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British Columbia is a Canadian province with a population of about 5.6 million people. The province represents about 13.2% of the population of the Canadian population. Most of the population is between the ages of 15 and 49. About 60 percent of British Columbians have European descent with significant Asian and Aboriginal minorities. Just under 30% of British Columbians are immigrants. Over half of the population is irreligious, with Christianity and Sikhism being the most followed religions.
2020 [1]
Birth rate: 8.3 births per 1,000 (2021) (Canadian average = 9.9) [2]
Death rate: 8.3 deaths per 1,000 (2021) [2] (Canadian average = 8.3)
Infant mortality rate: 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births [3]
Life expectancy at birth: 82.4 years
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born per woman (Canadian average = 1.40)
| Males | Females | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age group | Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
| 0–4 | 105,809 | 2.4% | 100,116 | 2.2% |
| 5–9 | 117,908 | 2.8% | 111,383 | 2.6% |
| 10–14 | 133,809 | 3.1% | 126,388 | 3.0% |
| 15–19 | 143,449 | 3.4% | 136,227 | 3.2% |
| 20–24 | 155,369 | 3.7% | 147,770 | 3.5% |
| 25–29 | 139,521 | 3.3% | 138,299 | 3.3% |
| 30–34 | 144,788 | 3.4% | 145,869 | 3.4% |
| 35–39 | 155,429 | 3.7% | 158,364 | 3.7% |
| 40–44 | 177,381 | 4.2% | 179,216 | 4.2% |
| 45–49 | 172,786 | 4.1% | 177,082 | 4.2% |
| 50–54 | 157,596 | 3.7% | 159,965 | 3.8% |
| 55–59 | 138,096 | 3.2% | 139,772 | 3.3% |
| 60–64 | 101,610 | 2.4% | 103,764 | 2.4% |
| 65–69 | 80,051 | 1.9% | 82,363 | 1.9% |
| 70–74 | 70,060 | 1.6% | 72,493 | 1.7% |
| 75–79 | 54,572 | 1.3% | 64,344 | 1.5% |
| 80–84 | 36,304 | 0.8% | 53,047 | 1.2% |
| 85+ | 24,544 | 0.6% | 48,978 | 1.1% |
| Totals | 2,109,082 | 49.6% | 2,145,440 | 50.4% |
| Source: BCStats [4] | ||||
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Year | Population | Five year % change | Ten year % change | Rank among provinces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | 55,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1861 | 51,524 | n/a | −6.3 | n/a |
| 1871 | 36,247 | n/a | −29.7 | 7 |
| 1881 | 49,459 | n/a | 36.4 | 8 |
| 1891 | 98,173 | n/a | 98.5 | 8 |
| 1901 | 178,657 | n/a | 82.0 | 6 |
| 1911 | 392,480 | n/a | 119.7 | 6 |
| 1921 | 524,582 | n/a | 33.7 | 6 |
| 1931 | 694,263 | n/a | 32.3 | 6 |
| 1941 | 817,861 | n/a | 17.8 | 4 |
| 1951 | 1,165,210 | n/a | 42.5 | 3 |
| 1956 | 1,398,464 | 20.0 | n/a | 3 |
| 1961 | 1,629,082 | 16.5 | 39.8 | 3 |
| 1966 | 1,873,674 | 15.0 | 34.0 | 3 |
| 1971 | 2,184,620 | 16.6 | 34.1 | 3 |
| 1976 | 2,466,610 | 12.9 | 31.6 | 3 |
| 1981 | 2,744,467 | 11.3 | 25.6 | 3 |
| 1986 | 2,883,370 | 5.1 | 16.9 | 3 |
| 1991 | 3,282,061 | 13.8 | 19.6 | 3 |
| 1996 | 3,724,500 | 13.5 | 29.2 | 3 |
| 2001 | 3,907,738 | 4.9 | 19.1 | 3 |
| 2006 | 4,113,487 | 5.4 | 10.4 | 3 |
| 2011 | 4,400,057 | 7.0 | 12.6 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4,648,055 | 5.6 | 13.0 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5,000,879 | 7.6 | 13.7 | 3 |
| Part of a series on |
| Ethnicity in British Columbia |
|---|
First-generation immigrants from the British Isles remain a strong component of local society despite limitations on immigration from Britain since the ending of special status for British subjects in the 1960s. Also present in large numbers relative to other cities in Canada (except Toronto), and also present in BC ever since the province was first settled (unlike Toronto), are many European ethnicities of the first and second generation, notably Germans, Ukrainians, Scandinavians, Yugoslavs and Italians; third-generation Europeans are generally of mixed lineage, and traditionally intermarried with other ethnic groups more than in any other Canadian province.
