2006 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Ethnic Origin (247), Generation Status (4), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3) and Sex (3) for the Population 15 Years and Over of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data

About this tabulation

General information

Catalogue number :97-562-XCB2006015
Release date :April 2, 2008
Topic :Ethnic origin and visible minorities
Data dimensions :

Note

Note: Ethnic origin

In 2006, the Ethnic origin question asked: 'What were the ethnic or cultural origins of this person's ancestors?' Respondents were asked to specify as many origins as applicable. Four write-in spaces were provided and up to six ethnic origins were retained.

Since 1981, when respondents were first permitted to report more than one ethnic origin in the census, a distinction has been made between single and multiple ethnic origin responses. A 'single' response is given when a respondent provides one ethnic origin only. A 'multiple' response is given when a respondent provides two or more ethnic origins. A 'total response' indicates the sum of single and multiple responses for each specific group.

It must be noted that the measurement of ethnicity is affected by changes in the social environment in which the question is asked, and changes in the respondent's understanding or views about the topic. Awareness of family background or length of time since immigration can affect responses to the ethnic origin question. Some respondents may confuse or combine the concept of ethnic origin with other concepts such as citizenship, nationality, language or cultural identity.

As well, some respondents may choose to provide very specific ethnic origins in the census, while others may choose to give more general responses. This means that two respondents with the same ethnic ancestry could have different response patterns and thus could be counted as having different ethnic origins. For example, one respondent may report 'East Indian' ethnic origin while another respondent, with a similar ancestral background, may report 'Punjabi' or 'South Asian' origins; one respondent may report 'Black' while another, similar respondent, may report 'Ghanaian' or 'African.' As a result, ethnic origin data are very fluid, and counts for certain origins, such as 'East Indian' and 'Black,' may seem lower than initially expected. Users who wish to obtain broader response counts may wish to combine data for two or more ethnic origins together or use counts for ethnic categories such as 'South Asian origins' or 'African origins.'

For additional information on issues related to the collection and dissemination of ethnic origin data, and on the comparability of ethnic origin data over time, refer to the Ethnic Origin Reference Guide, 2006 Census, Catalogue number 97-562-GWE2006025.

Note: Impact of municipal restructuring

The boundaries and names of municipalities (census subdivisions) can change from one census to the next because of annexations, dissolutions and incorporations. To bridge the impact of these municipal changes on data dissemination, the 2006 Census team is producing a profile for dissolved census subdivisions. For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Note: Institutional residents

People in seniors' residences in the 2006 Census are classified as 'not living in an institution'. This is a change from the 2001 Census where they were classified as institutional residents, specifically, 'living in an institution, resident under care or custody'.

Note: Non-permanent residents and the census universe

In the 2006 Census, non-permanent residents are defined as people from another country who, at the time of the census, held a Work or Study Permit, or who were refugee claimants, as well as family members living in Canada with them. In the 1991, 1996 and 2001 censuses, non-permanent residents also included persons who held a Minister's permit; this was discontinued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada prior to the 2006 Census.

From 1991 on, the Census of Population has enumerated both permanent and non-permanent residents of Canada. Prior to 1991, only permanent residents of Canada were included in the census. (The only exception to this occurred in 1941.) Non-permanent residents were considered foreign residents and were not enumerated.

Total population counts, as well as counts for all variables, are affected by this change in the census universe. Users should be especially careful when comparing data from 1991, 1996, 2001 or 2006 with data from previous censuses in geographic areas where there is a concentration of non-permanent residents.

Today in Canada, non-permanent residents make up a significant segment of the population, especially in several census metropolitan areas. Their presence can affect the demand for such government services as health care, schooling, employment programs and language training. The inclusion of non-permanent residents in the census facilitates comparisons with provincial and territorial statistics (marriages, divorces, births and deaths) which include this population. In addition, this inclusion of non-permanent residents brings Canadian practice closer to the United Nations (UN) recommendation that long-term residents (persons living in a country for one year or longer) be enumerated in the census.

Although every attempt has been made to enumerate non-permanent residents, factors such as language difficulties, the reluctance to complete a government form or to understand the need to participate may have affected the enumeration of this population.

