247,465
65.5%
41,608
11.0%
377,932
Montreal
833,010
23.3%
2,280,351
63.8%
461,355
12.9%
3,574,516
Ottawa-Gatineau
281,701
24.9%
728,752
64.4%
121,728
10.8%
1,132,181
Toronto
1,296,468
25.4%
3,243,770
63.6%
561,372
11.0%
5,101,610
Saskatoon
63,266
27.0%
143,429
61.3%
27,244
11.6%
233,939
Calgary
258,035
25.1%
677,174
66.0%
91,407
8.9%
1,026,616
Edmonton
256,155
25.9%
628,989
63.5%
105,381
10.6%
990,525
Vancouver
490,458
23.0%
1,388,267
65.0%
255,561
12.0%
2,134,286
Victoria
66,830
20.5%
203,835
62.4%
56,003
17.1%
326,668
Source : Calculations by the Canadian Council on Social Development, using data from Statistics Canada's Annual Demographic Statistics 2004, Catalogue 91-213-X1B.
The CCSD continues its traditional examination of issues affecting metropolitan areas by conducting a detailed study of Urban Poverty in Canada. Using a variety of Statistics Canada databases to obtain local-level data, this report examines the factors underlying poverty and the groups most affected by it in different urban communities across the country. (Summer 2006)
Poverty by Postal Code: This research, conducted by the CCSD for the United Way of Greater Toronto, documents the widening income gap over the last two decades and the growth of high-poverty neighbourhoods throughout the GTA.
The number of births in Canada reached 331,522 in 2002/03, a slight increase (1.3%) from 2000/01.
Over this two-year period (2000/01 to 2002/03), most provinces and territories saw a decrease in the number of annual births. However, Ontario reported a 3.3% increase in annual births during this period.
Annual Births in Canada and the Provinces/Territories
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
% of all Canadian births in 2002/03
% change, 2000-2003
Newfoundland & Labrador
4,732
4,664
4,573
1.4%
-3.4%
Prince Edward Island
1,381
1,379
1,384
0.4%
0.2%
Nova Scotia
8,922
8,839
8,710
2.6%
-2.4%
New Brunswick
7,202
7,141
7,050
2.1%
-2.1%
Quebec
71,825
72,500
71,964
21.7%
0.2%
Ontario
127,741
132,094
131,921
39.8%
3.3%
Manitoba
13,939
13,942
13,834
4.2%
-0.8%
Saskatchewan
12,084
12,215
12,123
3.7%
0.3%
Alberta
37,197
37,843
38,163
11.5%
2.6%
British Columbia
40,367
40,523
40,134
12.1%
-0.6%
Yukon
348
340
333
0.1%
-4.3%
Northwest Territories
656
610
606
0.2%
-7.6%
Nunavut
713
716
727
0.2%
2.0%
CANADA
327,107
332,806
331,522
100.0%
1.3%
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using data from Statistics Canada's Annual Demographic Statistics 2004, Catalogue 91-213-XIB.
Among Canadian provinces and territories, seven reported declines in the number of annual births between 2000 and 2003. The largest decrease was in the Northwest Territories, with a drop of 7.6%. The Yukon also reported a decline of 4.3% over this period.
Of the 331,522 births reported in Canada in 2002/03, most were in Ontario (39.6%) and Quebec (21.7%).
The average age of mothers giving birth in 2002 was 29.5 years up a full year from 1992, when the average age was 28.4 years. Mothers in Nunavut were the youngest in the country, with an average age of 25.1 years. Among the provinces, Saskatchewan had the youngest mothers, with an average age of 27.5 years.
Fertility rates are a measure of the average number of children that women will bear during their lifetime. Between 2001 and 2002, the fertility rate among Canadian women fell slightly, from 1.51 to 1.50. In 2000, fertility rates in Canada hit an all-time low falling to 1.49.
