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Demographics of British Columbia

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See also: Demographics of Canada
Canada British Columbia Density 2016

Population of British Columbia 5.368 million (2022)

Percentage of National Population: 13.2% (unchanged)

Population Growth Rate: 5.6%

Vital statistics

2020[1]

Birth rate: 8.3 births per 1,000 (2021) (Canadian average = 9.9) [2]

Death rate: 8.3 deaths per 1,000 (2021) [2] (Canadian average = 8.3)

Infant mortality rate: 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births[3]

Life expectancy at birth: 82.4 years

Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born per woman (Canadian average = 1.40)

Age structure

  Males Females
Age
Group   		Number Percent Number Percent
0-4 105,809 2.4% 100,116 2.2%
5-9 117,908 2.8% 111,383 2.6%
10-14 133,809 3.1% 126,388 3.0%
15-19 143,449 3.4% 136,227 3.2%
20-24 155,369 3.7% 147,770 3.5%
25-29 139,521 3.3% 138,299 3.3%
30-34 144,788 3.4% 145,869 3.4%
35-39 155,429 3.7% 158,364 3.7%
40-44 177,381 4.2% 179,216 4.2%
45-49 172,786 4.1% 177,082 4.2%
50-54 157,596 3.7% 159,965 3.8%
55-59 138,096 3.2% 139,772 3.3%
60-64 101,610 2.4% 103,764 2.4%
65-69 80,051 1.9% 82,363 1.9%
70-74 70,060 1.6% 72,493 1.7%
75-79 54,572 1.3% 64,344 1.5%
80-84 36,304 0.8% 53,047 1.2%
85+ 24,544 0.6% 48,978 1.1%
Totals 2,109,082 49.6% 2,145,440 50.4%
Source: BCStats[4]

Population history

Year Population Five year
 % change 		Ten year
 % change 		Rank among
provinces
1851 55,000 n/a n/a n/a
1861 51,524 n/a -6.3 n/a
1871 36,247 n/a -29.7 7
1881 49,459 n/a 36.4 8
1891 98,173 n/a 98.5 8
1901 178,657 n/a 82.0 6
1911 392,480 n/a 119.7 6
1921 524,582 n/a 33.7 6
1931 694,263 n/a 32.3 6
1941 817,861 n/a 17.8 4
1951 1,165,210 n/a 42.5 3
1956 1,398,464 20.0 n/a 3
1961 1,629,082 16.5 39.8 3
1966 1,873,674 15.0 34.0 3
1971 2,184,620 16.6 34.1 3
1976 2,466,610 12.9 31.6 3
1981 2,744,467 11.3 25.6 3
1986 2,883,370 5.1 16.9 3
1991 3,282,061 13.8 19.6 3
1996 3,724,500 13.5 29.2 3
2001 3,907,738 4.9 19.1 3
2006 4,113,487 5.4 10.4 3
2011 4,400,057 7.0 12.6 3
2016 4,648,055 5.6 13.0 3
2021 5,000,879 7.6 13.7 3
Source: Statistics Canada[5]

Ethnic Origins

First-generation immigrants from the British Isles remain a strong component of local society despite limitations on immigration from Britain since the ending of special status for British subjects in the 1960s. Also present in large numbers relative to other cities in Canada (except Toronto), and also present in BC ever since the province was first settled (unlike Toronto), are many European ethnicities of the first and second generation, notably Germans, Ukrainians, Scandinavians, Yugoslavs and Italians; third-generation Europeans are generally of mixed lineage, and traditionally intermarried with other ethnic groups more than in any other Canadian province.

In recent decades, the proportion of those of Chinese and Indian ethnicity has risen sharply, though still outnumbered by the historically strong population of those of German ancestry. Visible minorities have become an important factor in ethnic-based politics, though most visible minorities are less numerous than the long-standing non-British European ethnicities making up BC's "invisible minorities".

Note: The following statistics represent both single (e.g., "German") and multiple (e.g., "part Chinese, part English") responses to the 2006 and 2016 Census, and thus add up to more than 100%.