For additional information, please refer to the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

For counts of the non-permanent resident population in 1991, 2001 and 2006, please refer to the 2006 Census table 97-557-XCB2006006.


Note: Population universe

The population universe of the 2006 Census includes the following groups:
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants with a usual place of residence in Canada;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants who are abroad, either on a military base or attached to a diplomatic mission;
- Canadian citizens (by birth or by naturalization) and landed immigrants at sea or in port aboard merchant vessels under Canadian registry;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who are claiming refugee status and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Study Permits and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Work Permits and members of their families living with them.

For census purposes, the last three groups in this list are referred to as 'non-permanent residents'. For further information, refer to the variable Immigration: Non-permanent resident found in the 2006 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 92-566-XWE or 92-566-XPE.

Data table

Select data categories for this table


This table details ethnic origin , generation status , single and multiple ethnic origin responses and sex for the population 15 years and over in LambtonFootnote 2
Ethnic origin (247) Generation status (4)
Total - Generation status 1st generationFootnote 3 2nd generationFootnote 4 3rd generation or moreFootnote 5
Total - Ethnic originFootnote 6 104,835 14,635 17,405 72,785
British Isles origins 59,920 5,650 9,260 45,010
Cornish 10 0 0 10
English 37,305 3,490 6,080 27,740
Irish 22,550 1,580 2,910 18,060
Manx 0 0 0 10
Scottish 26,865 1,805 3,530 21,535
Welsh 1,920 395 280 1,250
British Isles, n.i.e.Footnote 7 1,410 195 280 930
French origins 14,015 445 1,250 12,320
Acadian 95 0 15 75
French 13,965 445 1,240 12,280
Aboriginal origins 5,040 140 355 4,550
Inuit 85 0 10 75
Métis 690 0 75 610
North American Indian 4,315 130 270 3,915
Other North American origins 32,235 740 3,605 27,890
American 1,390 330 555 505
Canadian 31,310 470 3,320 27,515
Newfoundlander 75 0 0 75
Nova Scotian 10 0 0 10
Ontarian 15 0 0 20
Québécois 25 0 0 25
Other provincial or regional groups 0 0 0 0
Caribbean origins 490 225 175 90
Antiguan 0 0 0 0
Bahamian 0 0 0 0
Barbadian 10 10 0 0
Bermudan 0 10 0 0
Carib 0 0 0 0
Cuban 10 15 0 0
Dominican, n.o.s.Footnote 8 0 0 0 0
Grenadian 0 0 0 10
Guyanese 25 30 0 0
Haitian 0 0 0 0
Jamaican 390 130 170 85
Kittitian/Nevisian 0 0 0 0
Martinican 0 0 0 0
Montserratan 0 0 0 0
Puerto Rican 0 0 0 0
St. Lucian 0 0 0 0
Trinidadian/Tobagonian 25 25 0 0
Vincentian/Grenadinian 0 0 0 0
West Indian 20 15 0 0
Caribbean, n.i.e.Footnote 9 0 0 0 0
Latin, Central and South American origins 315 255 40 15
Aboriginal from Central/South America 0 0 0 10
Argentinian 10 0 0 0
Belizean 0 0 0 0
Bolivian 10 0 0 0
Brazilian 15 10 10 0
Chilean 55 50 10 0
Colombian 30 25 0 0
Costa Rican 0 0 0 0
Ecuadorian 0 0 0 0
Guatemalan 15 15 0 0
Hispanic 0 0 0 0
Honduran 0 0 0 0
Maya 0 0 0 0
Mexican 110 90 15 0
Nicaraguan 0 0 0 0
Panamanian 0 0 0 0
Paraguayan 0 0 0 0
Peruvian 10 10 0 0
Salvadorean 65 60 10 0
Uruguayan 0 0 0 0
Venezuelan 0 10 0 0
Latin, Central or South American, n.i.e.Footnote 10 0 0 0 0
European origins 32,795 7,240 9,010 16,550
Western European origins 20,745 3,935 5,135 11,675
Austrian 330 80 100 145
Belgian 1,395 130 460 810
Dutch (Netherlands) 9,515 2,295 3,160 4,070
Flemish 165 45 50 75
Frisian 120 15 45 55
German 10,290 1,520 1,580 7,190
Luxembourger 10 15 0 0
Swiss 195 40 90 65
