2021 Canadian census

Last updated

2021 Canadian census

  2016 May 11, 2021 (2021-05-11) 2026  

Canadian Census 2021 logo.svg
Statistics Canada's visual identifier for
its 2021 Census of Population
Statistics Canada logo.svg
General information
CountryCanada
Authority Statistics Canada
Website statcan.gc.ca/census
Results
Total population36,991,981 (Increase2.svg 5.2%)
Most populous province/territory Ontario (14,223,942)
Least populous province/territory Nunavut (36,858)

The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. [1] It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. [2] The overall response rate was 98%, which is slightly lower than the response rate for the 2016 census. [3] It recorded a population of 36,991,981, a 5.2% increase from 2016. [4] It will be succeeded by Canada's 2026 census.

Contents

Planning

Consultation on census program content was from September 11 to December 8, 2017. [5] The census was conducted by Statistics Canada, and was contactless as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. [6] The agency had considered delaying the census until 2022. [7]

About 900 supervisors and 31,000 field enumerators were hired to conduct the door-to-door survey of individuals and households who had not completed the census questionnaire by late May or early June. [1] Canvassing agents wore masks and maintained a physical distance to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. [8]

Questionnaire

In early May 2021, Statistics Canada began sending mailings to households throughout Canada containing instructions for completing the census questionnaire. [9] The questionnaires could be completed by returning the paper questionnaire, or by phone or online by using an access code provided in the mailing. [9] Statistics Canada expected about 80% of households to complete the questionnaire online. [9] It was also available in large-print, braille, audio, and video formats. [10] The questionnaire questions were available in a number of languages (Arabic, simplified and traditional Chinese, Italian, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese) and indigenous languages (Atikamekw, Denesuline, Nunavik and Nunavut Inuktitut, Mohawk, Montagnais, Naskapi, Northern Quebec Cree, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree, Plains Cree, Swampy Cree, and Tłı̨chǫ), but the questionnaire had to be completed in either English or French. [10]

The standard short-form questionnaire was to be completed by 75% of households. [9] The other 25% completed a long-form questionnaire to collect data about the household's economic and social state, information about the occupied dwelling, and other data in addition to age, languages spoken, marital status, religious affiliation, and other basic data collected in the short-form questionnaire. [9]

Those who completed the census questionnaire online could listen to a number of soundtracks on Spotify and YouTube prepared by Statistics Canada. [9]

Completing the questionnaire is a legal requirement, and those who refuse to do so may be fined up to $500. [9] It must be completed by citizens of Canada, permanent residents, refugee claimants, and those with a study or work permit. [11]

Data release schedule

The release dates for data by release topic from the 2021 census are: [12]

Data

Statistics Canada links income and related information obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency, and immigration status obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to the census responses. [13]

The 2021 Canadian census included new questions "critical to measuring equity, diversity and inclusivity". [9] For the first time, questions were asked about commuting methods and the census counted transgender people and people of non-binary gender. Canada has been noted in this instance to be the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people. [14]

Results

The 2021 census recorded a total federal population of 36,991,981, living in 14,978,941 of its 16,284,235 private dwellings. With a land area of 8,788,702.80 km2 (3,393,337.12 sq mi), its population density was

The population of Canada rose by 5.2 per cent federally since the 2016 census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. Three provinces' and one territory's population grew faster than Canada's overall population increase: Yukon – a 12.1 per cent increase, Prince Edward Island – an 8 per cent increase, British Columbia – a 7.6 per cent increase, and Ontario – a 5.8 per cent increase. The rapid growth in Yukon is largely credited to immigration and migration from within Canada. [16] At the other end of the spectrum, only one province and one territory saw a decrease in population since 2016: Newfoundland and Labrador – a 1.8 per cent decrease, and the Northwest Territories — a 1.7 per cent decrease. [15]

The majority of Canadians identified as female at 50.73%, while 49.27% of the population identified as male. The median age overall was 41.6 years – 40.4 years for males and 42.8 years for females. [17]