In recent decades, the proportion of those of Chinese and Indian ethnicity has risen sharply, though still outnumbered by the historically strong population of those of German ancestry. Visible minorities have become an important factor in ethnic-based politics, though most visible minorities are less numerous than the long-standing non-British European ethnicities making up BC's "invisible minorities".
Note: The following statistics represent both single (e.g., "German") and multiple (e.g., "part Chinese, part English") responses to the 2006 and 2016 Census, and thus add up to more than 100%.
| Ethnic group | 2016 [6] | 2006 [7] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| English | 1,203,540 | 26.39% | 1,207,245 | 29.63% |
| Canadian | 866,530 | 19% | 720,200 | 17.67% |
| Scottish | 860,775 | 18.88% | 828,145 | 20.32% |
| Irish | 675,135 | 14.80% | 618,120 | 15.17% |
| German | 603,265 | 13.23% | 561,570 | 13.78% |
| Chinese | 540,155 | 11.84% | 432,435 | 10.60% |
| French | 388,815 | 8.53% | 361,215 | 8.86% |
| Indian | 309,315 | 6.78% | 232,370 | 5.70% |
| Ukrainian | 229,205 | 5.03% | 197,265 | 4.84% |
| Indigenous peoples of North America | 220,245 | 4.83% | 193,060 | 4.74% |
| Dutch (Netherlands) | 213,670 | 4.69% | 196,420 | 4.82% |
| Italian | 166,095 | 3.64% | 143,155 | 3.51% |
| Polish | 149,635 | 3.28% | 128,360 | 3.15% |
| Norwegian | 138,430 | 3.04% | 129,420 | 3.18% |
| Russian | 131,060 | 2.87% | 114,105 | 2.80% |
| Welsh | 113,905 | 2.5% | 104,275 | 2.56% |
| Swedish | 110,030 | 2.41% | 104,025 | 2.55% |
| Filipino | 158,215 | 3.47% | 94,255 | 2.3% |
| Métis | 90,515 | 1.98% | 62,570 | 1.5% |
| American (USA) | 78,170 | 1.71% | 66,765 | 1.6% |
| Spanish | 64,470 | 1.41% | 52,640 | 1.3% |
| Korean | 63,300 | 1.39% | 51,860 | 1.3% |
| Danish | 58,205 | 1.28% | 56,125 | 1.4% |
| Hungarian (Magyar) | 56,535 | 1.24% | 49,870 | 1.2% |
| Japanese | 51,150 | 1.12% | 41,585 | 1.0% |
| Austrian | 48,510 | 1.06% | 46,620 | 1.1% |
| Iranian | 47,985 | 1.05% | 29,265 | 0.7% |
| Portuguese | 41,770 | 0.92% | 34,660 | 0.9% |
| Vietnamese | 41,435 | 0.91% | 30,835 | 0.8% |
| Punjabi | 38,725 | 0.85% | 18,525 | 0.5% |
| Finnish | 34,150 | 0.75% | 29,875 | 0.7% |
| Swiss | 31,390 | 0.69% | 28,240 | 0.7% |
| Romanian | 31,250 | 0.69% | 25,670 | 0.6% |
| Icelandic | 26,410 | 0.58% | 22,110 | 0.5% |
| Greek | 24,460 | 0.54% | 21,770 | 0.5% |
| Croatian | 23,845 | 0.52% | 18,815 | 0.5% |
| Czech | 23,375 | 0.51% | 21,150 | 0.5% |
| Belgian | 19,980 | 0.44% | 17,510 | 0.4% |
| Jewish | 17,580 | 0.39% | 30,830 | 0.8% |
| 2031 [8] [9] | 2036 [8] [9] | 2041 [8] [9] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | % | Population | % | Population | % | |
| 3,145,000 | 51.46% | 3,112,000 | 48.23% | 3,060,000 | 45.37% | |
| 977,000 | 15.99% | 1,072,000 | 16.61% | 1,160,000 | 17.2% | |
| 789,000 | 12.91% | 861,000 | 13.34% | 927,000 | 13.75% | |
| 125,000 | 2.05% | 143,000 | 2.22% | 161,000 | 2.39% | |
| 63,000 | 1.03% | 68,000 | 1.05% | 72,000 | 1.07% | |
