Decadal and demi-decadal census reports in Canada have compiled detailed immigration statistics prior to confederation in 1867 through to the contemporary era. During this period, the highest share of immigrants in Canada was recorded during the 1851 census, when 535,153 total immigrants accounted for 26.3 percent of the total population, while the largest number of immigrants in Canada was recorded during the 2021 census, when 8,361,505 total immigrants accounted for 23.0 percent of the total population.
Following initial British and French colonization, what is now Canada has seen five major waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-Indigenous Peoples take place over a span of nearly two centuries.
Background Canada receives its immigrant population from almost every country in the world. Statistics Canada projects that immigrants will represent between 29.1% and 34.0% of Canada's population in 2041, compared with 23.0% in 2021, while the Canadian population with at least one foreign born parent (first and second generation persons) could rise to between 49.8% and 54.3%, up from 44.0% in 2021. Between 2010 and 2031, the visible minority population will likely double. Immigrants to Canada by place of birth (1841–2021)YearTotal immigrantsIrelandUnited KingdomUnited StatesContinental EuropeAsiaCaribbeanAfricaCentral & South AmericaOceaniaOther/Unspecified 1841 312,599 122,237 105,753 44,755 6,581 33,273 1851 535,153 256,238 193,067 56,214 11,830 17,804 1861 677,967 281,060 269,058 66,356 28,353 33,140 1871 593,403 219,451 266,925 64,447 28,690 13,890 1881 609,318 185,526 285,380 77,753 39,161 21,498 1891 647,362 149,184 328,551 80,915 53,841 9,129 25,742 1901 699,500 101,629 288,390 127,899 125,549 24,560 699 128 1,365 29,281 1911 1,586,961 92,874 711,360 303,680 404,941 45,437 2,089 1,389 3,558 21,633 1921 1,955,736 93,301 931,820 374,024 459,328 57,484 4,393 1,760 3,940 29,686 1931 2,307,525 107,544 1,031,398 344,574 714,462 65,280 4,537 2,235 1,296 4,999 31,200 1941 2,018,847 86,126 873,999 312,473 653,705 48,819 4,134 2,109 1,472 2,813 33,197 1951 2,059,911 80,795 855,797 282,010 777,508 41,079 3,888 2,057 4,161 12,616 1961 2,844,263 92,477 908,127 283,908 1,437,169 66,789 12,363 4,025 6,663 32,742 1971 3,295,540 38,495 933,045 309,640 1,655,250 165,745 68,090 45,510 36,040 20,230 23,490 1981 3,867,160 16,755 884,915 312,015 1,684,410 543,495 174,145 102,725 108,450 33,515 6,740 1986 3,908,150 25,900 793,075 282,025 1,616,120 692,600 193,440 114,415 147,795 34,490 8,290 1991 4,342,890 28,405 717,750 249,075 1,618,550 1,064,770 232,520 166,175 219,390 38,360 7,895 1996 4,971,070 28,940 655,535 244,690 1,647,585 1,562,770 279,405 229,295 273,820 44,360 4,670 2001 5,448,480 25,850 606,000 237,920 1,655,705 1,989,180 294,050 282,600 304,645 47,935 4,595 2006 6,186,950 22,370 579,620 250,535 1,676,355 2,525,155 317,765 374,565 381,170 52,770 6,645 2011 6,775,765 28,035 537,040 263,470 1,562,710 3,041,100 351,430 492,025 442,720 54,530 2,705 2016 7,540,830 28,325 499,120 253,715 1,560,960 3,629,160 383,495 637,485 490,255 56,925 1,390 2021 8,361,505 29,300 464,140 256,090 1,474,180 4,307,005 402,780 821,740 541,645 61,900 2,725
2021 census
The 2021 census reported that immigrants comprised 8,361,505 individuals or 23.0 percent of the total Canadian population. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were India (898,045 persons or 10.7%), Philippines (719,580 persons or 8.6%), China (715,835 persons or 8.6%), United Kingdom (464,135 persons or 5.6%), United States (256,085 persons or 3.1%), Pakistan (234,110 persons or 2.8%), Hong Kong (213,855 persons or 2.6%), Italy (204,065 persons or 2.4%), Iran (182,940 persons or 2.2%), and Vietnam (182,095 persons or 2.2%).