Ethnic Origin Population (2016)[6] Percent (2016) Population (2006)[7] Percent (2006)
English 1,203,540 26.39% 1,207,245 29.63%
Canadian 866,530 19% 720,200 17.67%
Scottish 860,775 18.88% 828,145 20.32%
Irish 675,135 14.80% 618,120 15.17%
German 603,265 13.23% 561,570 13.78%
Chinese 540,155 11.84% 432,435 10.60%
French 388,815 8.53% 361,215 8.86%
Indian 309,315 6.78% 232,370 5.70%
Ukrainian 229,205 5.03% 197,265 4.84%
Indigenous peoples of North America 220,245 4.83% 193,060 4.74%
Dutch (Netherlands) 213,670 4.69% 196,420 4.82%
Italian 166,095 3.64% 143,155 3.51%
Polish 149,635 3.28% 128,360 3.15%
Norwegian 138,430 3.04% 129,420 3.18%
Russian 131,060 2.87% 114,105 2.80%
Welsh 113,905 2.5% 104,275 2.56%
Swedish 110,030 2.41% 104,025 2.55%
Filipino 158,215 3.47% 94,255 2.3%
Métis 90,515 1.98% 62,570 1.5%
American (USA) 78,170 1.71% 66,765 1.6%
Spanish 64,470 1.41% 52,640 1.3%
Korean 63,300 1.39% 51,860 1.3%
Danish 58,205 1.28% 56,125 1.4%
Hungarian (Magyar) 56,535 1.24% 49,870 1.2%
Japanese 51,150 1.12% 41,585 1.0%
Austrian 48,510 1.06% 46,620 1.1%
Iranian 47,985 1.05% 29,265 0.7%
Portuguese 41,770 0.92% 34,660 0.9%
Vietnamese 41,435 0.91% 30,835 0.8%
Punjabi 38,725 0.85% 18,525 0.5%
Finnish 34,150 0.75% 29,875 0.7%
Swiss 31,390 0.69% 28,240 0.7%
Romanian 31,250 0.69% 25,670 0.6%
Icelandic 26,410 0.58% 22,110 0.5%
Greek 24,460 0.54% 21,770 0.5%
Croatian 23,845 0.52% 18,815 0.5%
Czech 23,375 0.51% 21,150 0.5%
Belgian 19,980 0.44% 17,510 0.4%
Jewish 17,580 0.39% 30,830 0.8%

Projections

Pan−ethnic Origin Projections (2031−2041)
2031[8][9] 2036[8][9] 2041[8][9]
Population % Population % Population %
European[nb 1]
 3,145,000 51.46% 3,112,000 48.23% 3,060,000 45.37%
East Asian
 977,000 15.99% 1,072,000 16.61% 1,160,000 17.2%
Chinese
 789,000 12.91% 861,000 13.34% 927,000 13.75%
Korean
 125,000 2.05% 143,000 2.22% 161,000 2.39%
Japanese
 63,000 1.03% 68,000 1.05% 72,000 1.07%
South Asian
 748,000 12.24% 860,000 13.33% 958,000 14.21%
Indigenous
 399,000 6.53% 429,000 6.65% 456,000 6.76%
First Nations
 246,000 4.03% 262,000 4.06% 278,000 4.12%
Metis
 142,000 2.32% 155,000 2.4% 166,000 2.46%
Inuit
 2,000 0.03% 2,000 0.03% 3,000 0.04%
Other
Indigenous
 9,000 0.15% 10,000 0.15% 10,000 0.15%
Southeast Asian
 366,000 5.99% 421,000 6.52% 475,000 7.04%
Filipino
 277,000 4.53% 323,000 5.01% 369,000 5.47%
Other
Southeast Asian
 89,000 1.46% 98,000 1.52% 106,000 1.57%
Middle Eastern
 169,000 2.77% 199,000 3.08% 227,000 3.37%
Arab
 55,000 0.9% 65,000 1.01% 74,000 1.1%
West Asian
 114,000 1.87% 134,000 2.08% 153,000 2.27%
Latin American
 108,000 1.77% 124,000 1.92% 139,000 2.06%
African
 101,000 1.65% 118,000 1.83% 134,000 1.99%
Other
 99,000 1.62% 117,000 1.81% 135,000 2%
Projected
British Columbia
Population
 6,111,000 100% 6,453,000 100% 6,744,000 100%

Indo-Canadians

Main article: Indo-Canadians in British Columbia

Visible minorities and Indigenous Peoples

Note: Statistics Canada defines visible minorities as defined in the Employment Equity Act which defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour".

Population of British Columbia by visible minority and indigenous identity (2016):[10][11]

  European Canadian (63.8%)
  Visible minority (30.3%)
  Indigenous (5.9%)
Visible minority and Aboriginal population (Canada 2016 Census)
Population group Population % of total population
European 2,908,420 63.8%
Visible minority group
Source:[12]		 South Asian 365,705 8%
Chinese 508,480 11.2%
Black 43,500 1%
Filipino 145,025 3.2%
Latin American 44,115 1%
Arab 19,840 0.4%
Southeast Asian 54,920 1.2%
West Asian 48,695 1.1%
Korean 60,495 1.3%
Japanese 51,145 1.1%
Visible minority, n.i.e. 8,760 0.2%
Multiple visible minority 40,465 0.9%
Total visible minority population 1,381,235 30.3%
Aboriginal group
Source:[13]		 First Nations 172,520 3.8%
Métis 89,405 2%
Inuit 1,610 0%
Aboriginal, n.i.e. 2,695 0.1%
Multiple Aboriginal identity 4,350 0.1%
Total Aboriginal population 270,585 5.9%
Total population 4,560,240 100%

Languages

Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in British Columbia (2016)
Language Percent
English only
 
 89.77%
French only
 
 0.04%
English and French
 
 6.85%
Neither English nor French
 
 3.35%

The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census and the 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least one per cent of respondents.

