Cultural Diversity in Canada 2026
Canada in 2026 stands as one of the most culturally, ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse nations on earth. No other country in the G7 accepts more immigrants per capita, and no other G7 nation has a higher proportion of foreign-born residents. Roughly 23% of Canada’s population was born outside the country — a share that surpasses even the United States — and the country’s demographic trajectory is accelerating. According to Statistics Canada’s population projections, visible minority groups are projected to account for 28.4% of the total Canadian population in 2026, up from just 4.7% in 1981. The federal government’s Canadian Multiculturalism Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms provide a constitutional backbone for this diversity, and public support remains remarkably high: 92% of Canadians aged 15 and older agreed in the 2020 General Social Survey that ethnic or cultural diversity is a core Canadian value.
What makes the cultural diversity story of Canada in 2026 particularly compelling is the pace of change happening in real time. The 2026 Census of Population, underway this year, will for the first time in a decade capture fresh data on religious affiliation — added specifically because Statistics Canada recognizes that immigration is transforming Canada’s faith landscape at a speed that a 10-year data cycle cannot track. Non-Christian religions including Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism have each more than doubled in 20 years. The share of Canadians reporting no religious affiliation has more than doubled since 2001. Canada’s Indigenous population is growing at nearly twice the rate of the non-Indigenous population. And 483,640 new permanent residents arrived in 2024 alone — with India, the Philippines, and China the leading source countries. These are not incremental shifts. They are structural transformations shaping every province, every major city, and every public institution in the country.
Interesting Facts: Cultural Diversity Statistics in Canada 2026
CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT A GLANCE — CANADA 2026
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Total population (Q4 2024) ████████████████████████████ 41.47 million
Visible minority share (proj. 2026) ████████████ 28.4%
Foreign-born share ████████████ ~23%
Foreign-born residents (2024 ACS) ████████████ 50.2M → ~9.4M in Canada
No religious affiliation (2021) ████████████████ 34.6%
Christian (2021) ████████████████████████ 53.3%
Indigenous population (2021) ██ 5.0% (1.8M)
Languages spoken at home ████████████████████████████ 450+
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| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Canadian population (Q4 2024) | 41,465,298 — stable after peaking; declined ~76,000 in Q3 2025 due to non-permanent resident policy changes |
| Population (mid-2026 estimate) | ~40.47 million (Worldometer / UN data) |
| Visible minority population — projected 2026 | ~11,398,000 people — 28.4% of the total population (Statistics Canada projection) |
| Visible minority population — 1981 | Just 1.13 million — 4.7% — growth of >900% in 45 years |
| Foreign-born share of population | ~22–23% — the highest proportion among G7 nations |
| Permanent residents admitted in 2024 | 483,640 new permanent residents — a 2.5% increase from 2023 |
| Top source countries for immigrants (2023) | India (No.1), China, Philippines — together largest three source nations |
| 60% of new immigrants come from Asia | Particularly from India and China (World Population Review) |
| Indigenous population (2021 Census) | 1,807,250 — 5.0% of Canada’s population; growing at 9.4% (2016–2021) |
| Indigenous population growth vs. non-Indigenous | 9.4% vs. 5.3% — growing at nearly twice the national rate (2016–2021) |
| Christian share of population (2021) | 53.3% — down from 67.3% in 2011 and 77.1% in 2001 |
| No religious affiliation (2021) | 34.6% — up from 16.5% in 2001 — more than doubled in 20 years |
| Muslim population (2021) | 4.9% — up from 2.0% in 2001; Islam is the 2nd largest religion |
| Hindu population (2021) | 2.3% — up from 1.0% in 2001 |
| Sikh population (2021) | 2.1% — up from 0.9% in 2001 |
| Total languages spoken at home | 450 languages, including 68 Indigenous languages (2021 Census / Statistics Canada) |
| Ethnic and cultural origins reported in Census | Over 450 distinct origins — with more than 500 response categories |
| 92% call diversity a Canadian value | Per Statistics Canada’s 2020 General Social Survey |
| Racialized population growth (2001–2021) | From 3.85 million to 8.87 million — a 130% increase in 20 years |