Canada's fertility rate falls midway among many of the other industrialized nations. Countries such as the United States, France and Australia have fertility rates which exceed 1.5, while Germany, Japan and Italy all have fertility rates lower than those of Canada.
Nunavut had the highest fertility rate in Canada for 2002, at 3.04. Among the provinces, Saskatchewan (at 1.82) reported the highest fertility rate, in sharp contrast to Newfoundland's low rate of 1.31 births per woman.
Fertility Rates, Canada and Select Countries, 2002
Province/Territory/Country
Fertility Rate*
Newfoundland & Labrador
1.31
Prince Edward Island
1.47
Nova Scotia
1.37
New Brunswick
1.39
Quebec
1.46
Ontario
1.47
Manitoba
1.80
Saskatchewan
1.82
Alberta
1.69
British Columbia
1.38
Yukon
1.56
Northwest Territories**
1.89
Nunavut**
3.04
CANADA***
1.5
United States
2.0
France
1.9
Australia
1.7
United Kingdom
1.6
Germany
1.4
Japan
1.3
Italy
1.2
Notes: *Total fertility rate is an estimate of the average number of children that women aged 15 to 49 will have in their lifetimes. **Data for Nunavut were excluded from the NWT. ***Canada's rate includes births where mother's place of residence was unknown.
In 2001, a newborn Canadian had a life expectancy of 79.6 years; for Canadians aged 65, their life expectancy was an additional 19 years.
In British Columbia, life expectancy from birth was the highest in Canada, at 80.4 years, and seniors in that province had a life expectancy of 19.7 years. The lowest life expectancy rate was in Nunavut, with a rate of 69.4 years from birth, and 15.5 years from the age of 65.
Life Expectancy, 2001
At Birth
At Age 65
Newfoundland & Labrador
78.0
17.4
Prince Edward Island
78.9
18.8
Nova Scotia
78.9
18.3
New Brunswick
79.0
18.5
Quebec
79.4
18.7
Ontario
79.9
19.0
Manitoba
78.6
18.8
Saskatchewan
79.2
19.1
Alberta
79.7
19.4
British Columbia
80.4
19.7
Yukon
77.5
16.8
Northwest Territories
75.9
16.4
Nunavut
69.4
15.5
CANADA
79.6
19.0
Note: Life expectancy is the number of years a person would be expected to live, starting at birth or at age 65.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Vital Statistics, Births and Deaths Databases, Demography Division, CANSIM Table 102-0511.
In 2002/03, there were 227,630 deaths reported in Canada. Perhaps not surprisingly, the largest number were recorded in Ontario with 85,950 deaths, followed by Quebec with 54,585.
The death rate per 1,000 population in Canada that year was 7.2. The highest rate was in Ontario, at 9.0 deaths per 1,000 population, and the lowest rate was in the Northwest Territories, at 4.2 deaths per 1,000 population.
ABORIGINAL POPULATION
According to the 2001 Census, 976,305 people in Canada identified themselves as being members of one of three Aboriginal groups North American Indian, Mιtis or Inuit. This represents 3.3% of Canada's total population.
The Aboriginal population in Canada is growing. Between 1996 and 2001, the Aboriginal population increased by 22%.
About one-third of Canada's Aboriginal population are children under the age of 14 significantly higher than the corresponding 18% proportion among the non-Aboriginal population. And while Aboriginals represent 3.3% of Canada's total population, they comprise 5.6% of all children in Canada.
Seniors in the Aboriginal population (that is, those over the age of 65) are relatively few 4.1% in comparison to almost three times that proportion (12.8%) in the non-Aboriginal population. However, between 1996 and 2001, the number of Aboriginal seniors rose by 40%.
The highest concentration of Aboriginals live in Ontario. In 2001, 188,315 Aboriginals lived in Ontario, but they accounted for only 2% of the province's population. Alberta and Manitoba followed closely behind, with Aboriginal populations of 156,220 and 150,040 respectively.
