Definitions

This page cites Statistics Canada’s “list of ethnic or cultural origins 2021” (which includes detailed definitions) for ethnic origins.

Regarding immigration status, this article makes reference to:

• “Immigrants” are those who are recent arrivals in Canada who have been granted permanent residence (PR) status and/or those who have obtained Canadian citizenship through naturalization;
• “Non-immigrants,” denoting those who are citizens of Canada by virtue of their birth; and
• “Non-permanent residents” are foreign nationals who are granted temporary residency in Canada, usually through a work or study permit.

Toronto

The largest city and metropolitan area in both the province of Ontario and all of Canada is Toronto. Toronto had a population of about 2.7 million as of 2021.

Status of Immigration

The people who live in Toronto are:

• 48.2% or 1.39 million non-immigrants;
• 1.28 million newcomers (46.6%); additionally
• Non-permanent residents: 145,240 (5.35%).

Language proficiency

Toronto’s population spoke the following languages:

• English (2.6 million speakers);
• French (238,505 speakers);
• Mandarin (162,950 speakers);
• Spanish (138,770 speakers);
• Tagalog (135,600 speakers);
• Yue (Cantonese) (134,810 speakers);
• Hindi (107,170 speakers);
• Italian (84,335 speakers);
• Portuguese (80,170 speakers); and
• Tamil (77,785 speakers).

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Toronto spoke:

• English only (2.4 million speakers);
• English and French (236,915 speakers); and
• French only (2,555 speakers).

Ethnic and cultural breakdown

Of Toronto’s population:

• 1.13 million people were of ethnic European origin;
• 1.13 million people were of ethnic Asian origin;
• 248,260 people were of ethnic North American origin;
• 212,030 people were of “other ethnic and cultural” origin; and
• 172,560 people were of ethnic African origin.

Montréal

Montréal is the largest metropolis in the province of Quebec and the second most populous city in Canada. Additionally, it is North America’s largest francophone metropolis. 1.76 million people called Montréal home as of the 2021 census.

Status of Immigration

Montréal’s population consists of:

• 1.01 million non-immigrants (59%);
• 576,120 immigrants (33.4%); and
• 129,780 non-permanent residents (7.5%).

Knowledge of languages

Montréal’s population spoke the following languages:

• French (1.47 million speakers);
• English (1.21 million speakers);
• Spanish (177,230 speakers);
• Arabic (173,385 speakers);
• Italian (95,535 speakers);
• Haitian Creole (66,445 speakers);
• Mandarin (41,405 speakers);
• Portuguese (28,835 speakers); and
• Vietnamese (24,550 speakers).

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Montréal spoke:

• English and French (1.01 million speakers);
• French only (473,490 speakers);
• English only (207,690 speakers); and
• Neither English nor French (41,975 speakers).

Ethnic or cultural breakdown

Of Montréal’s population:

• 684,765 people were of ethnic European origin;
• 419,860 people were of ethnic North American origin;
• 307,525 people were of ethnic Asian origin;
• 230,025 people were of ethnic African origin; and
• 136,480 people were of “other ethnic and cultural” origin.

Calgary

The largest city in Alberta and one of the fastest-growing in the country is Calgary. Calgary was named the most livable city in Canada and tied with Zurich, Switzerland, for third place among all cities in 2022. Calgary had 1.3 million residents in 2021.

Immigrant Status

Calgary’s population consists of:

• 834,100 non-immigrants (64.6%);
• 430,640 immigrants (33.3%); and
• 27,030 non-permanent residents (2.1%).

Knowledge of languages

Calgary’s population spoke the following languages:

• English (1.25 million speakers);
• French (86,135 speakers);
• Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) (66,720 speakers);
• Punjabi (61,025 speakers);
• Spanish (54,235 speakers);
• Mandarin (45,330 speakers);
• Hindi (42,160 speakers);
• Yue (Cantonese) (42,090 speakers);
• Arabic (33,325 speakers); and
• Urdu (29,980 speakers).

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Calgary spoke:

• English only (1.17 million speakers);
• English and French (85,360 speakers); and
• French only (825 speakers).

