Canada was home to almost 4 million individuals who identified themselves as visible minorities in 2001, accounting for 13.4% of the total population. The proportion of the visible minority population has increased steadily over the past 20 years. In 1981, 1.1 million visible minorities accounted for 4.7% of the total population; by 1996, 3.2 million accounted for 11.2%.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

The 2006 Census estimated 5.1 million individuals who belonged to a visible minority. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour’. The visible minority population has grown steadily over the last 25 years. In 1981, when data for the four Employment Equity designated groups were first derived, the estimated 1.1 million visible minorities represented 4.7% of Canada's total population. In 1991, 2.5 million people were members of the visible minority population, 9.4% of the total population. The visible minority population further increased to 3.2 million in 1996, or 11.2% of the total population. By 2001, their numbers had reached an estimated 3.9 million or 13.4% of the total population. In 2006, the visible minorities accounted for 16.2% of Canada’s total population. This map shows the percentage of visible minorities (Black population) by census divisions.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost two out of five people of a Chinese background reported having experienced discrimination in Canada. They were the most commonly discriminated against visible minority group, followed by people of Filipino origin (31.6 percent) and Black people (27.6 percent). In comparison, about 12 percent of people who did not belong to a visible minority group said they had experienced discrimination since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 2006 Census estimated 5.1 million individuals who belonged to a visible minority. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour’. The visible minority population has grown steadily over the last 25 years. In 1981, when data for the four Employment Equity designated groups were first derived, the estimated 1.1 million visible minorities represented 4.7% of Canada's total population. In 1991, 2.5 million people were members of the visible minority population, 9.4% of the total population. The visible minority population further increased to 3.2 million in 1996, or 11.2% of the total population. By 2001, their numbers had reached an estimated 3.9 million or 13.4% of the total population. In 2006, the visible minorities accounted for 16.2% of Canada’s total population. This map shows the percentage of visible minorities (Black population) by census divisions.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

The 2006 Census estimated 5.1 million individuals who belonged to a visible minority. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour’. The visible minority population has grown steadily over the last 25 years. In 1981, when data for the four Employment Equity designated groups were first derived, the estimated 1.1 million visible minorities represented 4.7% of Canada's total population. In 1991, 2.5 million people were members of the visible minority population, 9.4% of the total population. The visible minority population further increased to 3.2 million in 1996, or 11.2% of the total population. By 2001, their numbers had reached an estimated 3.9 million or 13.4% of the total population. In 2006, the visible minorities accounted for 16.2% of Canada’s total population. This map shows the percentage of visible minorities (Black population) by census subdivisions.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Canada was home to almost 4 million individuals who identified themselves as visible minorities in 2001, accounting for 13.4% of the total population. The proportion of the visible minority population has increased steadily over the past 20 years. In 1981, 1.1 million visible minorities accounted for 4.7% of the total population; by 1996, 3.2 million accounted for 11.2%.

Number of people belonging to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as 'persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.

Number of Canadian students in a doctoral degree entry cohort belonging to a visible minority group, by student characteristics.

Data on visible minority by ethnic or cultural origin, age and gender for the population in private households in Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and parts.

Demographic characteristics of Canada's military and veteran population: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with partsFrequency: OccasionalTable: 98-10-0142-01Release date: 2023-11-15Geography: Canada, Province or territory, Census metropolitan area, Census agglomeration, Census metropolitan area part, Census agglomeration partUniverse: Population aged 17 and over in private households, 2021 Census — 25% Sample dataVariable List: Visible minority (15), Religion (25), Generation status (4), Age (10B), Gender (3), Statistics (3), Military service status (4A)Footnotes: 1 Religion Religion refers to the person's self-identification as having a connection or affiliation with any religious denomination, group, body, or other religiously defined community or system of belief. Religion is not limited to formal membership in a religious organization or group. For infants or children, religion refers to the specific religious group or denomination in which they are being raised, if any. Persons without a religious connection or affiliation can self-identify as atheist, agnostic or humanist, or can provide another applicable response. 2 Generation status Generation status refers to whether or not the person or the person's parents were born in Canada. 3 Age 'Age' refers to the age of a person (or subject) of interest at last birthday (or relative to a specified, well-defined reference date). 4 Gender Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Gender includes the following concepts: gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually; gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender. A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's licence. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender. 5 Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided. In these cases, individuals in the category “non-binary persons” are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the “+” symbol. 6 Visible minority Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese." 7 Military service status Military service status refers to whether or not the person is currently serving or has previously served in the Canadian military. Military service status is asked of all Canadians aged 17 and older. For the purposes of the 2021 Census, Canadian military service includes service with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve Force as an Officer or Non-Commissioned Member. It does not include service with the Cadets, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS) instructors or the Canadian Rangers. 8 For more information on religion variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Religion Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 9 For more information on generation status variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Place of Birth, Generation Status, Citizenship and Immigration Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 10 For more information on the military service status variable, including data quality and comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Canadian Military Experience Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 11 Visible minority" refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese. In 2021 Census analytical and communications products the term "visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups"12 For more information on visible minority and population group variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Visible Minority and Population Group Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 13 In 2021 Census analytical and communications products, the term visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups" reflecting the increased use of these terms in the public sphere." 14 The abbreviation n.i.e." means "not included elsewhere." This category includes persons who provided responses that are classified as a visible minority but that cannot be classified with a specific visible minority group. Such responses include for example "Guyanese Pacific Islander Polynesian Tibetan" and "West Indian."" 15 In 2021 Census analytical and communications products, this category is referred to as the rest of the population.""