| 2026 Census — first in 5 years to include religion | Previously collected every 10 years; added to 2026 Census due to rapid faith landscape changes |
Source: Statistics Canada (statcan.gc.ca) — 2021 Census of Population; Statistics Canada Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity hub; Statistics Canada population projections (Catalogue no. 91-551); IRCC 2025 Annual Report to Parliament; OECD International Migration Outlook 2025; Worldometer / UN World Population Prospects 2024; World Population Review; Statistics Canada 2026 Census content changes (98-20-00042026003)
The scale and pace of Canada’s demographic transformation sets it apart from almost every other wealthy nation. The projected 28.4% visible minority share in 2026 represents a figure that was considered distant speculation just a generation ago — in 1981, visible minorities accounted for just 4.7% of Canadians. That single statistic captures the transformation of a society in just four and a half decades. The role of immigration is central to this story: at a national fertility rate of roughly 1.4 children per woman, Canada’s population would shrink without immigration. Instead, the country grew from 30 million in 2000 to over 41 million in 2024, almost entirely on the strength of newcomers and their Canadian-born children.
The religious diversity data add a dimension of change that runs even deeper than immigration tallies. For 34.6% of Canadians to report no religious affiliation — a figure that has more than doubled since 2001 — represents one of the most significant shifts in Canadian social identity in modern history. It coincides with the doubling and tripling of Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh populations, meaning Canada’s faith landscape is simultaneously becoming more secular and more religiously plural. This dual shift — secularization among legacy Canadians and growing non-Christian religious communities driven by immigration — is precisely why Statistics Canada accelerated the data collection cycle, adding religious affiliation to the 2026 Census for the first time after only five years rather than the usual ten.
Racial and Ethnic Composition Statistics in Canada 2026
CANADA VISIBLE MINORITY POPULATION — GROWTH TREND (% OF TOTAL)
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1981 ██ 4.7%
1991 ████ 9.4%
2001 █████ 13.4%
2011 ██████████ 19.1%
2016 ████████████ 22.3%
2021 █████████████ 26.5% (actual)
2026 ███████████████ 28.4% (projected)
2036 █████████████████████ 34.4% (projected)
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| Racial / Ethnic Group | Population (2021 Census) | Share of Population | Growth (2001–2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-racialized) | ~24.8 million | ~67% | Modest growth |
| South Asian | Largest visible minority group | 7.1% | Strong growth |
| Chinese | Second largest visible minority | 4.7% | +42% (2001–2021) |
| Black | Third largest visible minority | 4.3% | +125% (2001–2021) |
| Filipino | Growing rapidly | Part of 1.1% Southeast Asian | +207% |
| Arab | Among fastest growing | 1.9% | +254% (largest % increase) |
| Latin American | 1.6% | Growing | Notable gains |
| West Asian | 1.0% | Growing | +214% (2001–2021) |
| Korean | 0.6% | Stable | Modest growth |
| Japanese | 0.3% | Stable | +42% (2001–2021) |
| Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) | 1,807,250 | 5.0% | +9.4% (2016–2021) |
| Total racialized population (excl. NPR) | 8.87 million | ~26.5% (2021 actual) | +130% (2001–2021) |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population; Statistics Canada “New data on the changing demographics of racialized people in Canada” (August 2023); Statistics Canada projection data (Catalogue no. 91-551); TheDataInsider (citing 2021 Census, July 2025)
The racial and ethnic composition of Canada in 2026 is the direct product of one of the world’s most intentional immigration programs. The country’s visible minority population exploded from 3.85 million to 8.87 million between 2001 and 2021 — a 130% increase compared to just 1% growth for the White population over the same period. The fastest-growing groups in percentage terms were Arab Canadians (+254%), West Asians (+214%), and Filipinos (+207%), all groups with strong links to immigration streams prioritized by Canadian economic and family reunification programs. South Asians are now the largest visible minority group in Canada at 7.1% of the total population, surpassing the Chinese community at 4.7% — a structural shift driven by India’s emergence as Canada’s dominant source country for immigration. The Arab community’s 254% growth in two decades reflects immigration from Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and increasingly from Cameroon and Algeria, which now lead Francophone immigration streams.
The geographic concentration of visible minority communities shapes how this diversity is experienced on the ground. Ontario is home to the most South Asian and Chinese Canadians of any province; British Columbia has the highest concentration of Sikh Canadians at 5.9% of the province; and Quebec sees its diversity primarily through Black and Arab communities. Among the racialized population overall, immigration is the primary driver — accounting for about two-thirds of all growth between 2001 and 2021. The second-generation (Canadian-born children of immigrants) also grew rapidly, with the working-age second-generation population growing five times in size between 2001 and 2021 — a cohort now entering the workforce, reshaping institutions, and increasingly defining what it means to be Canadian.
Indigenous Population Statistics in Canada 2026
INDIGENOUS POPULATION IN CANADA — 2021 CENSUS (BY GROUP)
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First Nations ██████████████████████████████ 1,048,405 (57.9%)
Métis ████████████████ 624,220 (34.5%)
Inuit ██ 70,545 (3.9%)
Other/Multiple ██ 64,080 (3.5%)
TOTAL ████████████████████████████████ 1,807,250 (5.0% of Canada)
Growth rate 2016–2021: +9.4% (vs. +5.3% non-Indigenous)
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| Indigenous Metric | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total Indigenous population (2021 Census) | 1,807,250 — 5.0% of Canada’s total population | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| First Nations | 1,048,405 — first time ever surpassing 1 million | Statistics Canada |
| Métis | 624,220 — up 6.3% from 2016 | Statistics Canada |
| Inuit | 70,545 — up 8.5% from 2016 | Statistics Canada |
| Indigenous growth rate (2016–2021) | +9.4% — nearly 1.5× the non-Indigenous rate of 5.3% | Statistics Canada |
| Projected Indigenous population (20-year horizon) | 2.5 million to 3.2 million | Statistics Canada population projections |
| Average age gap (Indigenous vs. non-Indigenous) | Indigenous population is 8.2 years younger on average | Statistics Canada 2021 Census |
| Indigenous people in large urban centres (2021) | 801,045 — up 12.5% from 2016 | Statistics Canada |
| Largest urban Indigenous population | Winnipeg — 102,080 | Statistics Canada 2021 |
| Second largest urban Indigenous population | Edmonton — 87,605 | Statistics Canada 2021 |
| Métis in urban centres | 55.4% of all Métis live in large cities | Statistics Canada |
| First Nations on-reserve (Status) | 41% of Status First Nations live on-reserve; 59% off-reserve | Statistics Canada 2021 |
| Indigenous languages spoken | More than 70 Indigenous languages (2021 Census) | Statistics Canada |
| Indigenous children living with grandparents | 14.2% — vs. 8.9% of non-Indigenous children | Statistics Canada 2021 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population — Indigenous peoples data (statcan.gc.ca); Indigenous Services Canada Transition Document 2025; Statistics Canada video transcript “First Nations, Métis and Inuit in Canada” (statcan.gc.ca)
Canada’s Indigenous population in 2026 is experiencing a remarkable demographic resurgence. For the first time in the 2021 Census, the First Nations population surpassed 1 million people — a milestone that carries profound historical weight given the devastation wrought by colonization, residential schools, and systemic inequality. Growing at 9.4% between 2016 and 2021 — nearly twice the non-Indigenous rate — the Indigenous population is on track to reach between 2.5 and 3.2 million people within 20 years. The Métis population in particular has urbanized rapidly: 55.4% of Métis now live in large urban centres, and Montreal saw the largest urban Indigenous population growth of any Canadian city at 42.4% between 2016 and 2021. This urbanization is reshaping how Indigenous culture, language, and identity are maintained and expressed — increasingly outside of traditional reserve and homeland geographies.
