Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census

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%

Total population by Aboriginal identity and Registered or Treaty Indian status, British Columbia, 2016 Census

Total population by Aboriginal identity and Registered or Treaty Indian status, British Columbia, 2016
Aboriginal identity Number Percent (%)
Total – Population by Aboriginal identity 4,560,240 100.0
Aboriginal identity 270,585 5.9
Single Aboriginal response 263,540 5.8
First Nations (North American Indian) single identity 172,520 3.8
First Nations single identity (Registered or Treaty Indian) 125,635 2.8
First Nations single identity (not a Registered or Treaty Indian) 46,885 1.0
Métis single identity 89,405 2.0
Inuk (Inuit) single identity 1,615 0.0
Multiple Aboriginal identities 4,350 0.1
Aboriginal identities not included elsewhere 2,695 0.1
Non-Aboriginal identity 4,289,650 94.1
  • In 2016, there were 270,585 Aboriginal people in British Columbia, making up 5.9% of the population.
  • The majority of the Aboriginal population reported a single Aboriginal identity – either First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit). Of the Aboriginal population in British Columbia, 63.8% (172,520) were First Nations people, 33.0% (89,405) were Métis, and 0.6% (1,615) were Inuit.
  • Within the First Nations population, 72.8% (125,635) had Registered or Treaty Indian status, as defined under the Indian Act. The other 27.2% (46,885) of the First Nations population did not have Registered or Treaty Indian status.
  • In addition to those who reported a single Aboriginal identity, 4,350 people reported more than one Aboriginal identity and 2,695 were defined as having an Aboriginal identity that was not included elsewhere.

Figure 1.1 Distribution of the Aboriginal population by population centre size, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.1 description Long description for Figure 1.1 Distribution of the Aboriginal population by population centre size, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.2 Distribution of the First Nations population with registered Indian status by residence on or off reserve, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.2 description Long description for Figure 1.2 Distribution of the First Nations population with registered Indian status by residence on or off reserve, British Columbia, 2016

In general, the Aboriginal population is younger than the non-Aboriginal population.

Aboriginal children aged 14 and under represented 25.8% of the total Aboriginal population, while non-Aboriginal children aged 14 and under accounted for 14.5% of the non-Aboriginal population.

The average age of the Aboriginal population in British Columbia was 32.8 years, compared with 42.4 years for the non-Aboriginal population.

The average age was 31.8 years for First Nations people; it was 34.5 years for Métis; and it was 28.5 years for Inuit.

Figure 1.3 Age distribution by Aboriginal identity, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.3 description Long description for Figure 1.3 Age distribution by Aboriginal identity, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.4 Top #AB_IDENT_TOPCMAs_PROV.recordcount# Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations by Aboriginal identity, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.4 description Long description for Figure 1.4 Top #AB_IDENT_TOPCMAs_PROV.recordcount# Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations by Aboriginal identity, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.5 First Nations people, Métis and Inuit for selected Aboriginal language indicators, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.5 description Long description for Figure 1.5 First Nations people, Métis and Inuit for selected Aboriginal language indicators, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.6 Top 10 most common Aboriginal mother tongues for the total Aboriginal Population, British Columbia, 2016

Figure 1.6 description Long description for Figure 1.6 Top 10 most common Aboriginal mother tongues for the total Aboriginal Population, British Columbia, 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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