Ethnic groups in Canada

Map of the dominant self-identified ethnic origins of ancestors per census division. Actual physical origins of ancestors may be different

This is a list of Canadian residents (citizens, landed immigrants, and non-citizen temporary residents) by the ethnic origin(s) they chose to list on their 2001 census form. The relevant census question asked for either the ethnicity or nationality of the respondent's ancestors and not the respondents themselves.

The labels do not necessarily describe the respondent themself (as they may identify themselves slightly differently than their ancestor). Also, many respondents acknowledged multiple ancestries (origins). These people were counted one extra time for each origin listed (but are counted only once within a single origin's count). As well, some respondents interpreted the question differently, so two people with similar ethnic origin, may answer differently. This is especially true, when using "Canadian" as an ethnic origin. The data may also reflect an equating of the terms "English" with British or anglophone and therefore, along with the large number of single responses for "Canadian", these data may not give the most accurate data on ethnicity/ethnic origin for several groups. This is particularly the case for those of British and French origins.

Larger ethnic origins are made up of 30 ethnic groups above 150,000 persons, and smaller ethnic origins consisted of 180 other ethnic groups, thus bring the total of ethnic groups classified by the Canada 2006 Census to 210. The largest three are Canadian, English or British-Canadian and French-Canadian who may be French-speaking, English-speaking or both.^{[citation needed]}

Larger ethnic origins

Smaller ethnic origins

See also

• Immigration to Canada
• Demographics of Canada
• American-Canadians

References

• *) n.i.e. = not included elsewhere

Source Statistics Canada, Canada 2001 Census. [1] [2]

The following question was asked on the 2001 census long-form, given to 1 in 5 persons (or their parents) known to legally reside in Canada:

While most people in Canada view themselves as Canadians, information on their ancestral origins has been collected since the 1901 Census to capture the changing composition of Canada’s diverse population. Therefore, this question refers to the origins of the person’s ancestors.

To which ethnic or cultural group(s) did this person’s ancestors belong?

For example, Canadian, French, English, Chinese, Italian, German, Scottish, Irish, Cree, Micmac, Métis, Inuit (Eskimo), East Indian, Ukrainian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Filipino, Jewish, Greek, Jamaican, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Chilean, Somali, etc.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census Handbook (Reference), Catalogue No. 92-379-XIE, February 20003, ISBN 0-662-31156-6, page 47.