The youthfulness of the Indigenous population is one of its most defining characteristics in 2026. Indigenous Canadians are on average 8.2 years younger than non-Indigenous Canadians — a demographic advantage that translates into a growing workforce-age cohort and a larger school-age population. 14.2% of Indigenous children live with at least one grandparent, compared to 8.9% of non-Indigenous children, reflecting the central role of intergenerational family structures in Indigenous communities. Despite growth and resilience, 16.4% of Indigenous people were living in a dwelling needing major repairs in 2021, compared to 5.7% of non-Indigenous Canadians — a persistent housing disparity that underscores how much structural inequality still shapes lived experience within Canada’s diversity.
Language Diversity Statistics in Canada 2026
HOME LANGUAGE USE IN CANADA — 2021 CENSUS / RECENT ACS DATA
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English ████████████████████████████████████████████ 54.9%
French █████████████ 19.6%
Chinese ██ 3.5%
Punjabi █ 1.8%
Spanish █ 1.5%
Arabic █ 1.4%
Tagalog █ 1.3%
Other ████ 16%
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Total languages spoken: 450+ (incl. 68 Indigenous)
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| Language Metric | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official languages | English and French | Canadian Constitution |
| English spoken at home | 54.9% of population | 2021 Census / Wikipedia |
| French spoken at home | 19.6% of population | 2021 Census |
| Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese) at home | 3.5% | 2021 Census |
| Punjabi at home | 1.8% — reflecting large Sikh/South Asian community | 2021 Census |
| Spanish at home | 1.5% | 2021 Census |
| Arabic at home | 1.4% | 2021 Census |
| Tagalog at home | 1.3% — reflecting large Filipino community | 2021 Census |
| Italian at home | 0.9% | 2021 Census |
| Total languages spoken at home in Canada | 450 languages — including 68 Indigenous languages | Statistics Canada 2021 |
| Ethnic/cultural origins — survey response categories | Over 500 categories | Statistics Canada Census |
| Francophones outside Quebec (immigration target) | 7.2% of 2024 admissions — exceeded the 6% target | IRCC 2025 Annual Report |
| Target for Francophone immigration outside Quebec | 12% by 2029 | IRCC / Canada.ca |
| French-speaking PR admissions outside Quebec (2024) | 30,550 newcomers | IRCC Dashboard |
| Top Francophone source country (2024) | Cameroon — 10,395 Francophone PRs (outside Quebec) | IRCC Dashboard |
| Most linguistically diverse major city | Toronto — widely described as one of the most multilingual cities on earth | Statistics Canada |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population — Language data; Statistics Canada “A Canadian data snapshot, through a multicultural lens” (statcan.gc.ca); IRCC Dashboard on Francophone Immigration 2024 (canada.ca); Wikipedia — Languages of Canada (citing 2021 Census)
The linguistic diversity of Canada in 2026 reflects the full breadth of the country’s immigration history and the constitutional protection of its two official languages. 450 languages are spoken in Canadian homes — a number that includes 68 Indigenous languages whose preservation is now supported by the Indigenous Languages Act (2019) — and the language landscape is shifting with each new immigration wave. Punjabi has surpassed Italian, German, and Portuguese to become the third most common non-official home language in Canada, a direct reflection of South Asian immigration from India and the dramatic growth of the Sikh-Canadian community. Arabic and Tagalog have similarly risen in the rankings, reflecting Arab and Filipino immigration that has accelerated since 2010. The rise of Cameroon as the top source country for Francophone immigration outside Quebec in 2024 — contributing 10,395 French-speaking permanent residents — is a striking geographic reorientation of French-language immigration from Europe toward Africa.