Knowledge of Languages in British Columbia
Language Population (2021)[14] Percentage (2021) Population (2016) Percentage (2016)
English 4,753,280 96.69% 4,560,235 96.60%
French 327,350 6.66% 314,225 6.89%
Punjabi 315,000 6.41% 244,485 5.36%
Mandarin 312,625 6.36% 265,635 5.83%
Cantonese 246,045 5.01% 234,445 5.14%
Spanish 143,900 2.93% 115,115 2.52%
Hindi 134,950 2.75% 81,330 1.78%
Tagalog 133,780 2.72% 113,265 2.48%
German 84,325 1.72% 95,005 2.08%
Korean 69,935 1.42% 57,490 1.26%
Iranian Persian[note 1] 61,525 1.25% 49,835 1.09%

Mother tongue

Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses. Numerous other languages were also counted, but only languages with more than 2,000 native speakers are shown.

Language 2016 Census % 2006 Census %
English 3,170,110 70.5% 2,875,770 71.5%
Punjabi 198,805 4.4% 158,750 3.9%
Cantonese 193,530 4.3% 131,245 3.3%
Mandarin 186,325 4.1% 72,160 1.8%
Tagalog (Filipino) 78,770 1.8% 50,425 1.3%
German 66,885 1.5% 86,690 2.2%
French 55,325 1.2% 54,745 1.4%
Korean 52,160 1.2% 46,500 1.2%
Spanish 47,010 1.0% 34,075 0.9%
Persian 43,470 1.0% 28,150 0.7%
Vietnamese 27,150 0.6% 24,560 0.7%
Hindi 26,720 0.6% 23,240 0.6%
Russian 25,955 0.6% 19,320 0.5%
Italian 22,680 0.5% 27,020 0.7%
Japanese 21,350 0.5% 20,040 0.5%
Dutch 21,020 0.5% 26,355 0.7%
Arabic 17,480 0.4% 8,440 0.2%
Portuguese 17,450 0.4% 14,385 0.4%
Polish 16,910 0.4% 17,565 0.4%
Chinese, n.o.s. 10,050 0.2% 132,755 3.2%
Urdu 9,885 0.2% 7,025 0.2%
Hungarian 9,025 0.2% 10,670 0.3%
Romanian 8,730 0.2% 6,335 0.2%
Ukrainian 8,630 0.2% 12,285 0.3%
Croatian 7,475 0.2% 8,505 0.2%
Serbian 7,045 0.2% 6,180 0.2%
Gujarati 6,895 0.2% 6,565 0.2%
Greek 6,115 0.1% 6,620 0.2%
Czech 5,920 0.1% 6,000 0.1%
Ilocano 5,240 0.1% 3,100 0.1%
Danish 4,665 0.1% 6,720 0.2%
Malay 3,895 0.1% 3,100 0.1%
Finnish 3,760 0.1% 4,770 0.1%
Tamil 3,615 0.1% 3,200 0.1%
Slovak 3,400 0.1% 3,490 0.1%
Turkish 3,145 0.1% 2,255 0.1%
Swedish 2,520 0.1% 2,875 0.1%
Athabaskan languages 2,310 0.1% 3,500 0.1%
Salish languages 2,270 0.1% 3,190 0.1%
Norwegian 2,005 0.1% 3,275 0.1%
Source: Statistics Canada 2006 & 2016 Census[15][16]

Religion

Religion in British Columbia (2021)[17]

  Christian (34.4%)
  Irreligious (52.2%)
  Sikh (5.9%)
  Buddhist (1.7%)
  Muslim (2.6%)
  Hindu (1.7%)
  Jewish (0.5%)
  Other (1.0%)

The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2021 census were Irreligion (atheist, agnostic, and so on.) with 2,559,250 (52.2%); Christianity with 1,684,870 (34.4%); Sikhism with 290,870 (5.9%); Islam with 125,915 (2.6%); Buddhism with 83,860 (1.7%); and Hinduism with 81,320 (1.7%).