Demographic characteristics of Canada's military and veteran population: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with partsFrequency: OccasionalTable: 98-10-0142-01Release date: 2023-11-15Geography: Canada, Province or territory, Census metropolitan area, Census agglomeration, Census metropolitan area part, Census agglomeration partUniverse: Population aged 17 and over in private households, 2021 Census — 25% Sample dataVariable List: Visible minority (15), Religion (25), Generation status (4), Age (10B), Gender (3), Statistics (3), Military service status (4A)Footnotes: 1 Religion Religion refers to the person's self-identification as having a connection or affiliation with any religious denomination, group, body, or other religiously defined community or system of belief. Religion is not limited to formal membership in a religious organization or group. For infants or children, religion refers to the specific religious group or denomination in which they are being raised, if any. Persons without a religious connection or affiliation can self-identify as atheist, agnostic or humanist, or can provide another applicable response. 2 Generation status Generation status refers to whether or not the person or the person's parents were born in Canada. 3 Age 'Age' refers to the age of a person (or subject) of interest at last birthday (or relative to a specified, well-defined reference date). 4 Gender Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Gender includes the following concepts: gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually; gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender. A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's licence. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender. 5 Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided. In these cases, individuals in the category “non-binary persons” are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the “+” symbol. 6 Visible minority Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese." 7 Military service status Military service status refers to whether or not the person is currently serving or has previously served in the Canadian military. Military service status is asked of all Canadians aged 17 and older. For the purposes of the 2021 Census, Canadian military service includes service with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve Force as an Officer or Non-Commissioned Member. It does not include service with the Cadets, Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS) instructors or the Canadian Rangers. 8 For more information on religion variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Religion Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 9 Visible minority" refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese. In 2021 Census analytical and communications products the term "visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups" reflecting the increased use of these terms in the public sphere."10 For more information on visible minority and population group variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Visible Minority and Population Group Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 11 For more information on the military service status variable, including data quality and comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Canadian Military Experience Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 12 'First generation' includes persons who were born outside Canada. For the most part, these are people who are now, or once were, immigrants to Canada. 13 'Second generation' includes persons who were born in Canada and had at least one parent born outside Canada. For the most part, these are the children of immigrants. 14 'Third generation or more' includes persons who were born in Canada with all parents born in Canada.

This table represents admissions to adult correctional services by visible minority group and sex, with new data for the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Employment income (in 2019 and 2020) of visible minority groups by educational characteristics, for cities.

