How many people live in canada

Canada Population

Population now

Life expectancy & Rates (2022)

Population Data Graphs

Canada Population Review

Canada is one of the fastest growing countries of any G7 nation. It’s current population of 37 million may seem small compared to some other countries, but at its current projected growth rate, the country is set to double and surpass 50 million people by 2070. Unlike many other first world countries, Canada is under populated and migration plays a large part in the country’s growth rate. The current fertility rate of 1.5 per woman is not enough to replace the population, which means the country must look to immigration. Canada has a net migration of 6.3 per 1,000 people, which gives it the eighth highest migration rate in the world.

A virtually unpopulated North

Most of Canada’s 37 million citizens live on the Southern belt of the country along the border of the United States. The northern portion of the country faces extremely harsh winters, which make it inhospitable for agriculture or for living year round. Trade with the United States is also key for Canada, which means it makes more sense for people to live closer to that border. This large swath of land being unpopulated means that Canada has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only 4 people per square kilometer. This makes it the 228th most densely populated country on earth.

Meanwhile, Toronto—which is Canada’s largest city—is also the largest metropolitan area in the world. It has a population of 2.93 million people and a population density of 2,930 people per square kilometer.

A bilingual nation

Canada’s two official languages are English and French. In the 2016 census, 56% of Canadians indicated that English was their mother tongue, with 20.6% reporting that French was their mother tongue. However, 5.8 million Canadians report that they are bilingual to the point that they are able to carry on a conversation in both languages. The next most widely spoken language in the country in actually Chinese, with more than a million people indicating they speak the language. Although there are 11 aboriginal languages that were once spoken in Canada, most have become extinct.

Two provinces with most of the population

Canada has ten provinces with three territories to the north, but more than half the country’s population live in only two provinces: Ontario and Quebec. These two provinces alone have over 22 million living in them out of Canada’s 37 million. They also have the most populated cities, with Toronto in Ontario and Montreal in Quebec. However, Calgary in Alberta is growing at twice the rate of the Canadian average. If it continues this way, it’s set to overtake Montreal in the near future.

A healthy nation

Canada is, overall, a healthy nation. Over the past several decades, the country’s mortality rate and life expectancy have greatly improved. The current average life expectancy in Canada is around 82 years, which puts the country on par with other developed nations. Canada still suffers from many preventable health concerns, including youth substance abuse, physical inactivity, and childhood obesity.

An aging population

Canada’s long life expectancy and decreasing fertility mean that the country is getting older. From 1956 to 2006, the average age of the country grew from 27 to 38 years old. The longer life expectancy also means that that country’s workforce is decreasing, which means the country relies more on tech advancements and imported workers. By 2056, it’s expected that the country’s median age will reach around 46-years-old, an increase of more than 20 years than it was in 1956. For the first time in Canada’s history, the population of the elderly now outnumber the population of children in the country.

Canada Population 2022 (Live)

Canada’s current population is 37.74 million people. The population is growing at a steady pace and, based on current projections will surpass 50 million by 2070.

Canada has one of the fastest growth rates of any G7 nation, growing faster than many other industrialized countries. Canada’s growth rate has been anywhere between 0.8% and 1.2% for the past ten years.

While Canada’s fertility rate is 1.53 births per woman, below the population replacement rate, the population continues to grow as migration plays an increasing role in the population. Canada’s net migration rate is 6.375 per 1,000 people, the eighth-highest in the world.

Unlike many other countries, Canada is “underpopulated” and celebrates a growing population. There are many job vacancies to be filled and more people means more economic growth and prosperity for Canada.

Canada Growth Rate

Canada Population 2022 (Live)

Canada Population Clock

Net increase of 1 person every 8 minutes

Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects

Components of Population Change

Canada Population Clock

Canada Area and Population Density

As you can see from the map in the section further down on the page, the majority of Canadians live in a narrow Southern belt along the border with the United States. There are two main reasons for this.

The first is that the most hospitable part of Canadian territory is in the south. Summers are warm and winters are not too harsh, making the area suitable for agriculture. The second reason is the majority of Canada’s trade (both import and export) is with its US neighbor, and it makes sense for the majority of Canadians to live as close to the US border as possible.

Canada as a whole has a population density of just 4 people per square kilometers, which makes it the 228th most densely populated country. The population density is among the lowest in the world, mostly because a great deal of the country to the north is virtually uninhabited. Toronto, meanwhile, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world with a density of 2,930 people per square kilometer.

Largest Cities in Canada

The largest city in Canada by population is Toronto, home to 2,615,060 people at the time of the 2011 census, and 2,731,571 in 2016. The wider Toronto metropolitan area is over twice as populous, containing around 6 million people in total.

Canada’s second largest city is Montreal in Quebec, where 1,704,694 people live (up from 1,649,519 in 2011), followed in third place by Calgary in Alberta with 1,239,220 (up from 1,096,833). Calgary is growing at almost twice the Canadian average, so if current trends continue it will no doubt overtake Montreal in the future. Ottawa is Canada’s fourth largest city – 934,243.

The fastest growing large city between 2006 and 2011 was Brampton, Ontario. In the 5 year period, the city grew by nearly 21% en route to surpassing 500,000 residents. Montreal is the slowest growing major city in Canada, with a growth of just 1.8% from 2006 to 2011. By comparison, Canada as a whole grew by 5.9% during the 5 year period.

In 2016, the fastest growing large city was Edmonton, which grew by 14.8% between the 2011 and 2016 censuses. Brampton continued its climb upward, adding 13.3%, and Calgary also grew by over 13%.

The census results also show the population of each Canadian province and territory. More than half of Canadians live in just two provinces: Ontario, where one in three Canadians live, and Quebec where almost a quarter of Canadians live. The combined population of Canada’s three territories (Northwest, Yukon and Nunavut) is less than the population of Canada’s smallest province (Prince Edward Island).

Canada Population Density Map

Canada Population by Year (Historical)

Canada Population by Year (Projections)

Canada Population Pyramid 2022

Canada Median Age

Canada Population by Age

There are 31,237,362 people over age 18 in Canada.

Census Years

Canada Population Pyramid

Canada’s most recent census was conducted in 2016. At the time the population was counted at 35,121,728, which represents a 4.9% increase from 2011. The average age of Canadians also increased to 41 years, up from 40.1 in 2011. The next census in Canada is scheduled for 2021.

Prior to 2016, the last census was completed in Canada on May 10, 2011. Figures released on February 8, 2012, showed that the officially recorded population of Canada was 33,476,688. Canada is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with much of its land inhospitable. The country’s population density is under 4 people per square kilometer, which ranks 228th in the world.

Canada Demographics

32.3% of Canadians considered their ethnic origin to be Canadian. Other major groups recorded were English (18.3%), Scottish (13.9%), French (13.6%), Irish (13.4%), German (9.6%) and Chinese (5.1%). When reading these figures, you should bear in mind that census respondents could select multiple ethnic groups.

Canada’s aboriginal people are growing at twice the national rate. While 4% of the population claims an aboriginal identity, another 16% belongs to a non-aboriginal visible minority. Nearly 22% of the population is now foreign-born, and about 60% of new immigrants come from Asia, particularly China and India.

English and French are the official languages of Canada. In 2016, 56% of Canadians reported that English was their first language and 20.6% reported that French was their first language. The only other language in Canada that is the mother tongue of more than a million people is Chinese. There are over 70 aboriginal languages in Canada that can be divided into 12 language families. The most popular of these families is Algonquian.

Canada Religion, Economy and Politics

Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. Virtually every major world religion, faith, or denomination has a significant number of members in Canada, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. As in some other countries, religion in Canada has been declining as more people are identifying themselves as religiously unaffiliated.

Data on religious belief is only collected in every other census. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the last census data collected, 67% of Canadians were Christian, 24% had no religion, and 3.2% were Muslim. There are about 1,053,945 Muslims in Canada. This has been shown to increase every census (10 years). A majority of the Muslims in Canada follow Sunni Islam, and a minority of them follow Shia Islam and Ahmadiyya Islam.

Other major religious groups were Jewish (1%), Buddhist (1.1%) and Hindu (1.5%) and Sikh (1.4%).

An impressive 2.8 million Canadian citizens live outside of Canada itself; that’s equivalent to 9% of the overall Canadian population. For comparison, only 1.7% of US citizens live abroad but more than 20% of New Zealanders live abroad.

Canada is known for its universal healthcare system and generally taking care of its citizens, which is funded by relatively high tax rates of 33% for income take and 15% corporate taxes. Government spending has accounted for slightly about 40% of the country’s GDP for the past few years.

Canada Population History

Canada’s population has tripled since the 1940s, growing from 11 million at the time of the second world war to over 36 million today. Population growth has been fairly consistent over the past fifty years and shows no sign of slowing. Between the last census in 2006 and 2011, the number of people in Canada increased by an impressive 5.9%.

Canada’s growth is fueled largely by immigration. In fact, relative to its size, Canada is the largest importer of human capital in the Group of Seven, attracting even more immigrants per capita than the USA. Natural population growth, by contrast, accounts for only around one-tenth of Canada’s overall population increase each year. Worldwide, Canada is 9th in crude net migration rate, and nearly 22% of Canadians identify themselves as immigrants.

Canada Population (LIVE)

Population of Canada (2020 and historical)

Canada Population Forecast

253,632

Canada Demographics

Main Cities by Population in Canada

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

See also

Notes

The Canada Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Canada delivered by Worldometer’s RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2019. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Read More Definitions.

Yearly % Change: For 2019: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2019: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country’s Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Canada in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population of Canada

Canada’s recorded population history begins in the 16th century with the arrival of Europeans. Indigenous peoples were subsequently depopulated, due largely to epidemic disease. High rates of fertility and immigration caused the country’s overall population to grow rapidly until the mid-19th century, when it slowed slightly. Population growth continued to be slow through the First World War, Great Depression and Second World War. Following this period growth rates began to increase again. Today, Canada’s population growth is dependent on international migration. As of the 2021 census, Canada’s population was nearly 37 million (36,991,981).