+Total immigrant population by country of birth, 2021 Canadian censusImmigrant refers to all those who hold or have ever held permanent resident status in Canada, including naturalized citizens. RankCountry of birthImmigrant population Notes 8,361,505 1 898,050 2 719,575 3 715,830 4 464,140 5 256,090 6 234,105 7 213,855 8 204,065 9 182,940 10 182,090 11 145,355 12 138,350 13 136,240 14 135,030 15 128,800 16 126,475 17 121,525 18 99,940 19 97,590 20 95,725 21 90,585 22 86,765 23 85,530 24 84,125 25 81,840 26 81,775 27 81,290 28 81,135 29 80,570 30 79,665 31 75,830 32 73,705 33 70,090 34 65,360 35 65,040 36 62,455 37 54,715 38 51,590 39 49,445 40 48,450 41 41,715 42 36,680 43 35,925 44 35,270 45 33,115 46 32,500 47 31,925 48 31,415 49 31,045 50 30,875 51 29,585 52 29,405 53 29,395 54 29,300 55 29,230 56 28,755 57 27,755 58 27,315 59 25,755 60 25,200 Includes Norfolk Island. 61 25,060 62 24,715 63 24,425 64 23,070 65 21,595 66 20,070 67 19,545 68 19,545 69 19,530 70 19,375 71 19,170 72 18,860 73 18,655 74 18,190 75 18,140 76 18,030 77 17,825 78 17,655 79 17,525 80 17,415 81 16,320 82 16,025 83 16,025 84 15,120 85 13,965 86 13,955 87 13,935 88 13,835 89 13,665 90 13,360 91 13,050 93 12,560 94 12,190 95 12,050 96 11,510 97 11,000 98 10,730 99 10,675 100 10,195 101 10,045 102 9,895 103 9,230 104 8,980 105 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) 8,960 106 8,445 107 8,420 108 8,300 109 7,950 110 7,075 111 6,935 112 6,730 113 6,680 114 6,435 115 6,305 116 6,205 117 6,080 118 5,995 119 5,320 120 5,205 121 5,075 122 5,065 123 4,930 124 4,885 125 4,695 126 4,655 127 4,525 128 4,295 129 4,110 130 4,105 131 3,990 132 3,940 133 3,885 134 3,850 135 3,840 136 3,510 137 3,475 138 3,305 139 3,245 140 3,120 141 3,070 142 2,935 143 2,900 144 2,835 145 2,810 146 2,805 147 2,645 148 2,600 149 2,435 150 2,240 Total immigrants 8,361,505
2016 census
The 2016 census reported that immigrants comprised 7,540,830 individuals or 21.9 percent of the total Canadian population. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were India (668,565 persons or 8.9%), China (649,260 persons or 8.6%), Philippines (588,305 persons or 7.8%), United Kingdom (499,120 persons or 6.6%), United States (253,715 persons or 3.4%), Italy (236,635 persons or 3.1%), Hong Kong (208,935 persons or 2.8%), Pakistan (202,255 persons or 2.7%), Vietnam (169,250 persons or 2.2%), and Iran (154,420 persons or 2.1%).
+Total immigrant population by country of birth, 2016 Canadian censusImmigrant refers to all those who hold or have ever held permanent resident status in Canada, including naturalized citizens. RankCountry of birthImmigrant population Notes 7,540,830 1 668,565 2 649,260 3 588,305 4 499,120 5 253,715 6 236,635 7 208,935 8 202,255 9 169,250 10 154,420 11 146,470 12 145,840 13 139,450 14 138,345 15 131,995 16 123,305 17 105,570 18 93,485 19 90,310 20 88,740 21 88,475 22 87,680 23 80,590 24 78,685 25 73,030 26 70,040 27 69,655 28 68,490 29 65,035 30 64,625 31 64,620 32 63,770 33 62,715 34 58,735 35 52,955 36 51,960 37 48,075 38 44,660 39 42,430 40 40,040 41 36,825 42 36,135 43 33,320 44 32,790 45 29,615 46 29,315 47 28,320 48 27,245 49 27,230 50 27,150 51 26,735 52 26,710 53 26,705 54 25,655 55 24,660 56 23,785 57 23,320 58 22,910 59 21,115 60 21,065 61 20,990 62 20,775 63 20,600 64 20,080 65 19,430 66 19,040 67 18,935 68 18,635 69 18,570 70 17,850 71 17,605 72 17,435 73 17,275 74 15,900 75 15,845 76 15,365 77 15,235 78 15,075 79 15,010 80 14,965 81 14,475 82 14,410 83 14,390 84 14,280 85 14,095 86 13,295 87 13,210 88 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 12,945 89 12,515 90 12,450 91 11,820 92 11,325 93 11,190 94 10,820 95 10,700 96 10,605 97 10,495 98 10,300 99 10,265 100 9,880 101 9,865 102 9,525 103 8,470 104 8,215 105 8,210 106 Palestine, West Bank and Gaza Strip 8,210 107 7,790 108 7,610 109 7,515 110 7,465 111 7,305 112 6,630 113 6,535 114 6,385 115 6,300 116 6,105 117 6,100 118 5,875 