The 22,720 Aboriginals living in Nunavut in 2001 represented over 80% of the Territory's population. The Northwest Territories also has a large Aboriginal population (45.6%). Prince Edward Island has the smallest Aboriginal population in Canada 1,345 people, or only 1% of the provincial population.
VISIBLE MINORITIES
According to the 2001 Census data, almost 4 million people in Canada identified themselves as being members of visible minority groups. This represented 13.4% of Canada's total population. This proportion has been steadily increasing, and between 1996 and 2001, the number of visible minorities in Canada grew by 25%.
The largest visible minority group in Canada is Chinese. In 2001, approximately one million Chinese people lived here, accounting for 25.8% of Canada's visible minority population.
The second largest group is South Asian with 917,075 people representing 23% of the visible minority population followed by those identifying themselves as Black, with 662,210 individuals or 16.6% of the visible minority population. Combined, these three groups accounted for about two-thirds of Canada's visible minority population in 2001.
Canada's Visible Minority Population, 2001
Number
% of Canada's Visible Minority Population
Black
662,210
16.6%
South Asian
917,075
23.0%
Chinese
1,029,395
25.8%
Korean
100,660
2.5%
Japanese
73,315
1.8%
Southeast Asian
198,880
5.0%
Filipino
308,575
7.7%
Arab/West Asian
303,965
7.6%
Latin American
216,975
5.4%
Visible minority not included elsewhere
98,920
2.5%
Multiple visible minority
73,875
1.9%
TOTAL
3,983,845
100%
Source: Calculations by the CCSD using data from Statistics Canada's 2001 Census.
IMMIGRATION
In 2002, 229,121 new immigrants came to Canada. Ontario attracted the largest number of immigrants (133,641), which was 58% of all immigrants that year. In addition, 37,627 immigrants went to Quebec (16%), followed by British Columbia with 34,000 or 15% of the total immigrant population.
During the 1990s, 73% of immigrants who came to Canada settled in just three Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs): Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. According to the 2001 Census, approximately 44% of Toronto's population were born outside of Canada, and the CMA of Toronto was home to 2,033,000 foreign-born people in 2001.
See also: Immigrant Youth in Canada, 2000. This report examines the socio-demographic characteristics of immigrant children and youth, provides data on their social supports and the capacity of service agencies to respond to their needs, and presents first-person accounts of their experiences integrating into Canadian society.
Immigration to Canada, by Province/Territory, 2000 to 2002
Number of Immigrants arrving in:
2000
2001
2002
% change 2000 to 2002
Newfoundland & Labrador
415
402
405
-2.4%
Prince Edward Island
191
135
110
-42.4%
Nova Scotia
1,607
1,711
1,419
-11.7%
New Brunswick
761
809
710
-6.7%
Quebec
32,489
37,523
37,627
15.8%
Ontario
133,440
148,571
133,641
0.2%
Manitoba
4,644
4,588
4,621
-0.5%
Saskatchewan
1,891
1,708
1,665
-12.0%
Alberta
14,332
16,377
14,729
2.8%
British Columbia
37,409
38,352
34,000
-9.1%
Yukon
60
67
49
-18.3%
Northwest Territories
82
93
61
-25.6%
Nunavut
12
136
42
250.0%
Not Stated
13
136
42
223.1%
CANADA
227,346
250,608
229,121
0.8%
Note: Includes principal applicants and dependants. Source: Calculations by the CCSD using data from Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Facts and Figures 2002: Immigration Overview.
Immigration levels have fluctuated over the years. Between 1992 and 1994, the number of immigrants to Canada dropped from 254,817 to 224,364, a decrease of 12%. Levels then rose slightly in the mid-1990s, but started climbing quickly in 1998. Between 1998 and 2001, the number of new immigrants to Canada increased by 44%. The following year, however, saw a drop of 9%, from 250,608 to 229,121.