| 748,000 | 12.24% | 860,000 | 13.33% | 958,000 | 14.21% | |
| 399,000 | 6.53% | 429,000 | 6.65% | 456,000 | 6.76% | |
| 246,000 | 4.03% | 262,000 | 4.06% | 278,000 | 4.12% | |
| 142,000 | 2.32% | 155,000 | 2.4% | 166,000 | 2.46% | |
| 2,000 | 0.03% | 2,000 | 0.03% | 3,000 | 0.04% | |
| 9,000 | 0.15% | 10,000 | 0.15% | 10,000 | 0.15% |
| 366,000 | 5.99% | 421,000 | 6.52% | 475,000 | 7.04% | |
| 277,000 | 4.53% | 323,000 | 5.01% | 369,000 | 5.47% | |
| 89,000 | 1.46% | 98,000 | 1.52% | 106,000 | 1.57% |
| 169,000 | 2.77% | 199,000 | 3.08% | 227,000 | 3.37% | |
| 55,000 | 0.9% | 65,000 | 1.01% | 74,000 | 1.1% | |
| 114,000 | 1.87% | 134,000 | 2.08% | 153,000 | 2.27% | |
| 108,000 | 1.77% | 124,000 | 1.92% | 139,000 | 2.06% | |
| 101,000 | 1.65% | 118,000 | 1.83% | 134,000 | 1.99% | |
| 99,000 | 1.62% | 117,000 | 1.81% | 135,000 | 2% |
| Projected British Columbia population | 6,111,000 | 100% | 6,453,000 | 100% | 6,744,000 | 100% |
Population of British Columbia by visible minority and indigenous identity (2021): [11]
| Visible minority and Indigenous population (2021 Canadian census) [12] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population group | Population | % | |
| European [lower-alpha 1] | 2,936,245 | 59.7% | |
| Visible minority group | South Asian | 473,965 | 9.6% |
| Chinese | 550,590 | 11.2% | |
| Black | 61,760 | 1.3% | |
| Filipino | 174,280 | 3.5% | |
| Arab | 28,010 | 0.6% | |
| Latin American | 65,970 | 1.3% | |
| Southeast Asian | 71,785 | 1.5% | |
| West Asian | 69,270 | 1.4% | |
| Korean | 72,815 | 1.5% | |
| Japanese | 44,120 | 0.9% | |
| Visible minority, n.i.e. | 18,080 | 0.4% | |
| Multiple visible minorities | 58,840 | 1.2% | |
| Total visible minority population | 1,689,490 | 34.4% | |
| Indigenous group | First Nations (North American Indian) | 180,085 | 3.7% |
| Métis | 97,860 | 2.0% | |
| Inuk (Inuit) | 1,720 | 0.0% | |
| Multiple Indigenous responses | 5,980 | 0.1% | |
| Indigenous responses n.i.e. | 4,560 | 0.1% | |
| Total Indigenous population | 290,210 | 5.9% | |
| Total population | 4,915,945 | 100.0% | |
The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census and the 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least one per cent of respondents.
| Language | 2021 [13] | 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| English | 4,753,280 | 96.69% | 4,560,235 | 96.60% |
| French | 327,350 | 6.66% | 314,225 | 6.89% |
| Punjabi | 315,000 | 6.41% | 244,485 | 5.36% |
| Mandarin | 312,625 | 6.36% | 265,635 | 5.83% |
| Cantonese | 246,045 | 5.01% | 234,445 | 5.14% |
| Spanish | 143,900 | 2.93% | 115,115 | 2.52% |
| Hindi | 134,950 | 2.75% | 81,330 | 1.78% |
| Tagalog | 133,780 | 2.72% | 113,265 | 2.48% |
| German | 84,325 | 1.72% | 95,005 | 2.08% |
| Korean | 69,935 | 1.42% | 57,490 | 1.26% |
| Iranian Persian [lower-alpha 2] | 61,525 | 1.25% | 49,835 | 1.09% |
Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses. Numerous other languages were also counted, but only languages with more than 2,000 native speakers are shown.