Canada’s federal Francophone immigration strategy is one of the most deliberate language-policy interventions in the country’s recent history. With a target of reaching 12% Francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2029 — nearly double the 7.2% achieved in 2024 — the government is actively attempting to strengthen French-speaking minority communities in provinces like Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta, where French-speakers are outnumbered but protected under the Official Languages Act. The settlement support infrastructure is keeping pace: 69% of French-speaking newcomers accessed settlement services through Francophone service providers in 2024, up from 63% in 2023. In Toronto — often cited as the most linguistically diverse city on earth, with hundreds of languages represented across its boroughs — this complexity is perhaps most visible, with entire neighbourhood economies functioning in languages other than English or French for first-generation immigrants.
Religious Diversity Statistics in Canada 2026
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION IN CANADA — 2021 CENSUS (MOST RECENT FULL DATA)
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Christian ██████████████████████████████ 53.3%
No religion ████████████████████ 34.6%
Muslim ██ 4.9%
Hindu █ 2.3%
Sikh █ 2.1%
Buddhist █ 1.0%
Jewish ▌ 0.9%
Indigenous religs ▌ 0.2%
Other ▌ 0.6%
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Christian share: 77.1% (2001) → 67.3% (2011) → 53.3% (2021)
No religion: 16.5% (2001) → 34.6% (2021) — more than doubled
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| Religious Group | Population (2021) | Share (2021) | Share (2001) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian (all denominations) | ~19.3 million | 53.3% | 77.1% |
| Roman Catholic | Largest Christian group | 29.9% of Canadians | — |
| Protestant (all) | Second largest Christian | 8.7% | — |
| Orthodox Christian | — | 2.0% | — |
| No religious affiliation | ~12.6 million | 34.6% | 16.5% |
| Muslim | ~1,775,715 | 4.9% | 2.0% |
| Hindu | ~828,195 | 2.3% | 1.0% |
| Sikh | ~771,790 | 2.1% | 0.9% |
| Buddhist | — | 1.0% | ~1.1% |
| Jewish | — | 0.9% | ~1.1% |
| Non-Christian religions combined | — | ~11.92% | ~6% |
| Muslim, Hindu, Sikh combined (2011→2021) | Rose from ~6% to ~9.1% | More than doubled in 20 years | — |
| 2026 Census — religion question added | First time in 5 years — not 10 | Due to rapid religious change | Statistics Canada |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population — Religion data (statcan.gc.ca); Statistics Canada 2026 Census content changes fact sheet (statcan.gc.ca, July 2025); Statistics Canada ethnocultural and religious diversity 2021 promotional material; madeinca.ca citing 2021 Census (January 2026); Canadian Affairs (January 2026)
The religious diversity statistics of Canada in 2026 capture a country undergoing one of the fastest faith landscape transformations in its history. Just since 2001, the Christian share of the population has fallen from 77.1% to 53.3% — a 24-percentage-point drop in two decades. The decline has been particularly sharp among younger generations, where neither Christianity nor formal religious identification holds the same cultural centrality it did for previous cohorts. Meanwhile, the proportion reporting no religious affiliation has more than doubled — from 16.5% in 2001 to 34.6% in 2021 — making “no religion” the second most common response in the country, ahead of every non-Christian faith. Statistics Canada’s decision to include religion for the first time in the 2026 Census after only five years, rather than the usual ten-year interval, is itself a measure of how rapid these changes are.
On the growth side, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism each doubled or more in share between 2001 and 2021. The Muslim population grew from 2.0% to 4.9%, making Islam the second largest religion in Canada, with nearly 1.8 million adherents. The Hindu and Sikh communities each surpassed 770,000 people — with British Columbia having the highest Sikh concentration in the country at 5.9% of the province’s population. A key structural fact underlies this growth: 63.1% of Canadian Muslims, 62.9% of Hindus, and 53.8% of Sikhs were immigrants in 2021 — meaning the growth of these faiths is directly tied to immigration, and that as their Canadian-born second generations grow up, the question of how faith identity evolves across generations will become central to understanding Canadian religious diversity in the 2030s.
