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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 5.071 million (2019)

Percentage of National Population: 13.2% (unchanged)

Population Growth Rate: 5.6%

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
2011 4,400,057 7.0 12.6 3
2016 4,648,055 5.6 13.0 3
Source: Statistics Canada[5]

Age structure

  Males Females
Age
Group   		Number Percent Number Percent
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: BCStats[6]

Ethnicity

British Columbia has a very diverse ethnic population. 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)[7] Percent (2016) Population (2006)[8] 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%
First Nations 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

Ethnic origin by regional group
Group 2016[9] 2036[10][11]
Number % of 2016 population (4,560,240) Number % of 2036 estimated population (5,709,000)
European origins 2,908,420 63.8% 2,907,000 50.9%
East and Southeast Asian origins 820,065 18% 1,339,000 23.5%
South Asian and Middle Eastern origins 434,240 9.5% 767,000 13.5%
Aboriginal origins 270,585 5.9% 428,000 7.5%
Latin, Central and South American origins 44,115 1% 91,000 1.6%
African origins 43,500 1% 80,000 1.4%
Other 49,225 1.1% 97,000 1.7%
*Percentages total over 100% due to multiple responses, e.g. German-Indian, Norwegian-Irish.

Indo-Canadians

Main article: Indo-Canadians in British Columbia

Visible minorities and Aboriginal 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".
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%

Migration

Immigration

A large number of immigrants have lived in British Columbia for 30 years or less.[7]

Immigrants to British Columbia by place of birth (2011 to 2016)[14]
Rank Country Population # % of immigrants
1 China 38,110 21.7%
2 India 27,460 15.6%
3 Philippines 26,685 15.2%
4 Iran 8,645 4.9%
5 South Korea 8,025 4.6%
6 United Kingdom 6,535 3.7%
7 United States 6,485 3.7%
8 Mexico 2,880 1.6%
9 Taiwan 2,505 1.4%
10 Japan 2,285 1.3%
11 Syria 2,185 1.2%
12 Pakistan 1,960 1.1%
13 Australia 1,920 1.1%
14 Iraq 1,910 1.1%
15 Hong Kong 1,805 1.0%

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 traditionally been gaining population from interprovincial migration. Over the last 46 years, British Columbia only had 12 years of negative interprovincial immigration: the lowest in the country. The only time they significantly lost population to this phenomenon was during the 1990s, when they were in the negatives for 5 consecutive years.[15]

Interprovincial migration in British Columbia
In-migrants Out-migrants Net migration
2008–09 51,061 41,066 9,995
2009–10 49,469 40,741 8,728
2010–11 47,854 44,433 3,421
2011–12 48,593 51,304 −2,711
2012–13 43,830 45,698 −1,868
2013–14 52,281 42,806 9,475
2014–15 61,026 40,647 20,379
2015–16 63,788 37,215 26,573
2016–17 57,210 38,376 18,834
2017–18 55,300 41,311 13,989
2018–19 55,612 49,501 6,111

Source: Statistics Canada[16]

Religions

Religion in British Columbia (2011)[17]

  Christian (44.6%)
  Irreligious (44.1%)
  Sikh (4.7%)
  Buddhist (2.1%)
  Muslim (1.8%)
  Hindu (1.1%)
  Jewish (0.5%)
  Other (1.0%)

The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2011 census were Christianity with 1,930,415 (44.6%); Irreligion (atheist, agnostic, and so on.) with 1,908,285 (44.1%); Sikhism with 201,110 (4.7%); Buddhism with 90,620(2.1%); Islam with 79,310 (1.8%); and Hinduism with 45,795 (1.1%).

Population by religion, Canada and BC
(2011 Census) 		Canada B.C.
number % number %
Total population 32,852,320 100% 4,324,455 100%
No religious affiliation 7,850,605 23.9% 1,908,285 44.1%
Christian 22,102,745 67.3% 1,930,415 44.6%
Sikh 454,965 1.4% 201,110 4.7%
Buddhist 366,830 1.1% 90,620 2.1%
Muslim 1,053,945 3.2% 79,310 1.8%
Hindu 497,960 1.5% 45,795 1.1%
Jewish 329,495 1% 23,130 0.5%
Traditional (Aboriginal) Spirituality 64,935 0.2% 10,295 0.2%
Other religions 130,835 0.4% 35,500 0.8%
Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Census
[18]

Languages

Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in British Columbia
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 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least one per cent of respondents.

Language Responses %
English 4,560,235 96.60
French 314,225 6.89
Mandarin 265,635 5.83
Punjabi 244,485 5.36
Cantonese 234,445 5.14
Spanish 115,115 2.52
Tagalog 113,265 2.48
German 95,005 2.08
Hindi 81,330 1.78
Korean 57,490 1.26
Persian 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[19][20]

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" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-27. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
  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. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2006-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ a b "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province]". Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  8. ^ "2006 Canadian Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  9. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province]". Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Population by visible minority group, place of residence and projection scenario, Canada, 2011 and 2036". Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Projections of the Aboriginal Population and Households in Canada, 2011 to 2036" (PDF). Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  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. ^ "Immigrant population by place of birth, period of immigration, 2016 counts, both sexes, age (total), British Columbia, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data".
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "NHS Profile, British Columbia, 2011". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  18. ^ "NHS Profile, British Columbia, 2011". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census British Columbia [Province]". Statistics Canada. 2019.
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