Finding others who share their social and cultural background can be a major factor for many immigrants to Canada when deciding where to settle. Fortunately, Canada’s emphasis on diversity and culture mean that immigrants from all over the world can probably find fellow members of their community there. The most populated communities in Canada are profiled here, along with information on notable ethnic groups, birthplace, immigration status, official languages spoken, and linguistic proficiency. The biggest cities in every province have been selected, and information from the Canadian National Census of 2021 has been gathered. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration 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
