2001 Census Topic-based tabulations

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Topic-based tabulation: Religion (13) and Age Groups (8) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 Census - 20% Sample Data

About this tabulation

General information

Catalogue number :95F0450XCB2001004
Release date :May 13, 2003
Topic :Religions in Canada
Data dimensions :

Note

Special Note: Non-permanent Residents

In 1991, 1996 and 2001, the Census of Population enumerated both permanent and non-permanent residents of Canada. Non-permanent residents are persons who held a student or employment authorization, Minister's permit, or who were refugee claimants, at the time of the census. Family members living with these persons are also classified as non-permanent residents.

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.

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 UN recommendation that long-term residents (persons living in a country for one year or longer) be enumerated in the census.

According to the 1996 Census, there were 166,715 non-permanent residents in Canada, representing 0.6% of the total population. There were slightly more non-permanent residents in Canada at the time of the 2001 Census: 198,645 non-permanent residents, or 0.7% of the total population.

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 or 2001 with data from previous censuses in geographic areas where there is a concentration of non-permanent residents. Such areas include the major metropolitan areas in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

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 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Special Note: Nunavut (1)

Data from the 2001 Census are available for Nunavut, the new territory that came into effect on April 1, 1999.

Standard data products released only at the Canada/Province/Territory geographic levels will not contain data for Nunavut for the census years prior to 2001.

Standard data products released at the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and Census Agglomeration (CA) geographic levels will contain data for Nunavut for the 2001, 1996 and/or 1991 Censuses.

The 1996 and 1991 CMA/CA data have been adjusted to reflect as closely as possible the 2001 CMA/CA geographic boundaries. This has been done to facilitate data comparisons using the 2001 geographic boundaries.

For additional information, please refer to the 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Special Note: Population Universe

The Population Universe of the 2001 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 student authorizations (student visas or student permits) and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold employment authorizations (or work permits) and members of their families living with them;
- persons with a usual place of residence in Canada who hold Minister's permits (including extensions) and members of their families living with them.

For census purposes, the last four 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 2001 Census Dictionary, Catalogue Number 92-378-XIE or 92-378-XPE.

Data table

Select data categories for this table


This table details religion and age groups for population in CanadaFootnote 1
Religion (13) Age Groups (8)
Total - Age groups Under 15 years 15-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years and over
Total - Religion 29,639,030 5,737,670 3,988,200 3,973,085 5,074,090 4,393,180 2,847,955 3,624,845
CatholicFootnote 2 12,936,910 2,447,370 1,712,565 1,685,350 2,281,545 1,940,940 1,305,595 1,563,550
Protestant 8,654,845 1,463,840 1,005,025 935,230 1,374,470 1,385,190 997,930 1,493,160
Christian Orthodox 479,615 75,610 57,745 78,360 82,940 65,660 50,055 69,250
Christian, n.i.e.Footnote 3 780,450 193,260 133,210 123,320 141,960 101,000 45,225 42,480
Muslim 579,645 168,120 94,485 101,695 100,830 63,265 30,020 21,225
Jewish 329,995 61,085 41,775 35,450 43,575 55,740 33,970 58,410
Buddhist 300,345 46,615 42,760 44,505 59,360 51,190 24,185 31,730
Hindu 297,200 69,955 42,825 54,060 52,850 37,600 23,195 16,715
Sikh 278,410 71,710 42,750 52,240 40,330 29,495 22,300 19,585
Eastern religionsFootnote 4 37,545 6,185 5,795 5,285 6,575 7,350 3,200 3,145
Other religionsFootnote 5 63,975 13,670 11,550 12,040 12,070 9,150 3,545 1,945
No religious affiliationFootnote 6 4,900,090 1,120,255 797,710 845,545 877,580 646,600 308,740 303,660

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.

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Footnote 2

Includes Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Polish National Catholic Church, Old Catholic.

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Footnote 3

Includes mostly answers of 'Christian', not otherwise stated.

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Footnote 4

Includes Baha'i, Eckankar, Jains, Shinto, Taoist, Zoroastrian and Eastern religions, not identified elsewhere.

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Footnote 5

Includes Aboriginal spirituality, Pagan, Wicca, Unity - New Thought - Pantheist, Scientology, Rastafarian, New Age, Gnostic, Satanist, etc.

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Footnote 6

Includes Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist, and No religion, and other responses, such as Darwinism, etc.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 95F0450XCB2001004.

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Footnotes

Footnote a

To access the comma separated values (CSV) file, use the conversion features available in most spreadsheet software, or use a free viewer, for example csview.

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Footnote b

To access the tab separated values (TAB) file, use the conversion features available in most spreadsheet software, or use a free viewer, for example AscToTab.

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Footnote c

To access the Beyond 20/20 (IVT) version, you need the Beyond 20/20 Table Browser, which may be downloaded below. These links download files directly from an external site and are not the responsibility of Statistics Canada.

Beyond 20/20 Browser for Windows operating systems (18.9 MB)
To install this product, run 'ProBrowser.exe'.

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Footnote d

XML (SDMX - ML) - Is a statistical data and metadata exchange standard for the electronic exchange of statistical information. Two extensible mark-up language (XML) files are provided in a compressed bundle.

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Related data

  • 2006 Census analysis series:
  • 2006 Census reference guides and technical reports: