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Canadian Multiculturalism Day... by the numbers

June 27, 2006

On November 13, 2002, the Government of Canada, by Royal Proclamation, designated June 27 of each year as Canadian Multiculturalism Day.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is an opportunity to celebrate the country's diversity and commitment to democracy, equality and mutual respect. It is also a day to appreciate the contributions to Canadian society of the various multicultural groups and communities who have chosen Canada as their home.

Visit Canada's official Multiculturalism website.

Growth of Canada's visible minority population

6.3 million to 8.5 million - The projected number of visible minority persons in 2017, the year Canada will celebrate its 150^th anniversary.

56% to 111% - The projected increase from 2001, when their number was estimated at about 4 million.

1% to 7% - The projected increase from 2001 to 2017 of the population that does not belong to a visible minority group.

One in five - The projected proportion of visible minority persons in 2017. In 2001,13% of the population identified themselves as belonging to a visible minority group defined in the Employment Equity Act.

7.7 million - The projected immigrant population in 2017.

22.2% - The immigrant proportion of Canada's population in 2017, equivalent to the highest level observed in the twentieth century, namely the 22% observed between 1911 and 1931.

18%- The proportion of immigrants in 2001.

Visible minority groups

3.2 million to 4.4 million - The projected number of members of the South Asian or Chinese visible minority groups. Roughly half of all visible minority persons would belong to these two groups in 2017. By 2017, the South Asian group may catch up to the Chinese group, the most populous visible minority group in Canada in 2001.

948,000 to 1,177,000 - The projected population of the Black population in 2017, compared with about 671,000 in 2001. As a result, Blacks would remain the third largest visible minority in Canada.

West Asian, Korean and Arab groups - The visible minority groups that would grow fastest by 2017. The population of each group would more than double by 2017 under most of the projection scenarios. In the reference scenario, there would be 276,000 West Asians, 203,000 Koreans and 423,000 Arabs by the end of the projection period.

Languages

6.8 million to 9 million - The number of people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, or between 21% and 25% of the total population. That number was 5.3 million in 2001, or 17% of the population.

Ontario and British Columbia - The two provinces could have 4,090,000 and 1,421,000 visible minority persons respectively in 2017, or 57% and 20% of Canada's visible minority population. British Columbia would be the province with the largest proportion of visible minority persons in its population. Nearly one of every three people living in British Columbia would belong to a visible minority group in 2017, under the reference scenario.

Visible minority population and metropolitan areas

75% - The percentage of visible minority persons who would be living in one of Canada's three largest metropolitan areas-Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal-in 2017; the same as in 2001.

The visible minority populations that will make up Toronto and Vancouver would be characterized as mostly Asian. The Montreal census metropolitan area would still be different from Toronto and Vancouver in 2017 because of the high proportion of Blacks (27%) and Arabs (19%) in its visible minority population.

Source: The Daily, Tuesday, March 22, 2005, "Study: Canada's visible minority population in 2017".

Religion

7 out of 10 - The proportion of Canadians who identify themselves as either Roman Catholic or Protestant, according to data from the 2001 Census.

The number of Canadians who reported religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism has increased substantially. Much of the shift in the nation's religious make-up during the past several decades is the result of the changing sources of immigrants, which has contributed to a more diverse religious profile.

Source: 2001 Census, Analysis series, Religions in Canada, Canada.

Included every ten years, the next question on religion will be asked in the 2011 Census.

See also: