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Minority report
For the first time in history, the number of people belonging to visible minorities in Canada has breached the five-million mark, making up 16.2 per cent of the country’s total population.
Largely driven by immigration from non-European countries, the visible minority population surged by 26.2 per cent between 2001 and 2006 — five times faster than the 5.4 increase for the population as a whole, according to Statistics Canada.
Today, visible minority members account for more 75 per cent of immigration into Canada.
And for the first time, the number of South Asian immigrants surpassed Chinese as the largest minority group in the country.
The 2006 Census shows that the South Asian community grew at a rate of 37.7 per cent from 2001, representing a quarter of the visible minority population.
In contrast, the number of Chinese increased by 18.2 per cent, accounting for just less than one-quarter of the visible minority population.
Over the last 25 years, the number of visible minorities - including all Canadian residents who are not white or aboriginal - has increased steadily. In 1981, when relevant data was first collected as part of an employment equity initiative, the estimated 1.1 million visible minority members represented only 4.7 per cent of the country’s total population.
At this rate, visible minorities will represent one-fifth, or 20 per cent, of Canada’s total population within a decade, according to StatsCan.
But as always, location is everything. Just under 96 per cent of visible minorities live in a census metropolitan area compared to 68.1 per cent of Canada’s total population.
Their second biggest concentration is in Metro Vancouver, where they account for 10 per cent of the total population.
Interestingly, Abbotsford has the highest proportion of South Asians in Canada, at 16.3 per cent of the total population, while Surrey accounts for almost half of the 200,000-plus South Asians living in the Metro Vancouver area.
There’s even a dichotomy between eastern and western Canada. While almost half of Toronto’s population is made up of members of visible minorities, only 2.6 per cent live in the Atlantic region.
Currently, only Australia has more people from visible minorities than Canada.
Canada currently gets about 250,000 immigrants each year, with China being the largest source of newcomers. But this year, India is set to surpass China as the number one source for immigration into this country.
1: Ranking of Abbotsford when it comes to the highest proportion of South Asians in Canada, at 16.3 per cent. Toronto (13.5) Vancouver (9.9).
4: Percentage of Canadian population made up of South Asians.
4: Percentage of visible minority population that does not live in a major urban area.
16.2: Percentage of Canadian population that is a visible minority.
30: Percentage of visible minorities that live in Canada.
65.4: Percentage of visible minority population in Markham, Ont.- one of few Canadian communities where non-visible minorities are in fact the minority.
83.9: Percentage of immigrants born in non-European countries.
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