Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census

Province of Alberta

Data quality

Data quality note(s): Province of Alberta

  • 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, Alberta, 2001 to 2016

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

Population by immigrant status and period of immigration, Alberta and Canada, 2016

Immigrant status and period of immigration Alberta Canada
number % of the total population % of the immigrant population number % of the total population % of the immigrant population
Total population in private households 3,978,145 100.0 ... 34,460,060 100.0 ...
Non-immigrants 3,062,780 77.0 ... 26,412,615 76.6 ...
Immigrants 845,220 21.2 100.0 7,540,830 21.9 100.0
Period of immigration: Before 2001 381,370 9.6 45.1 4,343,720 12.6 57.6
Period of immigration: 2001 to 2005 109,145 2.7 12.9 928,940 2.7 12.3
Period of immigration: 2006 to 2010 146,915 3.7 17.4 1,056,090 3.1 14.0
Period of immigration: 2011 to 2016 207,790 5.2 24.6 1,212,075 3.5 16.1
Non-permanent residents 70,155 1.8 ... 506,625 1.5 ...

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

Geography Total population Immigrant population Recent immigrants
(2011 to 2016)
Number Number % Number %
Alberta 3,978,145 845,220 21.2 207,790 5.2
Calgary 1,374,650 404,700 29.4 93,255 6.8
Edmonton 1,297,280 308,605 23.8 78,515 6.1
Red Deer 98,480 14,680 14.9 5,235 5.3
Wood Buffalo 73,210 15,875 21.7 4,995 6.8
Lethbridge 113,920 15,365 13.5 3,400 3.0
Grande Prairie 62,055 6,655 10.7 2,450 3.9
Lloydminster 34,090 4,490 13.2 2,370 7.0
Brooks 23,410 5,240 22.4 2,345 10.0
Medicine Hat 74,665 6,325 8.5 1,375 1.8
Okotoks 28,520 3,695 13.0 855 3.0
High River 13,325 1,775 13.3 755 5.7
Canmore 13,580 2,405 17.7 660 4.9
Camrose 18,215 1,605 8.8 620 3.4
Cold Lake 14,620 1,210 8.3 475 3.2
Wetaskiwin 12,205 1,320 10.8 430 3.5
Lacombe 12,710 1,240 9.8 315 2.5
Strathmore 13,395 1,095 8.2 260 1.9
Sylvan Lake 15,145 885 5.8 230 1.5

Immigrant population by selected demographic, migration and ethnocultural characteristics, Alberta, 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 644,110 .. 144,170 .. 845,215 .. 207,790 ..
Age groups 644,115 100.0 144,165 100.0 845,215 100.0 207,790 100.0
Less than 15 years 48,015 7.5 30,135 20.9 61,770 7.3 39,580 19.0
15 to 24 years 55,995 8.7 19,205 13.3 75,175 8.9 25,105 12.1
25 to 64 years 439,135 68.2 91,190 63.3 575,415 68.1 136,945 65.9
65 years and older 100,970 15.7 3,635 2.5 132,860 15.7 6,165 3.0
Median age 44.4 .. 31.4 .. 43.5 .. 32.4 ..
Admission categories for immigrants admitted since 1980 ... ... ... ... 694,940 100.0 207,790 100.0
Economic immigrants ... ... ... ... 387,275 55.7 140,855 67.8
Principal applicants ... ... ... ... 154,700 22.3 58,135 28.0
Secondary applicants ... ... ... ... 232,570 33.5 82,715 39.8
Immigrants sponsored by family ... ... ... ... 198,570 28.6 46,220 22.2
Refugees ... ... ... ... 103,780 14.9 18,925 9.1
Region of birth1 644,110 100.0 144,165 100.0 845,215 100.0 207,790 100.0
Americas 86,215 13.4 21,440 14.9 103,425 12.2 20,030 9.6
Europe 178,660 27.7 19,300 13.4 189,770 22.5 20,875 10.0
Africa 55,850 8.7 17,440 12.1 89,740 10.6 27,770 13.4
Asia 314,150 48.8 84,520 58.6 452,225 53.5 137,110 66.0
Oceania 8,945 1.4 1,355 0.9 9,935 1.2 1,980 1.0

Top places of birth of immigrants and recent immigrants,2 Alberta, 2016

Place of birth 2016
Number Percent Rank
Immigrant population 845,215 100.0 ...
Philippines 123,830 14.7 1
India 91,660 10.8 2
United Kingdom 59,215 7.0 3
China 57,695 6.8 4
United States 30,455 3.6 5
Pakistan 28,075 3.3 6
Viet Nam 27,080 3.2 7
Germany 19,200 2.3 8
Hong Kong 19,110 2.3 9
Poland 16,925 2.0 10
Recent immigrants (2011 to 2016) 207,790 100.0 ...
Philippines 59,395 28.6 1
India 28,820 13.9 2
China 10,525 5.1 3
Pakistan 6,910 3.3 4
United Kingdom 6,225 3.0 5
Nigeria 6,110 2.9 6
United States 4,645 2.2 7
Mexico 4,400 2.1 8
Korea, South 3,840 1.8 9
Ethiopia 3,445 1.7 10

