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Demographics of British Columbia

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Map of British Columbia regional districts with population density.

Estimated Population of British Columbia (2005): 4,254,500

Percentage of National Population: 13.2%

Population Growth Rate: 4.9%

See also: Demographics of Canada

Vital Statistics

Birth rate: 9.7 births per 1,000 [1](Canadian Average = ~11)

Death rate: 2.3 deaths per 1,000

Infant mortality rate: 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births [2]

Life expectancy at Birth: 81.12 years [3]

Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born per woman [4] (Canadian Average = 1.61)

Population of British Columbia since 1851

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
Source: Statistics Canada[5]

Age Structure

  Males Females
Age
Group  		 Number Per cent Number Per cent
0-4 105,808 2.4% 100,116 2.2%
5-9 117,909 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: BC Stats [6]

Ethnicity

British Columbia has a very diverse ethnic population, with a large number of immigrants having lived in the province for 30 years or less. 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. The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g. "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian"). In recent decades, the proportion of those of Chinese 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".

Further information: Statistics Canada. "Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2006 Census) (British Columbia)"[7]

Note: The following statistics represent both single (e.g., "German") and multiple (e.g., "part Chinese, part English") responses to the 2006 Census, and thus do not add up to 100%.

Ethnic Origin Population Percent
English 1,207,245 29.63%
Scottish 828,145 20.32%
Canadian 720,200 17.67%
Irish 618,120 15.17%
German 561,570 13.78%
Chinese 432,435 10.60%
French 361,215 8.86%
Indian 232,370 5.70%
Ukrainian 197,265 4.84%
Dutch (Netherlands) 196,420 4.82%
North American Indian 193,060 4.74%
Italian 143,155 3.51%
Norwegian 129,420 3.18%
Polish 128,360 3.15%
Russian 114,105 2.80%
Welsh 104,275 2.56%
Swedish 104,025 2.55%
Source: Statistic Canada[8]

Visible minorities and Aboriginals

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.'
Visible minorities and Aboriginal population
Canada 2006 Census Population % of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[9]		 South Asian 262,290 6.4
Chinese 407,225 10
Black 28,315 0.7
Filipino 88,075 2.2
Latin American 28,965 0.7
Southeast Asian 40,685 1
Arab 8,635 0.2
West Asian 29,810 0.7
Korean 50,490 1.2
Japanese 35,060 0.9
Mixed visible minority 25,420 0.6
Other visible minority 3,880 0.1
Total visible minority population 1,008,855 24.8
Aboriginal group
Source:[9]		 First Nations 129,580 3.2
Métis 59,445 1.5
Inuit 795 0
Total Aboriginal population 196,075 4.8
White 2,869,455 70.4
Total population 4,074,385 100
Some Arabs, Latin Americans, West Asians, and people of other racial groups may consider themselves white.

All categories may include people of part-Caucasian (white) origin.

Religions

Religion in British Columbia in 2001.
Population by religion, Canada and BC
(2001 Census) 		Canada B.C.
number % number %
Total population 29,639,035 3,868,875
No religious affiliation 4,900,090 17% 1,388,300 36%
Protestant 8,654,850 29% 1,213,295 31%
Catholic 12,936,905 44% 675,320 17%
Christian not included elsewhere 780,450 3% 200,345 5%
Sikh 278,410 1% 135,310 3%
Buddhist 300,345 1% 85,540 2%
Muslim 579,640 2% 56,220 1%
Christian Orthodox 479,620 2% 35,655 1%
Hindu 297,200 1% 31,500 1%
Jewish 329,995 1% 21,230 1%
Eastern religions 37,550 0% 9,970 0%
Other religions 63,975 0% 16,205 0%
Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30c.htm

Languages

Language(s) first learned and still understood Total % Male Female
English Only 2,825,780 73.03% 1,403,230 1,422,545
French Only 54,405 1.41% 27,340 27,060
Both English and French 6,784 0.18% 3,360 3,452
Other Languages 981,910 25.38% 470,145 511,765
Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census

Literacy

Literacy Rate - 60%

See also

Demographics of Canada's provinces and territories

References

  1. ^ BC's birth rate, teen births lowest in Pacific Northwest — Sightline Institute
  2. ^ 25_imr.FH10
  3. ^ http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/DATA/pop/vital/exp0_bc.csv
  4. ^ Northwest's birth rate, teen births hit record lows — Sightline Institute
  5. ^ Statistics Canada - Population
  6. ^ http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/pop/pop/dynamic/PopulationStatistics/Query.asp?category=Health&type=HA&topic=Estimates&agegrouptype=Standard&subtype=&region=0&year=2005&agegroup=5-year&gender=a&rowsperpage=50000&output=file
  7. ^ Population by selected ethnic origins, by province and territory (2006 Census) (British Columbia)
  8. ^ 2001 Canadian Census
  9. ^ a b Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
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