Government census figures from 2016 show that 21.9 per cent of the population reported they were or had been an immigrant or permanent resident. That is the very close to the highest level of 22.3 per cent in 1921.
Most admitted under the economic category
Between 2011 and 2016, 1,212,075 new immigrants settled in Canada, representing 3.5 per cent of the population in 2016. Of those, 60.3 per cent were admitted under the economic category, 26.8 per cent were admitted to join their families already in Canada and 11.6 per cent were refugees.
Over half chose big cities
A majority of 61.8 per cent of newcomers were born in Asia (including the Middle East).The next largest group came from Africa and, for the first time, they ranked ahead of the proportion of newcomers from Europe.
Over half settled in the big cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. But more immigrants are choosing to live in the Prairies and Atlantic provinces.
Agency notes contributions of immigrants
“In addition to contributing to the social and economic development of the country, immigrants and their descendants play a significant role in shaping and enriching the ethnic, cultural and linguistic composition of the Canadian population,” states a news release from the government agency, Statistics Canada.
It projects the proportion of Canada’s foreign-born population could reach between 24.5 and 30 per cent by 2036.
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