Canadian Population Frequently Asked Questions

Nov. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- The population of Canada is close to 34 million people, distributed in territories, provinces, agglomerations, urban areas, cities and towns. The three territories - Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut comprise more than 30 percent of the country's territory, but they are very sparsely populated. The majority of Canadians live close to the US border. For this reason, most people live in regions with population density which is higher than the average. Among the largest Canadian metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa-Gatineau, and Quebec.

With the exception of the Northwest Territories, the number of residents of all provinces and territories grew between 2008 and 2009 (http://www.canadafaq.ca/Canadian-Geography-cat). Alberta and Yukon are the two fastest-growing provinces, with 2.56 and 2.09 percent. Interprovincial migration, immigration, death and birth rates and the major factors leading to population growth. However, population growth is mainly due to immigration rather than natural growth. Similar to other Western countries, the population of Canada is aging, with a larger number of retirees and fewer persons of working age. The average age for Canada is 39.5 years.

In view of ethnic origin, 32 percent of people consider themselves Canadian, 21 percent identified themselves as English, and almost 16 percent are of French origin. Other represented ethnicities include Scottish, German, Irish, Chinese, Italian, etc. The aboriginal population in the country is just 4 percent, but its population growth is almost twice as fast compared with the national rate. Some 16 percent of Canadians belong to non-aboriginal ethnic minorities. The largest ethnic groups are Black, Chinese, and South Asian.

Canada's immigration rates are among the highest in the world. The main factors that drive immigration are family reunification and the country's economic policy. Most immigrants live in urban areas like Toronto and Vancouver. (http://www.canadafaq.ca/what+are+the+capitals+of+the+cana...) In addition, the country gives refugee status to many foreign nationals. Over 1 in 10 refugees resettle there.

With regard to religious affiliation, the majority of Canadians (77 percent) identifies themselves as Christians. Of them, close to 44 percent are Catholics. The United Church of Canada, the Anglican, Lutheran, and Baptist churches are the largest denominations. Over 4 percent of Canadians identify as other Christians. Judaism and Islam are non-Christian religions represented here, while more than 16 percent of residents consider themselves atheist. With regard to spoken languages, English and French are the official languages of Canada. All Canadian citizens are entitled to receive services and assistance by the federal government in English and French. The two languages have equal status in the federal institutions, the Parliament, and the federal courts. Over 85 percent of the Francophone population lives in the province of Quebec, but French-speaking Canadians also reside in southern Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario. In fact, the largest French speaking community living outside Quebec resides in Ontario. Persons belonging to official-language ethnic minorities are entitled to study in their own educational institutions. The majority language in the province of Nunavut is Inuktitut. In addition, aboriginal languages have been granted official language status in the Northwest Territories.

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