Foreign-born (also non-native) people are those born outside of their country of residence. Foreign born are often non-citizens, but many are naturalized citizens of the country in which they live, and others are citizens by descent, typically through a parent.
The term foreign born encompasses both immigrants and expatriates but is not synonymous with either. Foreign born may, like immigrants, have committed to living in a country permanently or, like expatriates, live abroad for a significant period with the plan to return to their birth-country eventually.
The status of foreign born — particularly their access to citizenship — differs globally. The large groups of foreign-born guest workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, for example, have no right to citizenship no matter the length of their residence. In Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, by contrast, foreign born are often citizens or in the process of becoming citizens. Certain countries have intermediary rules: in Germany and Japan it is often difficult but not impossible for the foreign born to become citizens.
The adjective foreign-born has two potential meanings:
The United Nations uses the first definition to estimate the international migrant stock, whenever this information is available. In countries lacking data on place of birth, the UN uses the country of citizenship instead. [3]
On the other hand, the United States Census Bureau defines foreign-born as "anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth", which includes persons who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization but excludes persons born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents.
According to the UN: "Equating international migrants with foreign citizens when estimating the migrant stock has important shortcomings. In countries where citizenship is conferred on the basis of jus sanguinis, people who were born in the country of residence may be included in the number of international migrants even though they may have never lived abroad. Conversely, persons who were born abroad and who naturalized in their country of residence are excluded from the stock of international migrants when using citizenship as the criterion to define international migrants." [3]
The percentage of foreign born in a country is the product mostly of immigration rates, but is also affected by emigration rates and birth and death rates in the destination country. For example, the United Kingdom and Ireland are destination countries for migrants from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia, but are themselves source countries for immigration to other English-speaking countries.
The Holy See is unique in having 100% of its population foreign-born, while Cuba is unique in having 0% of its population foreign-born. The region with the highest rate is Oceania, with 21%, while Asia has less than 1%.
Countries with immigration rates above 25% tend to be wealthy countries with relatively open migration or labour laws, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and the Persian Gulf states.
The largest foreign-born population in the world is in the United States, which was home to 39 million foreign-born residents in 2012, or 12.6% of the population. [4]
Rank | City | Country | Estimate source | Foreign-born population | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | London | United Kingdom | ONS 2021 | 3,576,000 [5] | 40.6% |
2 | New York | United States | 2022 ACS | 3,133,149 [6] | 36.3% |
3 | Sydney | Australia | 2021 Australian Census | 2,260,410 [7] | 43.2% |
4 | Melbourne | Australia | 2021 Australian Census | 1,970,614 [8] | 40.1% |
5 | Lima | Peru | 2023 United Nations Office of Peru | 1,586,880 [9] | 17.5% |
6 | Toronto | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 1,431,380 [10] [a] | 51.9% |
7 | Los Angeles | United States | 2022 ACS | 1,395,920 [11] | 36.0% |
8 | Brisbane | Australia | 2021 Australian Census | 799,645 [12] | 31.7% |
9 | Montréal | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 790,960 [13] [a] | 40.9% |
10 | Berlin | Germany | Berlin-Brandenburg office of statistics, 2021 | 789,076[ citation needed ] | 21% |
11 | Vienna | Austria | City of Vienna 2023 | 778,454 [14] | 31.3% |
12 | Madrid | Spain | 2019 Spain Census | 726,669[ citation needed ] | 22.2% |
13 | Auckland | New Zealand | Statistics New Zealand 2018 | 714,480[ citation needed ] | 41.6% |
14 | Houston | United States | 2022 ACS | 664,495 [15] | 28.9% |
15 | Chicago | United States | 2022 ACS | 550,888 [16] | 20.2% |
16 | Calgary | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 457,665 [17] [a] | 35.4% |
17 | San Jose | United States | 2022 ACS | 410,543 [18] | 41.0% |
18 | Mississauga | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 406,455 [19] [a] | 57% |