| Language | 2016 Census | % | 2006 Census | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 3,170,110 | 70.5% | 2,875,770 | 71.5% |
| Punjabi | 198,805 | 4.4% | 158,750 | 3.9% |
| Cantonese | 193,530 | 4.3% | 131,245 | 3.3% |
| Mandarin | 186,325 | 4.1% | 72,160 | 1.8% |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | 78,770 | 1.8% | 50,425 | 1.3% |
| German | 66,885 | 1.5% | 86,690 | 2.2% |
| French | 55,325 | 1.2% | 54,745 | 1.4% |
| Korean | 52,160 | 1.2% | 46,500 | 1.2% |
| Spanish | 47,010 | 1.0% | 34,075 | 0.9% |
| Persian | 43,470 | 1.0% | 28,150 | 0.7% |
| Vietnamese | 27,150 | 0.6% | 24,560 | 0.7% |
| Hindi | 26,720 | 0.6% | 23,240 | 0.6% |
| Russian | 25,955 | 0.6% | 19,320 | 0.5% |
| Italian | 22,680 | 0.5% | 27,020 | 0.7% |
| Japanese | 21,350 | 0.5% | 20,040 | 0.5% |
| Dutch | 21,020 | 0.5% | 26,355 | 0.7% |
| Arabic | 17,480 | 0.4% | 8,440 | 0.2% |
| Portuguese | 17,450 | 0.4% | 14,385 | 0.4% |
| Polish | 16,910 | 0.4% | 17,565 | 0.4% |
| Chinese, n.o.s. | 10,050 | 0.2% | 132,755 | 3.2% |
| Urdu | 9,885 | 0.2% | 7,025 | 0.2% |
| Hungarian | 9,025 | 0.2% | 10,670 | 0.3% |
| Romanian | 8,730 | 0.2% | 6,335 | 0.2% |
| Ukrainian | 8,630 | 0.2% | 12,285 | 0.3% |
| Croatian | 7,475 | 0.2% | 8,505 | 0.2% |
| Serbian | 7,045 | 0.2% | 6,180 | 0.2% |
| Gujarati | 6,895 | 0.2% | 6,565 | 0.2% |
| Greek | 6,115 | 0.1% | 6,620 | 0.2% |
| Czech | 5,920 | 0.1% | 6,000 | 0.1% |
| Ilocano | 5,240 | 0.1% | 3,100 | 0.1% |
| Danish | 4,665 | 0.1% | 6,720 | 0.2% |
| Malay | 3,895 | 0.1% | 3,100 | 0.1% |
| Finnish | 3,760 | 0.1% | 4,770 | 0.1% |
| Tamil | 3,615 | 0.1% | 3,200 | 0.1% |
| Slovak | 3,400 | 0.1% | 3,490 | 0.1% |
| Turkish | 3,145 | 0.1% | 2,255 | 0.1% |
| Swedish | 2,520 | 0.1% | 2,875 | 0.1% |
| Athabaskan languages | 2,310 | 0.1% | 3,500 | 0.1% |
| Salish languages | 2,270 | 0.1% | 3,190 | 0.1% |
| Norwegian | 2,005 | 0.1% | 3,275 | 0.1% |
| Source: Statistics Canada 2006 & 2016 Census [14] [15] | ||||
The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2021 census were Irreligion (atheist, agnostic, and so on.) with 2,559,250 (52.2%); Christianity with 1,684,870 (34.4%); Sikhism with 290,870 (5.9%); Islam with 125,915 (2.6%); Buddhism with 83,860 (1.7%); and Hinduism with 81,320 (1.7%).