119 5,750 120 5,540 121 5,190 122 4,980 123 4,485 124 4,400 125 4,250 126 4,165 127 4,020 128 3,950 129 3,885 130 3,845 131 3,715 132 3,555 133 3,350 134 3,200 135 3,120 136 3,040 137 2,980 138 2,960 139 2,775 140 2,760 141 2,620 142 2,570 143 2,485 144 2,480 145 2,460 146 2,390 147 2,310 148 2,235 149 2,105 150 2,095 151 1,995 152 1,980 153 1,865 154 1,845 155 1,635 156 1,595 157 1,540 158 1,420 159 1,310 160 1,255 161 1,080 162 1,055 163 1,050 164 1,035 164 Others 1,035 164 1,035 167 1,030 168 905 169 850 170 780 171 675 172 670 173 665 174 640 175 610 176 590 177 580 178 515 179 505 180 500 181 470 182 415 183 400 184 360 185 295 186 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 290 187 280 188 270 189 235 190 220 191 195 192 185 192 185 194 170 195 160 196 155 197 140 197 140 199 120 200 110 200 110 202 105 203 90 204 85 205 65 206 60 206 60 206 60 209 55 210 50 211 40 212 35 213 30 213 30 213 30 216 25 216 25 216 25 216 25 Also known as Timor-Leste. 220 20 220 20 220 20 223 10 223 10 223 10 223 10 223 10 223 10 Total immigrants 7,540,830
2011 census
The 2011 census reported that immigrants comprised 6,775,765 individuals or 20.6 percent of the total Canadian population. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were India (547,890 persons or 8.1 percent), China (545,535 5persons or 8.1 percent), United Kingdom (537,040 persons or 7.9 percent), Philippines (454,340 persons or 6.7 percent), United States (263,475 persons or 3.9 percent), Italy (256,825 persons or 3.8 percent), Hong Kong (205,430 persons or 3.0 percent), Vietnam (165,125 persons or 2.5 percent), Pakistan (156,860 persons or 2.3 percent), and Germany (152,345 persons or 2.3 percent).
+Total immigrant population by country of birth, 2011 Canadian censusImmigrant refers to all those who hold or have ever held permanent resident status in Canada, including naturalized citizens. RankCountry of birthImmigrant population Notes 6,775,765 1 547,890 2 545,535 3 537,040 4 454,340 5 263,475 6 256,825 7 205,430 8 165,125 9 156,860 10 152,345 11 152,290 12 138,520 13 132,130 14 126,035 15 120,685 16 112,400 17 98,510 18 90,440 19 87,945 20 80,100 21 69,695 22 82,595 23 81,105 24 73,030 25 67,205 26 66,455 27 66,475 28 65,455 29 60,555 30 56,275 31 51,085 32 49,935 33 49,515 34 45,320 35 43,655 36 40,550 37 40,945 38 40,010 39 38,985 40 35,885 41 32,600 42 27,625 43 28,040 44 26,715 45 25,805 46 24,660 47 24,535 48 24,510 49 22,800 50 22,725 Total immigrants 6,775,765
2006 census
The 2006 census reported that immigrants comprised 6,186,950 individuals or 19.8 percent of the total Canadian population. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were United Kingdom (579,620 persons or 9.4%), China (466,940 persons or 7.6%), India (443,690 persons or 7.2%), Philippines (303,195 persons or 4.9%), Italy (296,850 persons or 4.8%), United States (250,535 persons or 4.1%), Hong Kong (215,430 persons or 3.5%), Germany (171,405 persons or 2.8%), Poland (170,490 persons or 2.8%), and Vietnam (160,170 persons or 2.6%).
+Total immigrant population by country of birth, 2006 Canadian censusImmigrant refers to all those who hold or have ever held permanent resident status in Canada, including naturalized citizens. RankCountry of birthImmigrant population Notes 6,186,950 1 579,620 2 466,940 3 443,690 4 303,195 5 296,850 6 250,535 7 215,430 8 171,405 9 170,490 10 160,170 11 150,390 12 133,280 13 123,420 14 111,990 15 105,670 16 98,395 17 92,090 18 87,195 19 82,645 20 79,550 21 75,275 22 73,125 23 65,540 24 65,205 25 64,130 26 63,350 27 59,460 28 49,925 29 45,940 30 42,780 31 40,575 32 39,250 33 39,145 34 39,055 35 38,305 36 n.o.s. 37,205 37 36,165 38 33,545 39 33,230 40 32,255 41 28,730 42 26,505 43 25,465 44 24,390 45 22,475 46 22,370 47 22,080 48 22,030 49 21,885 50 21,705 51 21,580 52 21,320 53 20,795 54 20,215 55 20,190 56 19,955 57 19,765 58 19,715 59 19,515 60 18,830 Total immigrants 6,186,950
2001 census