Key Terms: Population

Birth rate

The number of live births for every 1,000 people in a population in a given year.

Death rate

The number of deaths for every 1,000 people in a population in a given year.

Fertility rate

The number of live births for every 1,000 women in a population, in a specific age range, in a given year.

Total fertility rate

An estimate of the average number of live births a woman will have in her lifetime, based on the fertility rate for a given year.

Rate of natural increase

The surplus or deficit of births over deaths in a given year, expressed as a percentage of the population.

Net migration

The combined effect of immigration and emigration on an area’s population.

Growth rate

The rate at which a population is increasing or decreasing in a given year, due to natural increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the population.

Population History

Indigenous Population

There is no definitive account of the population of North America, and specifically Canada, prior to the arrival of Europeans. However, researchers have produced a number of estimates using a variety of assumptions and methods. These estimates of North America’s Indigenous population, excluding Mexico, range from 1.5 million to 7 million, to as many as 18 million.

Notwithstanding the uncertainty in these estimates, most scholars agree that significant depopulation of Indigenous peoples took place after European arrival. This depopulation is thought to have started sometime during the 16th century. The introduction of highly contagious diseases including typhus, smallpox and measles proved tragic for Indigenous peoples, who lacked an acquired immunity to these deadly illnesses. Over the three centuries following European contact, these epidemics — in particular smallpox — drove the collapse of Indigenous populations in what are now the United States and Canada.

The devastating effects of colonialism and intertribal warfare also contributed to the decline. By the late 1800s, the Indigenous populations of North America (encompassing the United States, Canada and Greenland) had reached a low of just 375,000 people in 1900. By the first two decades of the 20th century, it had rebounded, embarking on a long-term trajectory of growth. The reasons for this growth included high fertility rates and declining death rates. Gradual socio-economic improvements brought on these trends. (See also Demography of Indigenous People; Health of Indigenous Peoples.)

New France to Confederation: 1608–1867

Beginning in the 17th century, the agricultural and industrial revolutions in Western Europe led to the expansion of the European population and the settlement of Canada by Europeans. The French were among the early explorers of Canada. Their establishment of New France was primarily the consequence of political and military concerns, the search for natural wealth and the Roman Catholic Church’s interest in converting Indigenous peoples. (See also Exploration.)

In 1608, at the founding of New France, Samuel de Champlain and his companions numbered a mere 28. Only eight of these individuals survived the first winter in the new colony. By 1666, this small group of settlers, combined with periodic arrivals from France, had grown phenomenally to a population of 3,216. One year after the English Conquest in 1759, when New France comprised Quebec, Montreal and Trois-Rivières, the population had reached 70,000. By the end of the 19th century, the population had multiplied to 200,000. Most of this growth was the result of exceptionally high fertility and relatively low death rates.

The population of Canada in 1761 was just under 76,000 people, growing to about 102,000 by 1771. Sixty years later, in 1831, Canada’s population had just surpassed the 1 million mark. Between 1761 and 1811, the population grew rapidly at an average annual growth rate of 3.9 per cent, due to a combination of high fertility and immigration levels. Growth continued at a brisk pace in the period from 1811 to 1861 at an average of 3.7 per cent each year, but slowed considerably in the final four decades of the 19th century, due to a combination of high levels of emigration to the United States, along with declining birth rates.

Confederation to the First World War

At Confederation in 1867, Canada’s population was 3.4 million. The country consisted of Lower Canada ( Quebec), Upper Canada (Ontario), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. As the 20th century approached, the population experienced declining birth and death rates, though in absolute terms it continued to grow. Between 1901 and 1911, there occurred significant growth of nearly 3 per cent per year as a result of heavy immigration, much of it directed to the Western provinces (see also History of Settlement in the Canadian Prairies). By the end of this period, Canada’s population had reached 7.2 million people.

Second World War to Present

Unsettled times followed the First World War, culminating in the Great Depression of the 1930s. This was a period of low fertility and low immigration. Population growth slowed considerably. However, the long-term decline in fertility was interrupted by the Second World War. Following the end of the war, the country enjoyed a prolonged period of economic growth, which stimulated significant increases in immigration — mainly from Europe — and fertility. Canada’s average annual rate of growth between 1941 and 1951 was just under 2 per cent per year. However, during the baby boom period, between 1946 and 1966, fertility rates increased to levels not seen since the turn of the 20th century. Consequently, during the 1951–61 decade, the population grew at an average of 2.7 per cent per year. In 1961, the population numbered 18 million people.

The year 1966 marked the end of the postwar baby boom. Since the early 1970s, the population has continued growing, though at relatively lower rates compared to earlier periods. Between the 2016 and the 2021 censuses, Canada’s population grew 5.2 per cent, from 35,151,728 to 36,991,981 people.

Components of Population Growth

Population growth is a function of two components: natural increase and net migratory increase. Natural increase is the difference between the number of births and deaths during a given period, and net migratory increase is the difference between the number of immigrants entering the country and the number of emigrants leaving the country.