| Religious group | 2021 [17] | 2011 [18] | 2001 [19] | 1991 [20] | 1981 [21] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| Irreligion | 2,559,250 | 52.06% | 1,908,285 | 44.13% | 1,388,300 | 35.88% | 987,990 | 30.42% | 568,170 | 20.94% |
| Christianity | 1,684,870 | 34.27% | 1,930,415 | 44.64% | 2,124,605 | 54.92% | 2,073,095 | 63.84% | 2,048,000 | 75.47% |
| Sikhism | 290,870 | 5.92% | 201,110 | 4.65% | 135,310 | 3.5% | 74,545 | 2.3% | 40,940 | 1.51% |
| Islam | 125,915 | 2.56% | 79,310 | 1.83% | 56,220 | 1.45% | 24,925 | 0.77% | 12,715 | 0.47% |
| Buddhism | 83,860 | 1.71% | 90,620 | 2.1% | 85,540 | 2.21% | 36,430 | 1.12% | 11,190 | 0.41% |
| Hinduism | 81,320 | 1.65% | 45,795 | 1.06% | 31,495 | 0.81% | 18,140 | 0.56% | 8,980 | 0.33% |
| Judaism | 26,850 | 0.55% | 23,130 | 0.53% | 21,230 | 0.55% | 16,565 | 0.51% | 14,685 | 0.54% |
| Indigenous spirituality | 11,570 | 0.24% | 10,295 | 0.24% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other | 51,440 | 1.05% | 35,500 | 0.82% | 26,180 | 0.68% | 15,825 | 0.49% | 5,940 | 0.22% |
| Total responses | 4,915,945 | 98.3% | 4,324,455 | 98.28% | 3,868,875 | 99.01% | 3,247,505 | 98.95% | 2,713,615 | 98.88% |
| Total population | 5,000,879 | 100% | 4,400,057 | 100% | 3,907,738 | 100% | 3,282,061 | 100% | 2,744,467 | 100% |
| Year | Immigrant percentage | Immigrant population | Total population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 27.8% | 13,751 | 49,459 |
| 1891 | 42% | 41,210 | 98,173 |
| 1901 | 44.2% | 79,045 | 178,657 |
| 1911 | 59.4% | 233,158 | 392,480 |
| 1921 | 49.7% | 260,536 | 524,582 |
| 1931 | 46% | 319,529 | 694,263 |
| 1941 | 37.3% | 304,729 | 817,861 |
| 1951 | 29.1% | 339,197 | 1,165,210 |
| 1961 | 26% | 423,132 | 1,629,082 |
| 1971 | 22.7% | 496,660 | 2,184,620 |
The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 1,425,715 persons or 29.0 percent of the total population of British Columbia. [24]
| Country of birth | 2021 [25] [24] | 2016 [26] | 2011 [27] [28] | 2006 [29] [30] | 2001 [31] [32] | 1921 [33] : 314–315 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| China | 217,975 | 15.3% | 199,990 | 15.5% | 167,530 | 14.1% | 145,315 | 13% | 107,450 | 10.6% | 21,523 | 8.3% |
| India | 197,115 | 13.8% | 162,645 | 12.6% | 143,340 | 12% | 119,265 | 10.7% | 92,430 | 9.2% | 1,841 | 0.7% |
| Philippines | 131,645 | 9.2% | 112,100 | 8.7% | 96,560 | 8.1% | 69,200 | 6.2% | 51,130 | 5.1% | — | — |
| United Kingdom | 116,530 | 8.2% | 123,810 | 9.6% | 130,730 | 11% | 137,460 | 12.3% | 141,370 | 14% | 142,968 | 54.9% |
| Hong Kong | 78,855 | 5.5% | 74,210 | 5.7% | 74,635 | 6.3% | 78,060 | 7% | 88,720 | 8.8% | — | — |
| United States | 59,920 | 4.2% | 57,780 | 4.5% | 57,975 | 4.9% | 56,560 | 5.1% | 54,410 | 5.4% | 34,926 | 13.4% |
| South Korea | 47,520 | 3.3% | 41,515 | 3.2% | 37,730 | 3.2% | 34,395 | 3.1% | 22,635 | 2.2% | — | — |
| Iran | 45,975 | 3.2% | 37,160 | 2.9% | 30,050 | 2.5% | 22,755 | 2% | 18,450 | 1.8% | — | — |
| Taiwan | 40,445 | 2.8% | 38,900 | 3% | 42,045 | 3.5% | 42,195 | 3.8% | 44,940 | 4.5% | — | — |
| Vietnam | 32,390 | 2.3% | 27,875 | 2.2% | 25,845 | 2.2% | 26,375 | 2.4% | 25,675 | 2.5% | — | — |
| Germany | 30,910 | 2.2% | 35,050 | 2.7% | 35,100 | 2.9% | 40,695 | 3.6% | 41,260 | 4.1% | 2,952 [lower-alpha 3] | 1.1% |
| Netherlands | 16,070 | 1.1% | 18,225 | 1.4% | 20,645 | 1.7% | 23,130 | 2.1% | 24,055 | 2.4% | 515 | 0.2% |
| South Africa | 15,380 | 1.1% | 13,380 | 1% | 12,815 | 1.1% | 12,090 | 1.1% | 11,015 | 1.1% | 573 | 0.2% |
| Japan | 14,940 | 1% | 13,360 | 1% | 12,355 | 1% | 10,945 | 1% | 9,090 | 0.9% | 10,934 | 4.2% |
| Poland | 14,305 | 1% | 15,115 | 1.2% | 14,620 | 1.2% | 16,165 | 1.4% | 17,090 | 1.7% | 874 | 0.3% |
| Italy | 13,410 | 0.9% | 15,405 | 1.2% | 15,980 | 1.3% | 19,215 | 1.7% | 20,200 | 2% | 4,847 | 1.9% |
| Mexico | 13,385 | 0.9% | 10,375 | 0.8% | 8,775 | 0.7% | 6,385 | 0.6% | 5,135 | 0.5% | — | — |
| Pakistan | 13,345 | 0.9% | 10,665 | 0.8% | 8,570 | 0.7% | 8,195 | 0.7% | 5,475 | 0.5% | — | — |
| Russia | 12,170 | 0.9% | 10,915 | 0.8% | 8,795 | 0.7% | 8,375 | 0.7% | 6,285 | 0.6% | 4,354 | 1.7% |
| Ukraine | 9,450 | 0.7% | 7,505 | 0.6% | 7,060 | 0.6% | 6,565 | 0.6% | 5,605 | 0.6% | 6,157 [lower-alpha 4] | 2.4% |
| Romania | 9,370 | 0.7% | 9,000 | 0.7% | 8,005 | 0.7% | 7,360 | 0.7% | 6,135 | 0.6% | 306 | 0.1% |
| Malaysia | 8,845 | 0.6% | 8,435 | 0.7% | 8,310 | 0.7% | 8,290 | 0.7% | 7,695 | 0.8% | — | — |
| Brazil | 8,765 | 0.6% | 3,800 | 0.3% | 2,875 | 0.2% | 2,055 | 0.2% | 1,640 | 0.2% | — | — |
| Portugal | 7,785 | 0.5% | 8,215 | 0.6% | 8,135 | 0.7% | 9,365 | 0.8% | 9,980 | 1% | — | — |
| Ireland | 7,360 | 0.5% | 5,885 | 0.5% | 5,175 | 0.4% | 4,195 | 0.4% | 4,715 | 0.5% | 10,823 | 4.2% |
| France | 7,025 | 0.5% | 5,705 | 0.4% | 5,340 | 0.4% | 4,760 | 0.4% | 4,445 | 0.4% | 1,389 | 0.5% |
| Iraq | 7,000 | 0.5% | 5,550 | 0.4% | 3,430 | 0.3% | 2,230 | 0.2% | 1,540 | 0.2% | — | — |
| Syria | 6,540 | 0.5% | 2,845 | 0.2% | 725 | 0.1% | 585 | 0.1% | 385 | 0% | 107 [lower-alpha 5] | 0% |
| Afghanistan | 6,250 | 0.4% | 5,040 | 0.4% | 3,520 | 0.3% | 3,615 | 0.3% | 2,275 | 0.2% | — | — |
| El Salvador | 5,775 | 0.4% | 5,425 | 0.4% | 5,635 | 0.5% | 4,990 | 0.4% | 5,100 | 0.5% | — | — |
| Total immigrants | 1,425,715 | 29% | 1,292,675 | 28.3% | 1,191,875 | 27.6% | 1,119,215 | 27.5% | 1,009,815 | 26.1% | 260,536 | 49.7% |
| Total responses | 4,915,945 | 98.3% | 4,560,240 | 98.1% | 4,324,455 | 98.3% | 4,074,385 | 99% | 3,868,875 | 99% | 524,582 | 100% |
| Total population | 5,000,879 | 100% | 4,648,055 | 100% | 4,400,057 | 100% | 4,113,487 | 100% | 3,907,738 | 100% | 524,582 | 100% |
A large number of immigrants have lived in British Columbia for 30 years or less. [6]
The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 197,420 people who immigrated to British Columbia between 2016 and 2021. [24]
| Recent immigrants to British Columbia by country of birth (2016 to 2021) [24] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country of birth | Population | % recent immigrants | |
| India | 39,390 | 20% | |
| China | 31,445 | 15.9% | |
| Philippines | 21,225 | 10.8% | |
| United States | 8,760 | 4.4% | |
| United Kingdom | 7,670 | 3.9% | |
| South Korea | 7,225 | 3.7% | |
| Iran | 5,850 | 3% | |
| Brazil | 5,125 | 2.6% | |
| Syria | 4,955 | 2.5% | |
| Australia | 3,280 | 1.7% | |
| Total | 197,420 | 100% | |
British Columbia has also traditionally been gaining from interprovincial migration. Over the last 50 years, British Columbia had 12 years of negative interprovincial immigration: the lowest in the country. The only time the province significantly lost population to this phenomenon was during the 1990s, when it had a negative interprovincial migration for 5 consecutive years. [34]
| In-migrants | Out-migrants | Net migration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 |  49,469 |  40,741 | 8,728 |
| 2010–2011 | 47,854 |  44,433 | 3,421 |
| 2011–2012 |  48,593 | 51,304 | −2,711 |
| 2012–2013 | 43,830 | 45,698 | −1,868 |
| 2013–2014 | 52,281 | 42,806 | 9,475 |
| 2014–2015 | 61,026 | 40,647 | 20,379 |