Most Diverse Cities and Regions in Canada 2026
CANADA'S MOST DIVERSE MAJOR CITIES — KEY DIVERSITY METRICS
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Toronto ████████████████████████████████████ 55.7% racialized (2021)
Vancouver ████████████████████████████ >50% racialized (metro)
Calgary ████████████████████████ Major South Asian, Chinese, Filipino
Montréal ████████████████████ 38.8% racialized (city)
Edmonton █████████████████ Fastest-growing Indigenous pop.
Winnipeg ████████████ Highest urban Indigenous population
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| City / Region | Key Diversity Metric (2021 Census / Latest Data) |
|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | 55.7% of city population is racialized — widely cited as the most multicultural city in the world; 2.76 million people (city proper); top religions: Christian (46.2%), Muslim (9.6%), Hindu (6.2%), Jewish (3.6%) |
| Vancouver, BC | Metro area more than 50% racialized; highest provincial Sikh concentration (5.9% of BC); among world’s most livable cities; strong Chinese and South Asian communities |
| Calgary, AB | 15.2% growth in permanent residents (2024); major South Asian, Chinese, and Filipino communities; attracted 12,000 tech workers in 2024 alone |
| Montréal, QC | 38.8% racialized (city); 50% of Quebec’s total racialized population lives in Montréal; world’s second-largest French-speaking city after Paris; large Black and Arab communities |
| Edmonton, AB | 87,605 urban Indigenous people — second highest nationally; large South Asian, Chinese, and Filipino communities; growing tech sector drawing newcomers |
| Winnipeg, MB | 102,080 urban Indigenous people — largest in Canada; historically significant Métis centre; large Filipino community |
| Ontario province | Most racially diverse province; 6.7% Muslim, 4.1% Hindu — highest provincial rates; 16.3% identify with non-Christian religion |
| British Columbia | 5.9% Sikh — highest in Canada; 13.7% non-Christian; strong Chinese, South Asian, and Filipino populations |
| Prairie provinces | Largest South Asian and Filipino visible minority groups; fastest-growing Francophone immigration corridor |
| Atlantic Canada | Fastest immigrant-driven growth in cities like Moncton (+42.7% PRs in 2024); increasingly diverse newcomer communities in historically homogeneous regions |
| By 2036 projection — Toronto | 66–70% of working-age population will belong to a visible minority group |
Source: Statistics Canada, “Ethnocultural diversity in Canadian cities” (statcan.gc.ca, October 2024); Statistics Canada 2021 Census city-level data; IRCC 2025 Annual Report; OECD International Migration Outlook 2025; Statistics Canada Immigration and Diversity Projections (Catalogue no. 91-551)
Canada’s most diverse cities in 2026 are not just demographically interesting — they are among the most culturally complex urban environments on earth. Toronto, with 55.7% of its city population identifying as racialized in the 2021 Census, is routinely cited alongside London and New York as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Its religious landscape reflects this depth: Muslim (9.6%), Hindu (6.2%), and Jewish (3.6%) communities each represent meaningful proportions of the city’s population alongside a still-majority Christian community. By 2036, Statistics Canada projects that 66–70% of Toronto’s working-age population will belong to a visible minority group — a figure that reframes what “majority” and “minority” mean in a metropolitan context. Vancouver’s transformation is similarly profound, with the city’s South Asian, Chinese, Korean, and Filipino communities redefining neighbourhoods and civic institutions for decades.
What is particularly striking in 2026 is that diversity is no longer solely a big-city phenomenon. Moncton, New Brunswick saw a 42.7% increase in permanent residents in 2024 — driven largely by Francophone immigrants from Africa — and smaller cities across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Atlantic Canada are all experiencing their first significant waves of visible minority and immigrant settlement. The Prairies’ largest racialized groups are South Asians and Filipinos, reflecting demand for agricultural and healthcare workers. Meanwhile, cities like Winnipeg with its 102,080 urban Indigenous residents showcase a dimension of diversity that predates immigration entirely — one rooted in the land, languages, and cultures that existed long before Canada was a country.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
