Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census

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Province of British Columbia

Data quality

Data quality note(s): Province of British Columbia

  • Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements.
  • Global non-response rate (GNR), long-form census questionnaire: 6.1%

Immigrant population

Figure 1.1 Number and percentage of the immigrant population, British Columbia, 2001 to 2016

Figure 1.1 description Figure 1.1 Number and percentage of the immigrant population, British Columbia, 2001 to 2016

Population by immigrant status and period of immigration, British Columbia and Canada, 2016

Immigrant status and period of immigration British Columbia Canada
number % of the total population % of the immigrant population number % of the total population % of the immigrant population
Total population in private households 4,560,235 100.0 ... 34,460,060 100.0 ...
Non-immigrants 3,167,160 69.5 ... 26,412,615 76.6 ...
Immigrants 1,292,675 28.3 100.0 7,540,830 21.9 100.0
Period of immigration: Before 2001 795,880 17.5 61.6 4,343,720 12.6 57.6
Period of immigration: 2001 to 2005 147,730 3.2 11.4 928,940 2.7 12.3
Period of immigration: 2006 to 2010 173,505 3.8 13.4 1,056,090 3.1 14.0
Period of immigration: 2011 to 2016 175,555 3.8 13.6 1,212,075 3.5 16.1
Non-permanent residents 100,405 2.2 ... 506,625 1.5 ...

Number and distribution (in percentage) of the immigrant population and recent immigrants in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, British Columbia, 2016

Geography Total population Immigrant population Recent immigrants
(2011 to 2016)
Number Number % Number %
British Columbia 4,560,240 1,292,675 28.3 175,555 3.8
Vancouver 2,426,235 989,540 40.8 142,535 5.9
Victoria 357,695 65,615 18.3 7,690 2.1
Abbotsford - Mission 176,325 43,780 24.8 5,880 3.3
Kelowna 190,565 26,450 13.9 2,995 1.6
Nanaimo 101,990 14,915 14.6 1,355 1.3
Chilliwack 98,850 13,265 13.4 1,180 1.2
Prince George 85,135 8,400 9.9 1,170 1.4
Kamloops 100,760 9,445 9.4 1,145 1.1
Fort St. John 27,990 2,535 9.1 940 3.4
Vernon 59,720 6,780 11.4 595 1.0
Squamish 19,490 3,545 18.2 585 3.0
Duncan 43,165 5,810 13.5 520 1.2
Dawson Creek 11,785 1,130 9.6 470 4.0
Courtenay 53,125 6,935 13.1 465 0.9
Penticton 42,105 5,715 13.6 420 1.0
Campbell River 37,105 3,590 9.7 310 0.8
Williams Lake 17,835 1,470 8.2 230 1.3
Cranbrook 25,555 2,230 8.7 220 0.9
Salmon Arm 17,225 1,875 10.9 205 1.2
Parksville 27,985 5,175 18.5 195 0.7
Nelson 17,955 2,345 13.1 180 1.0
Prince Rupert 12,515 1,640 13.1 180 1.4
Quesnel 22,940 1,715 7.5 160 0.7
Terrace 15,460 1,530 9.9 150 1.0
Powell River 16,360 2,190 13.4 130 0.8
Port Alberni 24,715 2,405 9.7 125 0.5

Immigrant population by selected demographic, migration and ethnocultural characteristics, British Columbia, 2011 and 2016