| 2015–2016 | 63,788 | 37,215 | 26,573 |
| 2016–2017 | 57,210 | 38,376 | 18,834 |
| 2017–2018 | 55,300 | 41,311 | 13,989 |
| 2018–2019 | 55,612 | 49,501 | 6,111 |
| 2019–2020 | 71,180 | 61,122 | 10,058 |
Source: Statistics Canada [35]
Statistics Canada conducts a country-wide census that collects demographic data every five years on the first and sixth year of each decade. The 2021 Canadian census enumerated a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 percent over the 2016 figure. It is estimated that Canada's population surpassed 40 million in 2023 and 41 million in 2024. Between 1990 and 2008, the population increased by 5.6 million, equivalent to 20.4 percent overall growth. The main driver of population growth is immigration. Between 2011 and May 2016, Canada's population grew by 1.7 million people, with immigrants accounting for two-thirds of the increase.
South Asian Canadians are Canadians who were either born in or can trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, which includes the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.
The demographics of Toronto, Ontario, Canada make Toronto one of the most multicultural and multiracial cities in the world. In 2021, 57.0 percent of the residents of the metropolitan area belonged to a visible minority group, compared with 51.4 percent in 2016, and 13.6 percent in 1981. Toronto also has established ethnic neighbourhoods such as the multiple Chinatowns, Corso Italia, Little Italy, Little India, Greektown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Jamaica, Little Portugal, Little Malta, Roncesvalles (Polish), and Bloor West Village (Ukrainian), all of which celebrate the city's multiculturalism. Data from the suburban municipalities are also included for some metrics as most of these municipalities are part of the Toronto CMA.
Danish Canadians are Canadian citizens of Danish ancestry. According to the 2006 Census, there were 200,035 Canadians with Danish background, 17,650 of whom were born in Denmark.
The demographics of Metro Vancouver indicate a multicultural and multiracial region. Metro Vancouver is a metropolitan area, with its major urban centre being Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver census metropolitan area, as defined by Statistics Canada, encompasses roughly the same territory as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, a regional district in British Columbia. The regional district includes 23 local authorities. Figures provided here are for the Vancouver census metropolitan area and not for the City of Vancouver.
Ontario, one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada, is located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province by a large margin, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Canadians, and is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included. It is home to the nation's capital city, Ottawa, and the nation's most populous city, Toronto.
Alberta has experienced a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates, relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces. Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced high rates of growth in recent history. From a population of 73,022 in 1901, Alberta has grown to 4,262,635 in 2021 and in the process has gone from less than 1.5% of Canada's population to 11.5%. It is the fourth most populated province in Canada. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the Alberta population grew by 4.8%.
