Analysis series Aboriginal peoples of Canada Aboriginal groups

Of the 976,305 people who identified themselves as Aboriginal in the 2001 Census, about 5%, or 45,070, reported that they were Inuit.

This was a 12% increase from 40,220 five years earlier. In contrast, the total non-Aboriginal population grew only 3.4% between 1996 and 2001.

Most of this growth is due to demographic factors — higher fertility rates and increasing life expectancy. Although the Inuit birth rate has declined in recent years, it is still twice as high as the overall non-Aboriginal birth rate.

One-half lived in Nunavut
Inuit population is among the youngest compared to other Aboriginal groups
Almost three-quarters of Inuit children lived with two parents
Inuktitut language is still strong

One-half lived in Nunavut

Fully one-half of the Inuit population, about 22,560, lived in the new territory of Nunavut. Quebec was a distant second with 9,535, or 21% of the total Inuit population.

They were followed by Newfoundland and Labrador with 10% of the Inuit population, and the Northwest Territories, with about 9%.

Population reporting an Inuit identity, Canada and selected provinces and territories, 2001

Inuit accounted for 85% of Nunavut's population, and less than 1% of Quebec's. They represented about 11% of the population of the Northwest Territories.

Four of the five communities with the largest Inuit populations are all north of the 60th parallel and in Nunavut. The four above the 60th parallel are Iqaluit (3,010), Arviat (1,785), Rankin Inlet (1,680), and Baker Lake (1,405), while Kuujjuaq (1,540) in Quebec, lies just below the 60th parallel.

Top five communities with largest population reporting an Inuit identity, 2001

Nearly one in five Inuit people pulled up stakes in the year before the 2001 Census

Overall, 19% of Inuit people moved in the year prior to the census, compared with only 14% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Among Inuit movers, two-thirds moved with the same community, while one-third moved between communities.

Inuit population is among the youngest compared with other Aboriginal groups

Inuit had the youngest population among Aboriginal groups, except for the North American Indian population in Saskatchewan.

The median age of Canada's Inuit population was only 20.6 years in 2001. This was 17 years below the median of 37.7 years for the non-Aboriginal population. (The median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older, and the other half is younger.)

Quebec and Nunavut had the youngest Inuit populations, with median ages of 19.0 and 19.1 years respectively.

Four in 10 Inuit were children aged 14 and under

The census enumerated 17,460 Inuit children aged 14 and under in 2001, representing 39% of the total Inuit population. This was down from 41% five years earlier.

In the non-Aboriginal population this age group accounted for only 19% of the total in 2001.

Inuit in the working-age population barely outnumbered the children. The census counted 17,950 individuals aged 25 to 64, about 40% of the Inuit population, up from 37% in 1996.

Individuals in this working-age group accounted for 55% of the non-Aboriginal population.

Population reporting an Inuit identity, by age groups, Canada, 1996 and 2001

Inuit population is aging

There is a trend, albeit slower, toward aging in the Inuit population, compared with that in the non-Aboriginal population. This aging process is in large part due to a high, but declining fertility rate among the Inuit.

Although the 1,405 Inuit seniors aged 65 and older accounted for just over 3% of the Inuit population, up slightly from five years earlier, their numbers grew by 38% between 1996 and 2001. This was by far the biggest increase of all broad age groups. At the same time, the number of seniors in the non-Aboriginal population increased only 10%.

Almost three-quarters of Inuit children lived with two parents

Almost three-quarters (73%) of all Inuit children aged 14 and under lived with two parents in 2001, the highest proportion of all three Aboriginal groups. This was still below the proportion of 83% for non-Aboriginal children.

About 4,280 Inuit children, or 25% of the total, lived with a lone parent in 2001, compared with 17% of non-Aboriginal children aged 14 and under.

Not all Inuit children lived with their own families. About 2% of Inuit children lived with either a relative other than their parent or parents, or lived with someone who was not their relative.

Living arrangements of Inuit children aged 0-14 years, Canada, 2001

Inuktitut language is still strong

Relative to other Aboriginal languages, Inuktitut remains strong. The majority of Inuit, about 70%, reported an ability to carry on a conversation in Inuktitut and almost as many (65%) reported speaking it at least regularly in their home.

Furthermore, a large percentage of children (almost 70%) reported an ability to carry on a conversation in Inuktitut as well. In all broad age groups, except one, there was only a slight decline in the percentage of those Inuit who could carry on a conversation in Inuktitut. In the oldest age group (65 and over) the share declined from 85% to 79% over the 1996-2001 period. This was likely due to mortality in this age group.

Percentage of population reporting an Inuit identity who know Inuktitut and who use it regularly at home, by age groups, Canada, 2001