Religious groups in BC[18][19][20]
% (1991) % (2001) % (2011) % (2021) Number (2021)
Christian 64.5% 55.7% 44.6% 34.4% 1,684,870
No religious affiliation 30.0% 35.1% 44.1% 52.2% 2,559,250
Sikh 2.3% 3.5% 4.7% 5.9% 290,870
Buddhist 1.1% 2.2% 2.1% 1.7% 83,860
Muslim 0.8% 1.5% 1.8% 2.6% 125,915
Hindu 0.6% 0.8% 1.1% 1.7% 81,320
Jewish 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5 26,850
Other religions 0.8% 1.0% 51,440
Aboriginal religions 0.2% 0.2% 11,570
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 4,915,945

Migration

Immigration

The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 1,425,715 persons or 29.0 percent of the total population of British Columbia.[21]

Immigrants in British Columbia by country of birth (2021 census)[21]
Country of Birth Population % total immigrants
 China 217,975 15.3%
 India 197,115 13.8%
 Philippines 131,645 9.2%
 United Kingdom 116,530 8.2%
 Hong Kong 78,855 5.5%
 United States of America 59,920 4.2%
 South Korea 47,520 3.3%
 Iran 45,975 3.2%
 Taiwan 40,445 2.8%
 Vietnam 32,390 2.3%
Total 1,425,715 100%

Recent immigration

A large number of immigrants have lived in British Columbia for 30 years or less.[6]

The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 197,420 people who immigrated to British Columbia between 2016 and 2021.[21]

Recent immigrants to British Columbia by Country of birth (2016 to 2021)[21]
Country of Birth Population % recent immigrants
 India 39,390 20%
 China 31,445 15.9%
 Philippines 21,225 10.8%
 United States of America 8,760 4.4%
 United Kingdom 7,670 3.9%
 South Korea 7,225 3.7%
 Iran 5,850 3%
 Brazil 5,125 2.6%
 Syria 4,955 2.5%
 Australia 3,280 1.7%
Total 197,420 100%

Interprovincial migration

Number of Years each Provinces and Territories had with positive interprovincial immigration since 1971
Main article: Interprovincial migration in Canada

British Columbia has also traditionally been gaining from interprovincial migration. Over the last 50 years, British Columbia had 12 years of negative interprovincial immigration: the lowest in the country. The only time the province significantly lost population to this phenomenon was during the 1990s, when it had a negative interprovincial migration for 5 consecutive years.[22]

Interprovincial migration in British Columbia
In-migrants Out-migrants Net migration
2009–10 Decrease 49,469 Positive decrease 40,741 Decrease 8,728
2010–11 Decrease 47,854 Negative increase 44,433 Decrease 3,421
2011–12 Increase 48,593 Negative increase 51,304 Decrease −2,711
2012–13 Decrease 43,830 Positive decrease 45,698 Increase −1,868
2013–14 Increase 52,281 Positive decrease 42,806 Increase 9,475
2014–15 Increase 61,026 Positive decrease 40,647 Increase 20,379
2015–16 Increase 63,788 Positive decrease 37,215 Increase 26,573
2016–17 Decrease 57,210 Negative increase 38,376 Decrease 18,834
2017–18 Decrease 55,300 Negative increase 41,311 Decrease 13,989
2018–19 Increase 55,612 Negative increase 49,501 Decrease 6,111
2019–20 Increase 71,180 Negative increase 61,122 Increase 10,058

Source: Statistics Canada[23]

See also

Demographics of Canada's provinces and territories

Notes

  1. ^ Includes Persian (Farsi) not otherwise specified
  1. ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an aboriginal identity.

References

  1. ^ "Crude birth rate, age-specific fertility rates and total fertility rate (live births)". Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Estimates of the components of natural increase, quarterly". Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  3. ^ "25_imr.FH10" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-27. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
  4. ^ "Population Projections, British Columbia and Sub-Provincial - BC Stats". Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
  5. ^ Statistics Canada - Population
  6. ^ a b "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province]". Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  7. ^ "2006 Canadian Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ a b c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-09-08). "Projected population by racialized group, generation status and other selected characteristics (x 1,000)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  9. ^ a b c Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2021-10-06). "Projected population by Indigenous identity, age group, sex, area of residence, provinces and territories, and projection scenario, Canada (x 1,000)". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  10. ^ "Aboriginal Peoples Highlight Tables". 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables". 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  12. ^ [1], Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Province/Territory
  13. ^ [2], Aboriginal Population Profile from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Province/Territory
  14. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-08-17). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table British Columbia [Province]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  15. ^ "Detailed Mother Tongue (148), Single and Multiple Language Responses (3) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data". Statistics Canada. 2007.
  16. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province]". Statistics Canada. 2019.
  17. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". Statistics Canada. October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "NHS Profile, British Columbia, 2011". Statistics Canada. May 8, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  19. ^ "Major religious denominations". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  20. ^ "Profile of British Columbia". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  21. ^ a b c d Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-10-26). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  22. ^ "Interprovincial Migration in Canada: Quebeckers Vote with Their Feet" (PDF). www.fraserinstitute.org. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  23. ^ Statistics Canada, table 051-0012: Interprovincial migrants, by age group and sex, Canada, provinces and territories, annual.
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