With an annual rate of natural increase around 1 per cent since 1971, Canada is characteristic of an industrial, urban population that has experienced the demographic transition from high to low levels of fertility and mortality. Historically, natural increase accounted for about two-thirds of population growth. However, since 2001, this component has decreased to approximately one-third, while the net migratory gain has become increasingly important.

Two factors lie at the heart of this change in the relative importance of the two components of growth. First is the rapid decrease in fertility in the late 1960s and 70s, and its fairly constant level since then. This has resulted in falling annual numbers of births, from a historic peak level of 479,275 in 1959, to an average level of below 400,000 per year. Second, the number of deaths on an annual basis increased during this same period due to an aging population. In combination, these demographic changes mean that the numbers of births and deaths have been moving toward a point of near convergence since the end of the baby boom. Therefore, net international migration has taken on an increasingly important role in Canada’s population growth.

Mortality and Longevity

Mortality levels have been declining since the latter part of the 19th century. The major gains in life expectancy since 1900 can be attributed to developments in public health, including childhood immunization, improved nutritional and personal hygiene levels, better housing and rising standards of living. Medical innovations — particularly the discovery of antibiotics in the 1930s — have played a major role in explaining life expectancy gains.

The most dramatic improvements in mortality have resulted from reductions in infant mortality and a consequential increase in life expectancy. In 1931, the number of years a person could expect to live at birth was 60 years for males and 62.1 for females. By 2014, life expectancies had risen to 79.7 years for men and 83.9 years for women, accounting for an average life expectancy of 81.8 years. Between 1921 and 2014, the gain in overall life expectancy for Canadians was 24.7 years. Nearly half of the improvement occurred between 1921 and 1951, again largely as a function of declines in infant mortality rates. By comparison, declining death rates from circulatory diseases account for most of the gains in life expectancy since 1951.

By the early 1970s, infant mortality had fallen considerably. Today, death rates for Canadian infants are among the lowest in the world, at 4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020. Survival rates among the population aged 60 and over also increased in the second half of the 20th century. This, in conjunction with more than four decades of below-replacement fertility levels, has increased the rate at which Canada’s population is aging.

In comparison to the United States, life expectancy in Canada has consistently been longer, though quite similar to many European countries (e.g., France, Sweden, Norway and Iceland). Today, the highest life expectancy in the world is enjoyed by Japanese females.

After infants, the next population subgroup to experience major gains in survival probabilities from about midway through the 20th century were women, especially those in their childbearing years. Improvements in obstetrics surgery and antibiotics significantly reduced mothers’ mortality risks from complications of pregnancy and birth. Throughout history these risks have been the leading causes of premature death for women (see Birthing Practices).

Due to population growth and an aging population, the number of deaths has been increasing annually, reaching 285,270 in 2019. This is a significant increase from the 168,183 total in 1979. Today, two of the leading causes of death among Canadians are cancer and heart disease.

Fertility

Before the 19th century, fertility levels in North America were as high, or higher, than present levels in many of the world’s less developed countries. As Canada developed and living conditions improved, birthrates declined steadily from their early levels of around 50 births per 1,000 population. By the 1920s, the birth rate had dropped below 30, and by 1937 had reached a low of 20 births per 1,000 population. The Second World War revived the economy and reversed the declining trend in birth rates. They reached record highs during the baby boom — 28.9 in 1947 and 28.5 in 1954 — before resuming the long-term decline beginning in the early 1960s. This decline occurred in a context of significant social change, especially with respect to the role and status of women in society. Beginning in the 1960s, there were significant advances in women’s education levels and their participation in the paid labour force. There was also an increased availability of efficient birth control methods (see also Women in the Labour Force). All of these factors contributed to a decline in fertility rates.

Since the mid-1970s, the number of births has been below 400,000 per year, and the total fertility rate has ranged between 1.5 and 1.7 children per woman. These figures are well below the 2.1 level of fertility needed to ensure the long-term replacement of generations for a low mortality population such as Canada. The continuing pattern of low fertility for nearly half a century gives little reason to expect a return to replacement levels. In 2019, the total fertility rate was 1.47 children per woman, significantly lower than the 3.85 rate recorded at the peak of the baby boom in 1959.

Immigration

Over the past 160 years, Canada has experienced significant migratory waves, undergoing at various times net gains or losses. Noticeable losses took place in the last four decades of the 19th century, between 1861 and 1901, as well as during 1931–41 (a period that includes the Great Depression). During these times, population growth was entirely a function of natural increase, which more than compensated for the net migratory losses.

Notwithstanding these negative trends, it is important to point out that between 1861 and 1901 Canada did experience some immigration, mainly from Europe. In addition, starting in 1880, the country received many immigrants from both Europe and Asia, largely due to the need for labour during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Many people left Canada between 1873 and 1896, on the one hand lured by factories in the United States, and on the other pushed out by a lack of economic opportunities at the time.

The 1930s saw another period of considerable decline in the number of immigrants admitted to Canada. While during the 1920s the country admitted on average 123,000 newcomers a year, this figure fell to about 16,000 per year during the 1930s.