Northern European origins 1,850 175 470 1,210
Finnish 300 25 80 195
Scandinavian origins 1,620 145 400 1,070
Danish 385 65 130 190
Icelandic 65 0 10 60
Norwegian 585 35 120 425
Swedish 545 35 125 380
Scandinavian, n.i.e.Footnote 11 90 10 40 40
Eastern European origins 6,795 1,490 1,850 3,450
Baltic origins 325 120 100 100
Estonian 20 10 20 0
Latvian 85 35 35 15
Lithuanian 220 80 55 85
Byelorussian 15 0 0 0
Czech and Slovak origins 1,180 280 405 495
Czech 375 150 75 150
Czechoslovakian 205 15 105 85
Slovak 630 130 235 270
Hungarian (Magyar) 925 240 345 340
Polish 2,440 660 600 1,185
Romanian 320 75 75 170
Russian 575 80 145 350
Ukrainian 1,880 125 440 1,320
Southern European origins 5,820 2,005 2,245 1,570
Albanian 10 10 0 0
Bosnian 0 0 0 0
Bulgarian 20 0 0 20
Croatian 255 80 75 95
Cypriot 0 0 0 0
Greek 515 245 165 105
Italian 3,525 970 1,535 1,015
Kosovar 0 0 0 0
Macedonian 50 25 20 0
Maltese 50 15 15 25
Montenegrin 0 0 0 0
Portuguese 805 400 260 145
Serbian 70 45 15 10
Sicilian 0 0 0 10
Slovenian 65 20 40 10
Spanish 365 180 90 95
Yugoslav, n.i.e.Footnote 12 215 60 80 75
Other European origins 185 35 35 110
Basque 10 0 0 10
Gypsy (Roma) 0 0 0 0
Jewish 135 25 25 80
Slav (European) 10 10 0 0
European, n.i.e.Footnote 13 35 10 10 20
African origins 285 155 25 105
Afrikaner 0 0 0 0
Akan 0 0 0 0
Amhara 0 0 0 0
Angolan 0 0 0 0
Ashanti 0 0 0 0
Bantu 0 0 0 0
Black 45 15 0 25
Burundian 0 0 0 0
Cameroonian 0 0 0 0
Chadian 0 0 0 0
Congolese (Zairian) 10 10 0 0
Congolese, n.o.s.Footnote 14 0 0 0 0
Dinka 0 0 0 0
East African 0 0 0 0
Eritrean 25 25 0 0
Ethiopian 15 10 10 0
Gabonese 0 0 0 0
Gambian 0 0 0 0
Ghanaian 0 0 0 0
Guinean, n.o.s.Footnote 15 0 0 0 0
Harari 0 0 0 0
Ibo 0 0 0 0
Ivorian 0 0 0 0
Kenyan 0 0 0 0
Malagasy 0 0 0 0
Malian 0 0 0 0
Mauritian 0 0 0 0
Nigerian 0 0 0 0
Oromo 0 0 0 0
Peulh 0 0 0 0
Rwandan 10 10 0 0
Senegalese 0 0 0 0
Seychellois 10 10 0 10
Sierra Leonean 0 0 0 0
Somali 0 0 0 0
South African 25 20 0 0
Sudanese 0 0 0 0
Tanzanian 0 0 0 0
Tigrian 0 0 0 0
Togolese 10 0 0 0
Ugandan 0 0 0 0
Yoruba 0 0 0 0
Zambian 0 0 0 0
Zimbabwean 0 0 0 0
Zulu 0 0 0 0
African, n.i.e.Footnote 16 125 50 10 65
Arab origins 350 210 40 100
Egyptian 45 40 0 0
Iraqi 10 10 0 0
Jordanian 15 20 0 0
Kuwaiti 10 0 0 0
Lebanese 190 65 30 95
Libyan 0 0 0 0
Maghrebi origins 25 25 0 0
Algerian 10 10 0 0
Berber 0 10 0 0
Moroccan 10 10 0 0
Tunisian 15 15 0 0
Maghrebi, n.i.e.Footnote 17 15 15 0 0
Palestinian 10 0 0 0
Saudi Arabian 0 0 0 0
Syrian 0 0 0 10
Yemeni 0 0 0 0
Arab, n.i.e.Footnote 18 70 50 15 0
West Asian origins 160 100 50 10
Afghan 20 15 0 0
Armenian 60 25 40 0
Assyrian 0 0 0 0
Azerbaijani 0 0 0 0
Georgian 0 10 0 0
Iranian 15 10 0 0
Israeli 0 0 0 0
Kurd 0 0 0 0
Pashtun 0 0 0 0
Tatar 0 0 0 0
Turk 65 55 10 0
West Asian, n.i.e.Footnote 19 0 0 0 10
South Asian origins 765 650 60 55
Bangladeshi 0 0 0 0
Bengali 0 0 0 0
East Indian 645 550 45 50
Goan 0 0 0 0
Gujarati 0 0 0 0
Kashmiri 10 10 0 0
Nepali 0 0 0 0
Pakistani 85 60 20 0
Punjabi 0 0 0 0
Sinhalese 0 0 0 0
Sri Lankan 0 0 0 0
Tamil 0 0 0 0
South Asian, n.i.e.Footnote 20 45 45 0 0
East and Southeast Asian origins 1,180 825 250 110
Burmese 35 25 10 0
Cambodian 0 0 0 0
Chinese 595 450 95 55
Filipino 230 165 60 0
Hmong 0 0 0 0
Indonesian 55 10 30 15
Japanese 80 50 10 30
Khmer 0 0 0 0
Korean 95 65 30 0
Laotian 0 0 0 0
Malaysian 0 0 0 0
Mongolian 20 0 15 0
Singaporean 0 0 0 0
Taiwanese 0 0 0 0
Thai 0 0 0 0
Tibetan 0 0 0 0
Vietnamese 105 65 35 10
East or Southeast Asian, n.i.e.Footnote 21 0 0 0 0
Asian, n.o.s.Footnote 22 0 0 0 0
Oceania origins 75 30 20 25
Australian 35 0 15 20
New Zealander 15 0 10 0
Pacific Islands origins 35 25 0 0
Fijian 15 0 10 0
Hawaiian 0 10 0 0
Maori 0 0 0 0
Polynesian 0 0 0 0
Samoan 0 0 0 0
Pacific Islander, n.i.e.Footnote 23 15 10 0 0