59,460 Canadians identify as transgender and 41,355 identify as non-binary. [14]

Population

RankProvince or territoryPopulation as of
2021 census
Population as of
2016 census
ChangePercent
change
1Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario 14,223,94213,448,494775,448 Increase2.svg5.8 Increase2.svg
2Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec 8,501,8338,164,361337,472 Increase2.svg4.1 Increase2.svg
3Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia 5,000,8794,648,055352,824 Increase2.svg7.6 Increase2.svg
4Flag of Alberta.svg  Alberta 4,262,6354,067,175195,460 Increase2.svg4.8 Increase2.svg
5Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba 1,342,1531,278,36563,788 Increase2.svg5.0 Increase2.svg
6Flag of Saskatchewan.svg  Saskatchewan 1,132,5051,098,35234,153 Increase2.svg3.1 Increase2.svg
7Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia 969,383923,59845,785 Increase2.svg5.0 Increase2.svg
8Flag of New Brunswick.svg  New Brunswick 775,610747,10128,509 Increase2.svg3.8 Increase2.svg
9Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg  Newfoundland and Labrador 510,550519,716−9,166 Decrease2.svg−1.8 Decrease2.svg
10Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg  Prince Edward Island 154,331142,90711,424 Increase2.svg8.0 Increase2.svg
11Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg  Northwest Territories 41,07041,786−716 Decrease2.svg−1.7 Decrease2.svg
12Flag of Yukon.svg  Yukon 40,23235,8744,358 Increase2.svg12.1 Increase2.svg
13Flag of Nunavut.svg  Nunavut 36,85835,944914 Increase2.svg2.5 Increase2.svg
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 36,991,98135,151,7281,840,253 Increase2.svg5.2 Increase2.svg

Age, sex at birth, and gender

Province or TerritoryAgeGenderSex at birth
0–1415–6465+Men+ [lower-alpha 1] Women+ [lower-alpha 2] MaleFemale
Alberta809,6402,823,771629,2252,127,9352,134,7002,126,9252,135,710
British Columbia716,9003,267,6151,016,3602,457,5152,543,3652,456,4202,544,455
Manitoba252,935860,165229,050666,495675,660666,000676,155
New Brunswick111,130487,320177,160381,460394,150381,260394,350
Newfoundland and Labrador68,190321,750120,610250,075260,475249,985260,560
Northwest Territories8,47528,4854,10520,84520,22520,84520,220
Nova Scotia136,710617,345215,325471,735497,650471,180498,200
Nunavut12,08523,1701,60518,76518,09518,75518,105
Ontario2,251,7959,334,4402,637,7106,970,8507,253,0906,968,4257,255,515
Prince Edward Island23,64097,98532,71075,38578,94575,37078,965
Quebec1,391,3605,356,9401,753,5304,201,9604,299,8754,201,3604,300,475
Saskatchewan223,110711,410197,985563,125569,380562,905569,600
Yukon6,82527,3606,05020,10520,13020,08520,150
Canada6,012,79523,957,7557,021,43018,226,24018,765,74518,219,52018,772,465
Source: Statistics Canada [18] [19]

Ethnic origins

GroupPopulation % of total
population
Not a visible minority 26,689,27573.5
   White 25,364,14069.8
Indigenous 1,807,2505.0
Visible minority9,639,20526.5
   South Asian 2,571,4007.1
Chinese 1,715,7704.7
Black 1,547,8704.3
Filipino 957,3552.6
Arab 694,0151.9
Latin American 580,2351.6
Southeast Asian 390,3401.1
West Asian 360,4951.0
Korean 218,1400.6
Japanese 98,8900.3
Multiple visible minorities331,8050.9
Visible minority, n.i.e.172,8850.5
Total36,328,480100.0
Source: Statistics Canada [20]

See also

Notes

  1. This category includes men and boys, as well as some non-binary persons.
  2. This category includes women and girls, as well as some non-binary persons.

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