Two periods of net migratory gains stand out in Canadian immigration history. Between 1901 and 1911, just before the start of the First World War, Canada experienced its highest recorded wave of immigration. During this period, more than 2 million immigrants, mostly from Europe, arrived in this country, in particular the Western provinces, where free land was being offered (see also History of Settlement in the Canadian Prairies). In 1913, over 400,000 immigrants arrived, the largest annual inflow in Canadian history.

The second major immigration wave was between 1941 and 1961, a period that includes the Second World War and its end, as well as the postwar baby boom. Immigration intensified during this time: in total, there were 2.14 million arrivals. The largest inflows were 1951 and 1957, with 194,391 and 282,164 arrivals, respectively.

During the early 1960s, changes in immigration policy encouraged immigration. The Canadian government removed longstanding restrictions based on racial and ethnic origins and introduced selection criteria based on education, occupational skills and labour force needs. Further changes to immigration policy occurred when, in 1976, the government introduced the Immigration Act. Under the act refugees became a distinct class of immigrants for the first time in Canadian history, and government planning around future immigration was made mandatory.

In the latter half of the 1971–81 decade, Canada was one of the three main immigrant-receiving nations in the world. From 1976 to 1981, immigration averaged about 122,000 annually. Despite continuing high levels of unemployment in 1982, Canada publicly committed itself to maintaining immigration ceilings of between 135,000 and 145,000 until 1984. The government also committed to raising these ceilings in subsequent years as a means of partially offsetting the effects of a declining rate of population growth. However, between 1980 and 1985, immigration declined from 143,117 to 84,302, while pressures to admit increasing numbers of immigrants and refugees remained high. The number of immigrants entering Canada rose during the latter half of the 1980s, reaching nearly 255,000 in 1992. In the late 1990s, the government set target levels for immigrants and refugees at 200,000–225,000 and, with the exception of 1997-98 and 1998-99, these targets were met. Between 2000 and 2018 immigration levels rose again, averaging nearly 257,000 annually. Of particular note during this time frame was the year 2015–16 when Canada admitted 323,192 immigrants, a figure obtained largely through Canada’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

Population Composition

Gender Ratios

Age Composition

Over time, the Canadian population has gradually aged. A notable exception came during the baby boom years when, between 1951 and 1966, the median age of Canada’s population decreased from 27.7 years to 25.4 years. However, between 1971 and 2016, the median age of the population increased significantly, from 26.2 to 40.7 years. Similarly, between the censuses of 2011 and 2016 Canada registered the largest increase in seniors (those over 65) since Confederation. As of 2021, seniors account for nearly 19 per cent of the country’s population. Factors contributing to Canada’s aging population include the aging baby boom generation, increased life expectancies and low fertility levels.

These levels of population aging contrast sharply with some of the least economically developed countries, which, due to historically high birth rates, continue to be characterized by a relatively high proportion of their populations being under 15 years of age and a low percentage over 65. Nonetheless, as birth rates are falling in most parts of the world, all populations are, in varying degrees, aging.

Ethnic Diversity

Since 1901, when the first ethnic data was collected, measuring the country’s ethnic makeup has become increasingly complex. Multiple factors contribute to this complexity, including: respondents’ understanding, views and awareness of their own ethnicity; increasing intermarriage among ethnic groups (leading to the reporting of multiple ethnic origins); and changes to the format of the questionnaire (including the list of examples provided). (See also Canadian Census.) Information on the foreign-born population is more straightforward and easier to compare across censuses. However, in limiting the discussion to recent immigrants, foreign-born numbers also paint an incomplete picture of Canada’s ethnic makeup. For these reasons, both foreign-born data and self-reported, ethnic origin data will be discussed here.

Foreign-Born Population

In 2016, 21.9 per cent of Canada’s population was born in another country, according to the census for that year. As a percentage of its population, Canada has the highest number of foreign-born residents among the G7 countries.

Those born in Asian countries have significantly increased over time. According to the 2016 census, most people who immigrated to the country between 2011 and 2016 were from the Philippines (15.6 per cent), followed by India (12.1 per cent) and China (10.6). During that time period, large numbers of immigrants also came from Iran, Pakistan, the United States, Syria, the United Kingdom, France and South Korea.

The shift to non-European countries as the birthplaces for Canadian immigrants resulted partly from the elimination of the discriminatory aspects of Canada’s immigration policies during the 1960s and 1970s.

Ethnic Origin

The 1901 Canadian census recorded 25 different ethnic groups; by 2016, more than 250 different groups were enumerated in the census. While historically the main birthplace of recent immigrants was Europe, the proportion of European-born immigrants has decreased over time. For example, it was 61.6 per cent in 1971, and by 2016 had fallen to only 11.6 per cent.

On census questionnaires people may report one or more ethnic origins. In 2016, the most cited ethnicity was Canadian, at 32.3 per cent of the population, followed by English (18.3 per cent) and Scottish (13.9 per cent). Other frequently cited ethnicities were French, Irish, German, Chinese, Italian, First Nations and East Indian.