  2011 2016
All immigrants Recent immigrants
(2006 to 2011)		 All immigrants Recent immigrants
(2011 to 2016)
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Population in private households 1,191,875 .. 185,115 .. 1,292,675 .. 175,555 ..
Age groups 1,191,875 100.0 185,115 100.0 1,292,675 100.0 175,555 100.0
Less than 15 years 52,620 4.4 30,790 16.6 45,855 3.5 24,575 14.0
15 to 24 years 97,140 8.2 28,675 15.5 87,445 6.8 22,035 12.6
25 to 64 years 779,555 65.4 118,370 63.9 829,590 64.2 118,760 67.6
65 years and older 262,560 22.0 7,285 3.9 329,785 25.5 10,185 5.8
Median age 49.1 .. 32.8 .. 51.3 .. 33.5 ..
Admission categories for immigrants admitted since 1980 ... ... ... ... 955,960 100.0 175,555 100.0
Economic immigrants ... ... ... ... 537,875 56.3 108,885 62.0
Principal applicants ... ... ... ... 209,685 21.9 47,440 27.0
Secondary applicants ... ... ... ... 328,190 34.3 61,445 35.0
Immigrants sponsored by family ... ... ... ... 323,440 33.8 55,530 31.6
Refugees ... ... ... ... 82,360 8.6 10,210 5.8
Region of birth1 1,191,875 100.0 185,120 100.0 1,292,670 100.0 175,550 100.0
Americas 104,720 8.8 17,135 9.3 110,670 8.6 14,540 8.3
Europe 322,800 27.1 22,890 12.4 319,890 24.7 19,740 11.2
Africa 37,270 3.1 6,180 3.3 42,805 3.3 6,200 3.5
Asia 696,700 58.5 135,645 73.3 788,055 61.0 131,880 75.1
Oceania 29,900 2.5 3,200 1.7 31,070 2.4 3,185 1.8

Top places of birth of immigrants and recent immigrants,2 British Columbia, 2016

Place of birth 2016
Number Percent Rank
Immigrant population 1,292,675 100.0 ...
China 199,990 15.5 1
India 162,645 12.6 2
United Kingdom 123,815 9.6 3
Philippines 112,100 8.7 4
Hong Kong 74,210 5.7 5
United States 57,780 4.5 6
Korea, South 41,515 3.2 7
Taiwan 38,905 3.0 8
Iran 37,160 2.9 9
Germany 35,045 2.7 10
Recent immigrants (2011 to 2016) 175,550 100.0 ...
China 38,105 21.7 1
India 27,460 15.6 2
Philippines 26,685 15.2 3
Iran 8,645 4.9 4
Korea, South 8,025 4.6 5
United Kingdom 6,535 3.7 6
United States 6,485 3.7 7
Mexico 2,880 1.6 8
Taiwan 2,500 1.4 9
Japan 2,285 1.3 10

Immigrant population and recent immigrants by non-official language spoken most often at home,3 British Columbia, 2016

Languages 2016
Number Percent Rank
Immigrant population 1,292,675 100.0 ...
Cantonese 133,540 10.3 1
Mandarin 129,525 10.0 2
Punjabi (Panjabi) 125,380 9.7 3
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 62,200 4.8 4
Korean 33,595 2.6 5
Persian (Farsi) 31,420 2.4 6
Spanish 21,750 1.7 7
Hindi 16,525 1.3 8
Vietnamese 16,415 1.3 9
German 13,120 1.0 10
Recent immigrants (2011 to 2016) 175,555 100.0 ...
Mandarin 30,625 17.4 1
Punjabi (Panjabi) 19,670 11.2 2
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 17,835 10.2 3
Persian (Farsi) 8,410 4.8 4
Cantonese 6,945 4.0 5
Korean 6,855 3.9 6
Arabic 4,910 2.8 7
Spanish 4,240 2.4 8
Hindi 2,780 1.6 9
Russian 2,585 1.5 10

Generation status

Population by generation status and median age, British Columbia, 2011 and 2016

Generation status 2011 2016
Number Percent Median age Number Percent Median age
Total population in private households 4,324,460 100.0 41.6 4,560,235 100.0 42.5
First generation (born abroad) 1,272,685 29.4 48.0 1,426,450 31.3 49.1
Second generation (born in Canada with at least one parent born abroad) 1,013,335 23.4 36.2 1,043,865 22.9 35.4
Born in Canada with both parents born abroad 524,605 12.1 31.9 540,000 11.8 30.4
Born in Canada with one parent born in Canada and the other born abroad 488,730 11.3 41.1 503,865 11.0 40.8
Third generation or more (born in Canada with both parents born in Canada) 2,038,440 47.1 37.9 2,089,925 45.8 39.4

Visible minority population

Figure 1.2 Population (in percentage) belonging to a visible minority group, British Columbia, 2001 to 2016

Figure 1.2 description Figure 1.2 Population (in percentage) belonging to a visible minority group, British Columbia, 2001 to 2016

