| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5,677,205 15.6% of Canada's population (2021) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Throughout Canada, especially in Quebec and Atlantic Canada | |
| Languages | |
| English · French | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity (Mainly Catholicism and Protestantism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French Canadians, English Canadians, Scottish Canadians, Irish Canadians |
Canadian ethnicity refers to the self-identification of one's ethnic origin as being Canadian.[1][2] The identification is most common among racially white Canadians who do not identify ethnically with their ancestral origins in Europe due to generational distance from European ancestors.[3][4] It was recognized as an ethnic identity by Statistics Canada in 1996.
Canadians with ancestral origins in the British Isles and France are the most likely to identify ethnically as Canadian.[1] As their languages (English and French), traditions, and cultural practices have come to define most of Canada and Canadian society,[5] many do not see themselves as linked to any other nation or ethnic group. Nonetheless, most English-speaking Old Stock Canadians still identify ethnically with their European ancestry, while French-speaking Old Stock Canadians are more likely to identify ethnically as Canadian or with other North American origins (such as Québécois or Acadian) than with European ones.
Indigenous Canadians do not identify ethnically as Canadian, identifying instead with their First Nation group, as Inuit, or as Métis.
"Canadian" was the most common ethnic or cultural origin reported in the 2021 census, reported alone or in combination with other origins by 5.67 million people or 15.6% of the total population.[6]
Definition and usage edit
The use of "Canadian" as an ethnic identity can depend on one's understanding of what ethnicity refers to. In a broad sense, an ethnic group denotes a population with shared ancestry, territory, identity, and cultural heritage,[7] meaning ethnic groups have the potential evolve from pre-existing ones. Similar to "American" as an ancestral origin, "Canadian" is usually only considered a nationality and not a definitive ethnic group, though it may still be defined as an ethnic origin for statistics, self-identity, or as a political statement.
There exists a contrast in the meaning of ethnicity between English- and French-speaking Canadians. Social scientist Rhoda Howard-Hassmann has stated that among English-speaking Canadians, ethnic identity is frequently misunderstood as meaning biological ancestry, "so that everyone's 'true' identity is presumed to be rooted somewhere else".[2] French-speaking Canadians more frequently associate their ethnic origin with their nation, rooted in heritage rather than biological ancestry, generally perceiving themselves as a new nation or people created in North America. (("No" French Canadian sees themselves as being *from* France)).
The English Canadian identity emerged separately from the French Canadien identity. Although both terms refer to the same group in their respective languages, they may sometimes be seen as two distinct identities. In the late 17th century, French settlers in Canada, a colony within New France at the time, began using the word "Canadien" as an ethnonym to distinguish themselves from the people of France. Canadian identity among English-speakers was adopted afterwards in the late 18th century, following the arrival of British settlers, specifically United Empire Loyalists fleeing the United States, to the British colony of Quebec. Today, "Canadien" identity in French relates to Canada as a whole, though may sometimes be understood as referring specifically to French Canadians like the term historically described.
Statistical data edit
The 1996 census was the first in which Statistics Canada allowed "Canadian" as a valid ethnic origin response. It was immediately the most common origin reported, and was met with a significant decline in French and English origin responses when compared to previous censuses. Individuals with Scottish or Irish origins were likely to list these origins alongside with "Canadian", and the number of responses for them did not significantly change.
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Out of the 5.67 million people who identified their ethnic origin as Canadian in the 2021 census, 4.18 million reported it as a single response while 1.49 million reported it in combination with other origins.
Statistics Canada has stated that "ethnic origin responses in the census are a reflection of each respondent's perception of their ethnic ancestry".
| Reported Canadian ethnic origin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Percentage of population | ||
| 1996 | 8,806,275 | 30.9% | ||
| 2001 | 11,682,680 | 34.0% | ||
| 2006 | 10,066,290 | 32.2% | ||
| 2011 | 10,563,805 | 32.2% | ||
| 2016 | 11,135,965 | 32.3% | ||
| Reported Canadian ethnic or cultural origin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Percentage of population | ||
| 2021 | 5,677,205 | 15.6% | ||
The decline in Canadian ethnic origin responses in 2021 is largely due to changes in the format of the ethnic origin question in the census. Each census questionnaire between 1996 and 2016 included a short list of examples of ethnic origins to enter, all with "Canadian" as the first example listed, except in 1991 where it was the sixth example. In 2016, there were 28 examples listed. The 2021 census instead listed over 500 origins in alphabetical order, negatively affecting a respondent's likelihood of entering "Canadian" as an origin. Additionally, prior to the 2021 census, a respondent answering "French Canadian" would be counted once for French and once for Canadian. The 2021 census created new ethnic categories, such as "French Canadian" and "African Canadian" as single ethnic groups. Due to these changes, the 2021 census figure for Canadian ethnic identity is not comparable to those of previous years.