Since the 2001 census, there has been a significant growth of Canada’s visible minority population (persons, other than Indigenous persons, who are non-Caucasian in race, or non-White). In 2011, nearly 6,264,800 people identified themselves as a member of the visible minority population on the National Household Survey questionnaire, representing about one in five people (19.1 per cent) in Canada. By the 2016 census, this number had increased to 7,674,580 people (22.3 per cent).

The growth of the visible minority population is largely due to increased immigration from non-European countries. In 2016, South Asian, Chinese and Black people accounted for 61.2 per cent of the visible minority population, followed by Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese people.

Indigenous Population

Tabulating the number of Indigenous people in the country presents challenges similar to those involved in evaluating the overall ethnic makeup of Canada. Statistics Canada uses multiple and differing definitions of Indigenous people, including counts of those with Indigenous ancestry, those who self-report an Indigenous identity, those registered under the Indian Act and those reporting membership in a band or First Nation. Within the same census year, the numbers in these various categories can differ dramatically. As with ethnic origin, questions pertaining to Indigenous ancestry and identity rely on respondents’ perceptions and knowledge of their ethnicity. The discussion below focuses on the population claiming Indigenous ancestry. (For a more complete picture of Indigenous demography in Canada, see Demography of Indigenous People.)

In the 1901 census, only 127,941 people claimed Indigenous ancestry. However, beginning around the 1951 census, those of Indigenous origin began to rapidly increase, jumping nearly 200 per cent between 1951 and 1981, from 165,607 to 491,465, and by about 334 per cent from 1981 to 2016, when the number of those reporting Indigenous ancestry reached more than 2.1 million.

A number of factors help to explain this rapid growth. Whereas, in the first half of the 20th century, high mortality rates among Indigenous communities offset high birth rates, this began to change in the 1960s. Around this time, a declining infant mortality rate, combined with a high fertility rate, helped facilitate rapid population growth.

Other factors included political changes, which led to an increased willingness to acknowledge Indigenous ancestry on the part of government and the people themselves. Among other legislation, these changes included amendments to the Indian Act in 1985, which broadened the definition of Status Indian.

Future Trends

Today, Canada’s population growth is the highest among the G7 countries. International migration has been Canada’s main source of population growth since 1993, and currently represents approximately two-thirds of this growth. Regardless of the future levels of immigration to Canada, world conditions will continue to maintain pressure for increases to immigration from non-European sources. Canada’s population, particularly in highly urbanized areas, is expected to increase in its ethnic and cultural diversity. In 2013, Statistics Canada projected that the country’s population would increase over the next 50 years, from 35.2 million to between 40 million and 63.5 million by 2063.

Canada

Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia has a greater land area. Canada is situated in North America. Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but has only about a tenth as many people. About 28 million people live in Canada. About 80% of the population live within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited or thinly populated because of severe natural conditions.
Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 2 territories. Canada is an independent nation. But according to the Constitution Act of 1982 British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is recognized as Queen of Canada. This symbolizes the country’s strong ties to Britain. Canada was ruled by Britain completely until 1867, when Canada gained control of its domestic affairs. Britain governed Canada’s foreign affairs until 1931, when Canada gained full independence.

Canada’s people are varied. About 57% of all Canadians have some English ancestry and about 32% have some French ancestry. Both English and French are official languages of the country. French Canadians, most of whom live in the provinces of Quebec, have kept the language and customs of their ancestors. Other large ethnic groups are German, Irish and Scottish people. Native people — American Indians and Eskimos — make up about 2% of the country’s population. 77% of Canada’s people live in cities or towns. Toronto and
Montreal are the largest urban areas. Ottawa is the capital of the country.
Today, maintaining a sense of community is one of the major problems in Canada because of differences among the provinces and territories. Many Canadians in western and eastern parts of the country feel that the federal government does not pay enough attention to their problems. 80% of Quebec’s population are French Canadians. Many of them believe that their province should receive a special recognition in the Canadian constitution.

Questions:
1. Where is Canada situated?
2. How many people live in Canada?
3. Where do most Canadians live?
4. Who is the head of state in Canada?
5. When did Canada gain its independence?
6. What are the official languages in Canada?
7. What people live in Canada?
8. What is the main problem facing Canada today?