Population by visible minority group and median age, British Columbia, 2011 and 2016

  2011 2016
Number % of the total population % of the visible minority population Median age Number % of the total population % of the visible minority population Median age
Total population in private households 4,324,460 100.0 .. 41.6 4,560,235 100.0 .. 42.5
Visible minority population 1,180,870 27.3 100.0 35.7 1,381,235 30.3 100.0 36.5
South Asian 313,440 7.2 26.5 33.6 365,705 8.0 26.5 35.2
Chinese 438,140 10.1 37.1 40.5 508,480 11.2 36.8 40.7
Black 33,260 0.8 2.8 28.9 43,500 1.0 3.1 28.6
Filipino 126,035 2.9 10.7 35.3 145,030 3.2 10.5 36.7
Latin American 35,465 0.8 3.0 33.8 44,110 1.0 3.2 35.7
Arab 14,090 0.3 1.2 27.8 19,840 0.4 1.4 29.6
Southeast Asian 51,970 1.2 4.4 33.1 54,920 1.2 4.0 34.1
West Asian 38,960 0.9 3.3 36.6 48,695 1.1 3.5 37.8
Korean 53,765 1.2 4.6 33.2 60,490 1.3 4.4 35.3
Japanese 38,120 0.9 3.2 37.3 41,230 0.9 3.0 38.9
Visible minority, n.i.e. 6,465 0.1 0.5 32.7 8,765 0.2 0.6 35.0
Multiple visible minorities 31,160 0.7 2.6 24.7 40,465 0.9 2.9 23.5
Not a visible minority 3,143,590 72.7 .. 44.0 3,179,005 69.7 .. 45.6

Visible minority population in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, British Columbia, ranked by visible minority population, 2016

Geography Visible minority population
Name of the CMA or CA Type Number % of the total population of the CMA/CA
Vancouver CMA 1,185,680 48.9
Abbotsford - Mission CMA 51,230 29.1
Victoria CMA 50,310 14.1
Kelowna CMA 14,930 7.8
Nanaimo CA 9,280 9.1
Kamloops CA 7,320 7.3
Prince George CA 6,790 8.0
Chilliwack CA 6,450 6.5
Vernon CA 3,005 5.0
Squamish CA 2,820 14.5
Courtenay CA 2,635 5.0
Duncan CA 2,575 6.0
Fort St. John CA 2,495 8.9
Penticton CA 2,465 5.9
Campbell River CA 1,695 4.6
Prince Rupert CA 1,500 12.0
Port Alberni CA 1,175 4.8
Dawson Creek CA 1,155 9.8
Cranbrook CA 1,100 4.3
Quesnel CA 1,075 4.7
Parksville CA 955 3.4
Terrace CA 950 6.1
Williams Lake CA 890 5.0
Nelson CA 740 4.1
Salmon Arm CA 660 3.8
Powell River CA 535 3.3

Census subdivisions with a population of 5,000 or more with the highest proportion of visible minorities, British Columbia, 2016

Geography Visible minority population
Name of the census subdivision Number % of the total population of the CSD
Vancouver 319,005 51.6
Surrey 299,250 58.5
Richmond 150,015 76.3
Burnaby 146,315 63.6
Coquitlam 69,265 50.2

Ethnic and cultural origins of the population

The three most commonly reported ethnic origins,4 British Columbia and Canada, 2016

Ethnic origin British Columbia Canada
Number of responses % Rank Number of responses % Rank
English 1,203,545 26.4 1 6,320,085 18.3 2
Canadian 866,525 19.0 2 11,135,970 32.3 1
Scottish 860,775 18.9 3 4,799,010 13.9 3

Figure 1.3 Percentage of the population by region of ethnic origin,5 British Columbia and Canada, 2016

Figure 1.3 description Figure 1.3 Percentage of the population by region of ethnic origin,5 British Columbia and Canada, 2016

Symbols:

···
not applicable
··
incompletely enumerated Indian reserve or Indian settlement
r
revised
E
use with caution

Source:

Statistics Canada. 2017. Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-404-X2016001. Ottawa, Ontario. Data products, 2016 Census.

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