19 | Brampton | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 383,695 [20] [a] | 59.1% |
20 | San Diego | United States | 2022 ACS | 344,419 [21] | 24.9% |
21 | Bogotá | Colombia | 2019 | 352,431[ citation needed ] | 5% |
22 | Edmonton | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 348,295 [22] [a] | 34.9% |
23 | Hamburg | Germany | 2021 ACS | 341,759[ citation needed ] | 24.7% |
24 | Milan | Italy | Istat 2011 | 324,378 [23] | 10.7% |
25 | Vancouver | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 317,190 [24] [a] | 48.8% |
26 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | ONS 2021 | 305,963[ citation needed ] | 25.6% |
27 | Ottawa | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 288,835 [25] | 28.9% |
28 | San Francisco | United States | 2022 ACS | 288,169 [26] | 33.9% |
29 | Surrey | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 285,620 [27] [a] | 50.8% |
30 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Statistics Netherlands 2019 | 277,431[ citation needed ] | 32.1% |
31 | Miami | United States | 2022 ACS | 256,805 [28] | 57.9% |
32 | Stockholm | Sweden | Statistics Sweden 2019 | 248,708[ citation needed ] | 25.5% |
33 | Lyon | France | France Unité urbaine de Lyon, INSEE 2020 | 235,969[ citation needed ] | 14% |
34 | Winnipeg | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 231,135 [29] [a] | 31.4% |
35 | Santiago | Chile | 2017 Census | 212,037[ citation needed ] | 10.2% |
36 | Marseille | France | Unité urbaine de Marseille-Aix, INSEE 2020 | 193,740[ citation needed ] | 12% |
37 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Statistics Netherlands 2019 | 184,218[ citation needed ] | 28.6% |
38 | The Hague | Netherlands | Statistics Netherlands 2019 | 176,183[ citation needed ] | 32.8% |
39 | Manchester | United Kingdom | ONS 2021 | 173,208[ citation needed ] | 31.4% |
40 | Oslo | Norway | Statistics Norway 2019 | 171,868[ citation needed ] | 25.2% |
41 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Statistics Sweden 2019 | 159,342[ citation needed ] | 27.5% |
42 | Hamilton | Canada | Canada 2021 Census | 158,190 [30] [a] | 28.2% |
43 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Statistics Denmark 2022 | 134,409[ citation needed ] | 26.3% |
44 | Malmö | Sweden | Statistics Sweden 2019 | 118,323[ citation needed ] | 34.4% |
45 | Helsinki | Finland | Statistics Finland 2021 | 102,016[ citation needed ] | 15.5% |
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, with 6.2% of the country's population being made up of temporary residents as of 2023, or about 2.5 million people. Between 2011 and May 2016, Canada's population grew by 1.7 million people, with immigrants accounting for two-thirds of the increase.
Swedish Canadians are Canadian citizens of Swedish ancestry or Swedes who emigrated to and reside in Canada. The Swedish Canadian community in Canada numbered 349,640 in the 2016 population census. The vast majority of them reside west of Lake Superior, primarily in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Toronto is the most popular settlement spot for newcomers. Despite having an influential presence and distinctive cultural bond, only 14,000 Canadian persons of Swedish descent speak Swedish.
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.
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.
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 545,247, 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.
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.
According to the 2021 census, the City of Edmonton had a population of 1,010,899 residents, compared to 4,262,635 for all of Alberta, Canada. The total population of the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) was 1,418,118, making it the sixth-largest CMA in Canada.
Pakistani Canadian refers to the community in Canada of Pakistani heritage or descent. It can also refer to people who hold dual Pakistani and Canadian citizenship. Categorically, Pakistani Canadians comprise a subgroup of South Asian Canadians which is a further subgroup of Asian Canadians.
In 2021, the population of the city of Ottawa was 1,017,449. The population of the census metropolitan area, Ottawa-Gatineau, was 1,488,307.
In the 2021 Census, the City of Calgary had a population of 1,306,784 residents, representing 30.7% of the 4,262,635 residents in all of Alberta, and 3.5% compared to a population of 36,991,981 in all of Canada. The total population of the Calgary census metropolitan area (CMA) was 1,481,806. Calgary is the largest city in Alberta, and the third-largest municipality and fifth-largest metropolitan area in Canada, as of 2021.
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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.
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