Canada’s government statistics agency Statistics Canada says 1,400,685 people reported an Aboriginal identity in 2011, which represents 4.3% of the total Canadian population.The new data was released Wednesday (May 8).
Of the people reporting an Aboriginal identity in 2011, 851,560, or 60.8%, identified as First Nations (North American Indian) only. Another 451,795, or 32.3%, identified as Métis only; and 59,445, or 4.2%, identified as Inuit only.
Canada’s Aboriginal population is younger than the non-Aboriginal population.
The survey found children aged 14 and under accounted for 28% of the Aboriginal population, compared to 16.5% among the non-Aboriginal population. Aboriginal youth aged between 15 and 24 made up 18.2% compared with 12.9% of the non-Aboriginal population.
In 2011, 240,815 Aboriginal people, or 17.2% of the total Aboriginal population, reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language.
The exception to this situation: 63.7% of Canada’s northern Inuit reported that they were able to conduct a conversation in an Aboriginal language, mostly Inuktitut.
The results of this survey and other data released today were presented with the qualification that 2011 was the first time that filling out the census information was no longer mandatory.
More information:
Statistics Canada – 2011 National Household Survey: Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: First Nations People, Métis and Inuit – here
Statistics Canada – Aboriginal Peoples Reference Guide, National Household Survey, 2011 – here
Toronto Star – National Household Survey: Statistics Canada disclaimer warns of ‘non-response error’ – here
Postmedia News – Data gaps mark National Household Survey, Statistics Canada warns – here
APTN News – Nearly half of children in foster care Aboriginal: Statistics Canada – here
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