Between the censuses of 2016 and 2021, Canadian ethnic identity declined significantly more in combination with other origins than as a sole origin. The number of people reporting "Canadian" as their sole ethnic origin declined from 6.43 million to 4.18 million, while it declined from 11.13 million to 5.67 million when including responses with other origins. Between these years, there was an increase in other non-Indigenous North American origin responses, including "Québécois" and "Acadian".
Geographic distribution edit
Canadian ethnic identity is most prevalent in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, which were the first parts of the country to be settled by Europeans. Identification is particularly high in Quebec, where the majority French Canadian population traces their ancestry to settlers who arrived to North America from the Kingdom of France between 1608 and 1760. After this year, immigration from France effectively stopped, leaving a founding population of roughly 8,500 settlers. An estimated 7 million French Canadians today are descendants of these original 8,500 settlers. This has made French Canadians a classical example of a founder population. Western Canada was not largely populated by Europeans until the 20th century, leading to lower numbers of people in Western provinces who identify ethnically with Canada today.
| Canadian ethnic identity, 2021[Note 1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province | Percentage | Total | ||
 Quebec |
29.0% | 2,412,040 | ||
 Newfoundland and Labrador |
24.9% | 125,120 | ||
 New Brunswick |
23.0% | 174,910 | ||
 Nova Scotia |
15.8% | 151,300 | ||
 Canada |
15.6% | 5,677,205 | ||
 Prince Edward Island |
15.2% | 22,825 | ||
 Alberta |
11.6% | 484,655 | ||
 Ontario |
11.6% | 1,621,655 | ||
 Saskatchewan |
9.7% | 107,095 | ||
 British Columbia |
9.3% | 459,320 | ||
 Manitoba |
8.4% | 109,195 | ||
Addition to the census edit
Prior to 1996, "Canadian" as a response for an ethnic origin was explicitly discouraged in the census. Respondents were instructed to enter only "Old World" or "Native Indian" ancestries, and were "allowed to record Canadian only if the respondent insisted", though it was not commonly done before 1991.
A campaign was organized in 1991 with the Toronto Sun encouraging the entry of "Canadian" to the 1991 census ethnic origin question. The campaign was initiated by the belief that ethnic differences were the cause of the "national unity crisis", amidst the rise of the Quebec sovereignty movement just years before the 1995 Quebec independence referendum. This resulted in over one million Canadians, two-thirds from Ontario, entering "Canadian" as their ethnic origin, making it the sixth most common origin response. This led to changes in the following 1996 census ethnic origin question. It became open-ended, with respondents writing in their answer rather than checking a box from a list, with "Canadian" listed alongside other ethnic groups as an example for a response.
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ These figures only include responses for "Canadian", and exclude other Canadian identities such as "French Canadian", "Acadian", and "Québécois".
References edit
- ^ a b Derrick Thomas (2005). ""I am Canadian"" (PDF). Statistics Canada. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ a b Howard-Hassmann, Rhoda E. (December 1999). ""Canadian" as an Ethnic Category: Implications for Multiculturalism and National Unity". Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques. 25 (4): 523–537. doi:10.2307/3552426. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ Bezanson, Kate; Webber, Michelle (2016). Rethinking Society in the 21st Century (4th ed.). Canadian Scholars' Press. pp. 455–456. ISBN 978-1-55130-936-1.
- ^ Edmonston, Barry; Fong, Eric (2011). The Changing Canadian Population. McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 294–296. ISBN 978-0-7735-3793-4.
- ^ "Discover Canada - Who We Are". www.canada.ca. Government of Canada. 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
Canadian society today stems largely from the English-speaking and French-speaking Christian civilizations that were brought here from Europe by settlers. English and French define the reality of day-to-day life for most people and are the country's official languages.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2023-02-01). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ Chandra, Kanchan (2012). Constructivist theories of ethnic politics. Oxford University Press. pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-0199893157. OCLC 829678440. Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2023-09-08.