Ethnic and cultural breakdown

Of Calgary’s population:

• 665,085 people were of ethnic European origin;
• 403,980 people were of ethnic Asian origin;
• 207,060 people were of ethnic North American origin;
• 78,555 people were of “other ethnic and cultural” origin; and
• 74,410 people were of ethnic African origin.

Winnipeg

The province of Manitoba’s capital and largest city is Winnipeg. The city is a rapidly expanding urban area in the prairie region of Canada. Winnipeg had 749,607 residents as of 2021.

Status of Immigration

The population of Winnipeg is made up of:

• 68.6% or 505,525 non-immigrants;
• 27,3% of immigrants, or 201,045; and
• 30,095 (4.1%) non-permanent inhabitants.

Language proficiency

The following languages were spoken by people in Winnipeg:

• English (723,085 speakers);
• French (72,665 speakers);
• Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) (64,325 speakers);
• Punjabi (39,215 speakers);
• Spanish (15,660 speakers);
• Mandarin (15,160 speakers);
• German (12,425 speakers);
• Arabic (9,335 speakers);
• Russian (8,645 speakers); and
• Ukranian (8,620 speakers).

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Winnipeg spoke:

• English only (656,965 speakers);
• English and French (71,700 speakers); and
• French only (1,225 speakers).

Ethnic and cultural breakdown

Of Winnipeg’s population:

• 401,865 people were of ethnic European origin;
• 193,135 people were of ethnic Asian origin;
• 156,025 people were of ethnic North American origin;
• 54,455 people were of “other ethnic and cultural” origin; and
• 37,290 people were of ethnic African origin.

Vancouver

The largest city in British Columbia is Vancouver, which is also one of the three largest metropolitan areas in Canada along with Toronto and Montreal. There were 662,248 people living in Vancouver as of the 2021 census.

Status of Immigration

The population of Vancouver is made up of:

• 333,190 non-immigrants (51.2%);
• 274,360 immigrants (42.2%); and
• 42,830 non-permanent residents (6.6%).

Knowledge of languages

Toronto’s population spoke the following languages:

• English (612,215 speakers);
• Yue (Cantonese) (96,960 speakers);
• Mandarin (74,960 speakers);
• French (60,990 speakers);
• Spanish (36,500 speakers);
• Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) (30,430 speakers);
• Punjabi (19,130 speakers);
• Hindi (15,025 speakers);
• Vietnamese (14,905 speakers); and
• Japanese (12,075 speakers).

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Toronto spoke:

• English only (555,235 speakers);
• English and French (61,055 speakers); and
• French only (345 speakers).

Ethnic and cultural breakdown

Of Vancouver’s population:

• 324,955 people were of ethnic Asian origin;
• 283,675 people were of ethnic European origin;
• 63,690 people were of ethnic North American origin;
• 36,390 people were of “other ethnic and cultural” origin; and
• 25,055 people were of ethnic Latin, Central, and South American origin.

Halifax

The largest city and provincial capital of Nova Scotia is Halifax. The port city, one of the oldest in the nation, is part of an Atlantic Canadian metropolitan area that is expanding quickly. There were 439,819 residents in the city in 2021.

Immigrant Status

Halifax’s population consists of:

• 367,730 non-immigrants (84.5%);
• 50,590 immigrants (11.6%); and
• 16,970 non-permanent residents (3.9%).

Knowledge of languages

Halifax’s population spoke the following languages:

• English (432,240 speakers);
• French (53,690 speakers);
• Arabic (10,560 speakers);
• Hindi (7,965 speakers);
• Mandarin (7,410 speakers);
• Spanish (5,970 speakers);
• Punjabi (4,965 speakers);
• Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) (3,835 speakers);
• German (2,995 speakers);
• Korean (2,365 speakers);

Breakdown of official languages spoken

Of Canada’s official languages, residents of Halifax spoke:

• English only (380,210 speakers);
• English and French (53,460 speakers); and
• French only (295 speakers).

Ethnic and cultural breakdown