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the largest ethnic group consists of people of Scottish descent (39.2%), followed by English (31.1%), Irish (30.4%), French (21.1%), German (5.2%), and Dutch (3.1%) descent. Prince Edward Island is mostly a white community and there are few visible minorities. Chinese people are the largest visible minority group of Prince Edward Island, comprising 1.3% of the province's population. Almost half of respondents identified their ethnicity as "Canadian." Prince Edward Island is by a strong margin the most Celtic and specifically the most Scottish province in Canada and perhaps the most Scottish place (ethnically) in the world, outside Scotland. 38% of islanders claim Scottish ancestry, but this is an underestimate and it is thought that almost 50% of islanders have Scottish roots. When combined with Irish and Welsh, almost 80% of islanders are of some Celtic stock, albeit most families have resided in PEI for at least two centuries. Few places outside Europe can claim such a homogeneous Celtic ethnic background. The only other jurisdiction in North America with such a high percentage of British Isles heritage is Newfoundland.
Saskatchewan is the middle province of Canada's three Prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km2 (251,700 mi2) and a population of 1,132,505 (Saskatchewanians) as of 2021. Saskatchewan's population is made of 50.3% women and 49.7% men. Most of its population lives in the Southern half of the province.
Manitoba is one of Canada's 10 provinces. It is the easternmost of the three Prairie provinces.
Newfoundland and Labrador is a province of Canada on the country's Atlantic coast in northeastern North America. The province has an area of 405,212 square kilometres and a population in 2024 of 540,552, with approximately 95% of the provincial population residing on the Island of Newfoundland, with more than half of the population residing on the Avalon Peninsula. People from Newfoundland and Labrador are called "Newfoundlanders," "Labradorians", or "Newfoundlanders and Labradorians".
Nova Scotia is a Canadian province located on the country's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, and its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Geographically, Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada, with an area of 52,824.71 km2 (20,395.73 sq mi). As of 2021, it has a population of 969,383 people.
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and the only officially bilingual province in the country. The provincial Department of Finance estimates that the province's population in 2006 was 729,997 of which the majority is English-speaking but with a substantial French-speaking minority of mostly Acadian origin.
The Northwest Territories is a territory of Canada. It has an area of 1,171,918 square kilometres and a population of 41,786 as of the 2016 Canadian census.
Yukon is the westernmost of Canada's three northern territories. Its capital is Whitehorse. People from Yukon are known as Yukoners. Unlike in other Canadian provinces and territories, Statistics Canada uses the entire territory as a single at-large census division.
Nunavut is a territory of Canada. It has a land area of 1,877,787.62 km2 (725,017.85 sq mi). It has a population of 36,858 in the 2021 Census. In the 2016 census the population was 35,944, up 12.7% from the 2011 census figure of 31,906. In 2016, 30,135 people identified themselves as Inuit, 190 as North American Indian (0.5%), 165 Métis (0.5%) and 5,025 as non-aboriginal (14.0%).
The demographics of Winnipeg reveal the city to be a typically Canadian one: multicultural and multilingual. Winnipeg is also prominent in the size and ratio of its First Nations population, which plays an important part in the city's makeup. About 12.4% of Winnipeggers are of Indigenous descent, which vastly exceeds the national average of 5.0%.
The South Asian community in British Columbia was first established in 1897. The first immigrants originated from Punjab, British India, a northern region and state in modern-day India and Pakistan. Punjabis originally settled in rural British Columbia at the turn of the twentieth century, working in the forestry and agricultural industries.
South African Canadians are Canadians of South African descent. Most South African Canadians are White South Africans, mostly of British and Afrikaner ancestry. According to the 2021 Canada census there were 51,590 South African-born immigrants in Canada. It includes those who hold or have ever held permanent resident status in Canada, including naturalized citizens. 12,270 people considered Afrikaans their mother tongue.
Since confederation in 1867 through to the contemporary era, decadal and demi-decadal census reports in Canada have compiled detailed immigration statistics. During this period, the highest annual immigration rate in Canada occurred in 1913, when 400,900 new immigrants accounted for 5.3 percent of the total population, while the greatest number of immigrants admitted to Canada in single year occurred in 2023, with 471,550 persons accounting for 1.2 percent of the total population.