Footnotes

Footnote 1

The category 'Total - Single and multiple ethnic origin responses' indicates the number of respondents who reported each ethnic origin, either as their only response or in addition to one or more other ethnic origins. Total responses represent the sum of single responses and multiple responses received in the census.

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Footnote 2

Data quality index showing, for the long census questionnaire (20% sample data), a global non response rate higher than or equal to 5% but lower than 10%.

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Footnote 3

Persons born outside Canada. For the most part, these are people who are now, or have ever been, landed immigrants in Canada. Also included in the first generation are a small number of people born outside Canada to parents who are Canadian citizens by birth. In addition, the first generation includes people who are non-permanent residents (defined as people from another country living in Canada on Work or Study Permits or as refugee claimants, and any family members living with them in Canada).

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Footnote 4

Persons born inside Canada with at least one parent born outside Canada. This includes (a) persons born in Canada with both parents born outside Canada and (b) persons born in Canada with one parent born in Canada and one parent born outside Canada (these persons may have grandparents born inside or outside Canada as well).

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Footnote 5

Persons born inside Canada with both parents born inside Canada (these persons may have grandparents born inside or outside Canada as well).

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Footnote 6

This is a total population count. The sum of the ethnic groups in this table is greater than the total population count because a person may report more than one ethnic origin in the census.

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Footnote 7

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 8

The abbreviation 'n.o.s.' means 'not otherwise specified.'

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Footnote 9

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 10

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 11

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 12

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 13

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 14

The abbreviation 'n.o.s.' means 'not otherwise specified.'

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Footnote 15

The abbreviation 'n.o.s.' means 'not otherwise specified.'

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Footnote 16

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 17

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 18

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 19

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 20

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 21

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Footnote 22

The abbreviation 'n.o.s.' means 'not otherwise specified.'

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Footnote 23

The abbreviation 'n.i.e.' means 'not included elsewhere.'

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-562-XCB2006015.

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Footnotes

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