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

Languages 2016
Number Percent Rank
Immigrant population 845,215 100.0 ...
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 80,095 9.5 1
Punjabi (Panjabi) 46,750 5.5 2
Cantonese 37,905 4.5 3
Mandarin 31,750 3.8 4
Spanish 30,795 3.6 5
Arabic 25,520 3.0 6
Urdu 19,905 2.4 7
Vietnamese 14,685 1.7 8
Hindi 12,745 1.5 9
German 11,430 1.4 10
Recent immigrants (2011 to 2016) 207,790 100.0 ...
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 41,750 20.1 1
Punjabi (Panjabi) 11,530 5.5 2
Arabic 10,110 4.9 3
Spanish 8,675 4.2 4
Mandarin 7,620 3.7 5
Urdu 5,235 2.5 6
Hindi 4,610 2.2 7
Persian (Farsi) 3,425 1.6 8
Korean 3,240 1.6 9
Malayalam 2,810 1.4 10

Generation status

Population by generation status and median age, Alberta, 2011 and 2016

Generation status 2011 2016
Number Percent Median age Number Percent Median age
Total population in private households 3,567,975 100.0 36.1 3,978,145 100.0 36.4
First generation (born abroad) 715,365 20.0 42.7 938,495 23.6 41.8
Second generation (born in Canada with at least one parent born abroad) 681,775 19.1 36.7 742,455 18.7 32.3
Born in Canada with both parents born abroad 331,035 9.3 32.2 378,420 9.5 25.7
Born in Canada with one parent born in Canada and the other born abroad 350,740 9.8 40.5 364,035 9.2 38.1
Third generation or more (born in Canada with both parents born in Canada) 2,170,830 60.8 32.8 2,297,195 57.7 34.4

Visible minority population

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

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

Population by visible minority group and median age, Alberta, 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 3,567,975 100.0 .. 36.1 3,978,145 100.0 .. 36.4
Visible minority population 656,325 18.4 100.0 32.3 933,165 23.5 100.0 32.6
South Asian 156,665 4.4 23.9 31.9 230,925 5.8 24.7 32.2
Chinese 133,395 3.7 20.3 38.0 158,200 4.0 17.0 37.6
Black 74,435 2.1 11.3 27.6 129,395 3.3 13.9 27.7
Filipino 106,030 3.0 16.2 33.5 166,200 4.2 17.8 34.0
Latin American 41,300 1.2 6.3 33.3 55,085 1.4 5.9 35.1
Arab 34,920 1.0 5.3 27.4 56,700 1.4 6.1 28.3
Southeast Asian 41,020 1.1 6.2 34.0 43,985 1.1 4.7 34.5
West Asian 16,025 0.4 2.4 28.8 20,980 0.5 2.2 31.4
Korean 15,000 0.4 2.3 31.7 21,275 0.5 2.3 33.6
Japanese 12,420 0.3 1.9 34.4 12,170 0.3 1.3 36.2
Visible minority, n.i.e. 6,270 0.2 1.0 30.2 9,905 0.2 1.1 31.3
Multiple visible minorities 18,835 0.5 2.9 25.0 28,355 0.7 3.0 23.7
Not a visible minority 2,911,655 81.6 .. 37.2 3,044,980 76.5 .. 38.1

Visible minority population in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, Alberta, 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
Calgary CMA 463,450 33.7
Edmonton CMA 363,990 28.1
Wood Buffalo CA 19,070 26.0
Red Deer CA 15,230 15.5
Lethbridge CMA 12,360 10.8
Grande Prairie CA 7,365 11.9
Brooks CA 5,355 22.9
Lloydminster CA 5,035 14.8
Medicine Hat CA 4,495 6.0
Okotoks CA 2,060 7.2
High River CA 1,615 12.1
Cold Lake CA 1,600 10.9
Camrose CA 1,485 8.2
Wetaskiwin CA 1,380 11.3
Canmore CA 1,170 8.6
Lacombe CA 1,050 8.3
Strathmore CA 895 6.7
Sylvan Lake CA 585 3.9

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

Geography Visible minority population
Name of the census subdivision Number % of the total population of the CSD
Calgary 442,590 36.2
Edmonton 339,040 37.1
Wood Buffalo 19,070 26.7
Red Deer 15,230 15.5
Lethbridge 11,695 12.9

Ethnic and cultural origins of the population

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

Ethnic origin Alberta Canada
Number of responses % Rank Number of responses % Rank
Canadian 902,310 22.7 1 11,135,970 32.3 1
English 899,445 22.6 2 6,320,085 18.3 2
German 712,955 17.9 3 3,322,400 9.6 6

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

Figure 1.3 description Figure 1.3 Percentage of the population by region of ethnic origin,5 Alberta 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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