"Class of worker by visible minority, selected sociodemographic characteristics and the census year: Canada, geographical regions of Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (1)Frequency: OccasionalTable: 98-10-0645-01Release date: 2024-03-26Geography: Canada, Geographical region of Canada, Province or territory, Census metropolitan area, Census metropolitan area partUniverse: Persons in private households in occupied private dwellings, 2021 and 2016 censuses — 25% Sample dataVariable List: Class of worker (5B), Gender (3a), Age and first official language spoken (10), Immigrant and generation status (9), Visible minority (15), Highest certificate, diploma or degree (6A), Percent, Census year (2)" List of abbreviations and acronyms found within various Census products.(https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/symb-ab-acr-eng.cfm)" Footnotes: 1 Historical comparison of geographic areas The boundaries and names of census geographies can change from one census to the next. In order to facilitate data comparisons between censuses, previous census data have been adjusted to reflect as closely as possible the 2021 boundaries of these areas. The methodology used for this adjustment involved spatially linking blocks of previous censuses (concordance to the 1996 Census used the 1996 enumeration areas to the 2021 boundaries). A previous census block was linked to the 2021 area within which its representative point fell. A limited number of interactive linkages were completed to further enhance the adjustment in certain areas. For some census geographies, it was not possible to reflect the 2021 boundaries. The 2021 boundaries may not be reflected as there was no previous census block to assign to the 2021 area. As well previous census data for some 2021 areas may not be available due to the fact that the concordance did not produce an accurate representation of the 2021 area.2 Gender refers to an individual's personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively a man or a woman). Gender includes the following concepts: gender identity, which refers to the gender that a person feels internally and individually; gender expression, which refers to the way a person presents their gender, regardless of their gender identity, through body language, aesthetic choices or accessories (e.g., clothes, hairstyle and makeup), which may have traditionally been associated with a specific gender. A person's gender may differ from their sex at birth, and from what is indicated on their current identification or legal documents such as their birth certificate, passport or driver's licence. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender. 3 Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is sometimes necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided. In these cases, individuals in the category “non-binary persons” are distributed into the other two gender categories and are denoted by the “+” symbol. The sex variable in census years prior to 2021 and the two-category gender variable in the 2021 Census are included together. Although sex and gender refer to two different concepts, the introduction of gender is not expected to have a significant impact on data analysis and historical comparability, given the small size of the transgender and non-binary populations. For additional information on changes of concepts over time, please consult the Age, Sex at Birth and Gender Reference Guide.4 'Age' refers to the age of a person (or subject) of interest at last birthday (or relative to a specified, well-defined reference date). 5 First official language spoken First official language spoken refers to the first official language (English or French) spoken by the person. 6 'Immigrant status' refers to whether the person is a non-immigrant, an immigrant or a non-permanent resident. 'Period of immigration' refers to the period in which the immigrant first obtained landed immigrant or permanent resident status. For more information on immigration variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Place of Birth, Generation Status, Citizenship and Immigration Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021. 7 Generation status refers to whether or not the person or the person's parents were born in Canada. 8 "Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese. "9 Highest certificate, diploma or degree is the classification used in the census to measure the broader concept of 'Educational attainment.' This variable refers to the highest level of education that a person has successfully completed and is derived from the educational qualifications questions, which asked for all certificates, diplomas and degrees to be reported. The general hierarchy used in deriving this variable (high school, trades, college, university) is loosely tied to the 'in-class' duration of the various types of education. At the detailed level, someone who has completed one type of certificate, diploma or degree will not necessarily have completed the credentials listed below it in the hierarchy. For example, a person with an apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma may not have completed a high school certificate or diploma, nor does an individual with a 'master's degree' necessarily have a 'university certificate or diploma above bachelor level.' Although the hierarchy may not fit all programs perfectly, it gives a general measure of educational attainment. This variable is reported for persons aged 15 years and over in private households. 10 Class of worker refers to whether a person is an employee or is self-employed. The self-employed include persons with or without a business, as well as unpaid family workers. 11 Includes persons aged 15 years and over who have worked at some point in time during the reference period. In 2021, this period was between January 2020 and May 2021.12 Includes self-employed persons aged 15 years and over with or without an incorporated business and with or without paid help, as well as unpaid family workers.13 Includes self-employed persons whose business is incorporated with or without employees.14 Includes self-employed persons whose business is unincorporated. Also included among the self-employed are unpaid family workers. This category includes persons who work without pay in a business, farm or professional practice owned and operated by another family member living in the same dwelling.15 "Visible minority" refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian Chinese Black Filipino Arab Latin American Southeast Asian West Asian Korean and Japanese. In 2021 Census analytical and communications products the term "visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups" reflecting the increased use of these terms in the public sphere."16 For more information on visible minority and population group variables, including information on their classifications, the questions from which they are derived, data quality and their comparability with other sources of data, please refer to the Visible Minority and Population Group Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.17 "In 2021 Census analytical and communications products, the term visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups" In 2021 Census analytical and communications products, the term visible minority" has been replaced by the terms "racialized population" or "racialized groups" reflecting the increased use of these terms in the public sphere."18 "The abbreviation n.i.e." means "not included elsewhere." This category includes persons who provided responses that are classified as a visible minority but that cannot be classified with a specific visible minority group. Such responses include for example "Guyanese Pacific Islander Polynesian Tibetan" and "West Indian."19 In 2021 Census analytical and communications products, this category is referred to as the rest of the population."