Канада
Канада — это вторая по величине страна в мире. Только Россия имеет большую площадь. Канада находится в Северной Америке. Канада немного больше Соединенных Штатов, однако в ней живет в десять раз меньше людей. В Канаде проживает около 28 миллионов жителей. Около 80% населения живет в пределах 320 км от южной границы. Большая часть остальной территории Канады не заселена или мало населена из-за суровых природных условий.
Канада является федерацией 10 провинций и 2 территорий. Канада — это независимое государство. Но согласно Конституционному акту 1982 года английский монарх королева Елизавета II Соединенного Королевства признана королевой Канады. Это символизирует прочные связи страны с Британией. Британия правила Канадой вплоть до 1867 года, когда Канада получила контроль над своими внутренними делами. Британия управляла иностранными делами Канады до 1931 года, когда Канада получила полную независимость.
Население Канады разнообразно. Около 57% канадцев имеют английское происхождение и около 32% жителей — канадцы французского происхождения. Как английский, так и французский являются государственными языками страны. Французские канадцы, большинство из которых живет в провинции Квебек, сохранили язык и обычаи своих предков. Другими большими этническими группами являются немцы, ирландцы и шотландцы. Коренные народы, американские индейцы и эскимосы, составляют около 2% населения страны. 77% населения Канады живет в больших и малых городах. Торонто и Монреаль являются самыми большими городами. Оттава является столицей страны.
Сегодня сохранение чувства общности является главной проблемой в Канаде из-за различий среди провинций и территорий. Многие канадцы в западных и восточных областях страны считают, что федеральное правительство не уделяет достаточно внимания их проблемам. 80% населения Квебека — французские канадцы. Многие из них считают, что провинция должна получить специальное признание в канадской Конституции.

Источник: 100 тем английского языка. Авторы Каверина В. Бойко В. Жидких Н.

Canada
Canada comes from an Indian word kanata, meaning “a village” or “a settlement”.
Official languages are English and French. But many other languages are spoken there, including Inuktitut (the language of the Inuit, or Eskimos) and other Canadian Indian languages.
Ethnic groups: 80.0% European (English, French, Scottish, Irish, German Russian, others), 4.0% South Asian, 3.9% Chinese, 3.8% Native Indians, 3.3% other Asians, 2.5% African Canadians, 2.5% others.
The motto of the country is From Sea to Sea.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada and the largest city is Toronto.
Canada has 10 Provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia. Quebec is both the oldest and the largest of Canada’s ten provinces. Quebec City, the capital of Quebec province, is the oldest city in Canada. About 240 kilometres southwest of Quebec City is Montreal, the largest city in the province. The first European to visit the area was Jacques Cartier of France. In 1534 he landed at the site of a Huron Indian village. 70 years later, the French settled in the area. Today, eight out of every ten people in Quebec are of French origin. The French language they speak is unique. In many ways, it’s like 17th-century French!
The longest river is the Mackenzie River (4, 241 km long) and the highest mountain is Mount Logan (5, 959 metres high).
The national holiday is on the first of July. It’s Canada Day.
Canada is surrounded by three oceans – the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. It has the longest coastline in the world: 243,000 kilometres. The latest big craze in Canada is whale-watching. Special boats go out into the ocean — at the right place and at the right time — and you have a 99% chance of seeing whales!
Some people believe that Canada owns the North Pole. It’s true that 40% of the country’s territory is in the Arctic North, but the North Pole is not owned by any country. However, many Canadians (especially children) believe that Santa Claus is from Canada.
Canada has more lakes than any other country. Many of the lakes were created by glaciers. There are lots of rivers in Canada too.
Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Much of the country’s wealth lies in its many mines and forests. Minerals such as coal, copper, nickel, and iron ore are found in the mines. Forests cover almost half of Canada’s territory.
Niagara Falls is one of the world’s wonders. These beautiful waterfalls can be found on the border between Canada and the United States. This place is often called ‘the honeymoon capital of the world.’
The Yukon is a territory in northwest Canada where the Klondike Gold Rush took place in 1890s. Jack London came to the Yukon in September of 1897. He was 21 years old and full of hopes to find gold. Although he didn’t become rich, he later turned his Klondike adventures into fame and fortune with his legendary short stories and books.
Canadian Indians are also known as First Nations people.
Canadians are said to be friendly, peace-loving, modest and polite. However, they don’t like it when they are mistaken for Americans.
The maple leaf is the national symbol of the country. Maple leaves come from maple trees and one particular kind of maple tree — the sugar maple — gives Canadians their favourite sweet: maple syrup. Canadians like it so much that they even have special celebrations in honour of this sweet drink.
At the beginning of spring, when the days are warm but the nights are still cold, sugar maples start to produce sap, or tree water. If you collect the sap and then boil it for a long time, you’ll get maple syrup. If you cook it longer, you’ll get maple sugar.
Only sugar maples produce maple syrup, and only tall, graceful sugar maples growing in North America will do the trick. In spite of repeated efforts by Europeans to cultivate sugar maples, they have never succeeded. The secret is not only in the trees but in the climate too.
The boiling point of maple syrup is 7 degrees above the boiling point of water.
Pure maple syrup has no fat and no proteins and is a good source of 3 essential elements — calcium, iron and thiamine.
Canada supplies 80% of the world’s maple syrup.
Today, there are maple syrup festivals all over Canada. They usually start at the beginning of March and last from three to six weeks. During the festival you can see sap coming from trees and help cool syrup in a ‘sug arhouse’ (a special cabin in the forest for making syrup and sugar).
Sweet maple sap was one of the most important of Native Americans’ foods. They boiled it to make syrup. But most often they cooked it down until it was almost dry, so it could be easily stored. A supply of maple sugar saved them from starvation when hunters returned empty-handed. They used it with everything, including meat and fish.

Канада
Канада происходит от индийского слова, Каната, что означает «деревня» или «поселение».
Официальные языки английский и французский. Но там говорят на многих других языках, в том числе инуктитуте (язык инуитов, или эскимосов) и других языках канадских индейцев.
Этнические группы: 80,0% европейцев (англичане, французы, шотландцы, ирландцы, немцы, русские, другие), 4,0% из Южной Азии, 3,9% китайцев, 3,8% Индейцев, 3,3% другие азиаты, 2,5% африканские канадцы, 2,5% другие.
Девиз страны от моря до моря.
Оттава является столицей Канады, а крупнейшим городом является Торонто.
Канада имеет 10 провинций: Ньюфаундленд и Лабрадор, Остров Принца Эдуарда, Новая Шотландия, Нью-Брансуик, Квебек, Онтарио, Манитоба, Саскачеван, Альберта, Британская Колумбия. Квебек самая старая и самая большая из десяти провинций Канады. Квебек, столица провинции Квебек, является старейшим городом в Канаде. Около 240 км к юго-западу от Квебека находится Монреаль, крупнейший город в провинции. Первым европейцем, посетившим район, был Жак Картье из Франции. В 1534 году он высадился на месте индийской деревни Гурон. 70 лет спустя французы поселились в этом районе. Сегодня, восемь из каждых десяти человек в Квебеке французского происхождения. Французский, на котором они говорят, уникален. Во многом, он напоминает французский17-го века!
Самая длинная река — Маккензи (длиной 4, 241 км) и самая высокая гора — Логан (высотой 5, 959 метров).
Национальный праздник празднуется в первый день июля. Это День Канады.
Канада окружена тремя океанами — Тихим океаном, Атлантическим и Северным Ледовитым. Он имеет самую длинную береговую линию в мире: 243000 километров. Наблюдение за китами очень модно в Канаде. Специальные лодки выходят в океан — в нужном месте и в нужное время — и у вас есть 99% увидеть китов!
Некоторые люди считают, что Северный полюс принадлежит Канаде.
Это правда, что 40% территории страны находится на территории Крайнего Севера, но Северный полюс не принадлежит ни какой стране. Тем не менее, многие канадцы (особенно дети) считают, что Санта-Клаус родом из Канады.
Канада имеет больше озер, чем любая другая страна. Многие из озер были созданы ледниками. В Канаде так же много рек.
Канада является одной из богатейших стран в мире. Большая часть богатства страны заключается в ее многочисленных шахтах и лесах. Минералы, такие как уголь, медь, никель и железная руда находятся в шахтах. Леса покрывают почти половину территории Канады.
Ниагарский водопад является одним из чудес света. Эти красивые водопады могут быть увидены на границе между Канадой и Соединенными Штатами. Это место часто называют «мировая столица медового месяца».
Юкон является территорией на северо-западе Канады, где в 1890-е годы прошла Золотая лихорадка Клондайк. Джек Лондон приехал в Юкон в сентябре 1897 года. Ему был 21 год, и он был полон надежд на то, чтобы найти золото. Хотя он и не стать богатым, позже его приключения на Клондайке привели писателя к славе и богатству.
Канадские индейцы, также известны как исконные народы.
Канадцы говорят, дружелюбны, миролюбивые, скромные и вежливые. Тем не менее, им не нравится, когда их ошибочно принимают за американцев.
Кленовый лист является национальным символом страны. Один особый вид клена — клен сахарный — дает канадцам их любимую сладость: кленовый сироп. Канадцы, так его любят, что у них даже есть специальные торжества в честь этого сладкого напитка.
В начале весны, когда дни теплые, но ночи все еще холодные, сахарные клены начинают производить сок. Если вы соберете сок, а затем будете варить в течение длительного времени, вы получите кленовый сироп. Если вы кипятите его дольше, вы получите кленовый сахар.
Только сахарные клены производят кленовый сироп, и только высокие, изящные сахарные клены, растущие в Северной Америке. Несмотря на неоднократные усилия европейцев выращивать сахарные клены, это им никогда не удавалось. Секрет не только в деревьях, но и в климате тоже.
Точка кипения кленового сиропа на 7 градусов выше точки кипения воды.
Чистый кленовый сироп не имеет жира и белков и является хорошим источником трех важных элементов — кальция, железа и тиамина.
Канада поставляет 80% мирового кленового сиропа.
Сегодня по всей Канаде празднуют фестивали кленового сиропа.
Они, как правило, начинаются в начале марта и длятся от трех до шести недель. Во время фестиваля можно увидеть как сок идет из деревьев, и помочь охладить сироп в специальном домик в лесу.
Сладкий кленовый сок был одним из самых важных продуктов коренных американцев. Они варили его, чтобы сделать сироп. Но чаще всего они готовили его, пока он не становился почти сухим, в таком виде его было легко хранить. Запас кленового сахара спасал их от голодной смерти, когда охотники возвращались с пустыми руками. Они использовали его со всем, в том числе с мясом и рыбой.