In 2022, almost *** thousand Indian nationals got permanent residence in Canada. Out of this, ** percent were women. Canada is one of the leading countries hosting Indian migrant population.

There were over one million registered Indians in Canada as of December 2020. The region with the largest Indian population was Ontario, with 222 thousand, followed by Manitoba, which counted 164 thousand Indians. The regions with the smallest Indian populations were Yukon, and Northwest Territories.

In 2023, over ** thousand Indian nationals applied for asylum in Canada. This was a significant increase as compared to the previous year and the highest during the recorded period. Canada is one of the leading countries for Indian migrants.

In 2020, there were 1,021,356 registered Indians in Canada. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of registered Indians in Canada experienced an increase, going from some 670 thousand to over one million.

Registered Indians Registered Indians in Canada are all First Nations people who are, as the name suggests, registered as an officially recognized Indian by the Canadian government. No Inuit or Métis is a Registered Indian under Canadian law, leaving only certain First Nations peoples as qualifiers. The word “Indian” is a legal term in this case and has otherwise fallen out of favor. It has been replaced by First Nations, a term used to describe all Canadian aboriginal people who are neither Métis nor Inuit.

Registered Indian status affords benefits and rights not granted to non-Registered Indians including access to reserves and self-governance within them, exemption of federal and provincial taxes to those living on reserve, and postsecondary education financial assistance. The Indian Act of 1951 established the current Indian Register and was revised in 1985 to include people that had been wrongly excluded by the original law.

The number of Registered Indians has grown significantly since 2000 and currently the largest population resides in Ontario, which also has the largest overall population of aboriginal peoples in Canada. British Columbia is home to the largest number of Indian bands, at 199 in 2020.

Number of Overseas Indian Students: Destination: Canada data was reported at 13,626.000 Person in 2013. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,582.000 Person for 2012. Number of Overseas Indian Students: Destination: Canada data is updated yearly, averaging 2,829.000 Person from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2013, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,626.000 Person in 2013 and a record low of 804.000 Person in 1999. Number of Overseas Indian Students: Destination: Canada data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Education Sector – Table IN.EDE001: Memo Items: Major Destinations of Overseas Indian Students.

Indians departing to the north American country of Canada accounted for over *** thousand in 2022. A linear rise in the number of Indians traveling to Canada was seen over the years from 2009 till 2019.

This map shows the distribution of the North American Indian population. The largest number of North American Indians live in Ontario (118 830); they make up 80% of the total Aboriginal population of that province. They are distributed in the large agglomerations of the south, but also in the north and west of the province. In British Columbia, 77% of Aboriginal people are Indians (113 315). These two provinces account for 42% of the Indian population in Canada. The three Prairie Provinces are home to another 42% of the North American Indian population.

Key information about Canada population

• The Canada population reached 41.3 million people in Jun 2024, compared with the previously reported figure of 40.1 million people in Jun 2023
• The data reached an all-time high of 41.3 million people in Jun 2024 and a record low of 14.0 million people in Jun 1950

CEIC extends history for annual Population. Statistics Canada provides Mid-year Population. Postcensal estimates, which are based on the latest Census counts adjusted for Census Net Undercoverage (CNU), including adjustment for Incompletely Enumerated Indian Reserves (IEIR) and the components of demographic growth that occurred since that census. Intercensal estimates are produced using counts from two consecutive censuses adjusted for CNU (including (IEIR) and postcensal estimates) Population prior to 1971 is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population is in annual frequency, ending in June of each year.


Further information about Canada population data

• In the latest reports, Canada Unemployment Rate increased to 6.6 % in Aug 2024
• Monthly earnings of the Canada population was 3,656.6 USD in Jun 2024
• Canada Labour Force Participation Rate increased to 66.2 % in Aug 2024

India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: Canada data was reported at 69,616.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 67,947.000 Person for Jan 2025. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: Canada data is updated monthly, averaging 22,530.561 Person from Feb 2017 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 80 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69,616.000 Person in Feb 2025 and a record low of 932.908 Person in May 2021. India Foreign Tourist Arrivals: Canada data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Tourism Sector – Table IN.QB001: Foreign Tourist Arrivals: by Countries.

This table provides quarterly estimates of the number of non-permanent residents by type for Canada, provinces and territories.

Contained within the 4th Edition (1974) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the locations of occupied Indian Reserves, settlements and other communities. For each of the locations plotted, the major linguistic groups for the communities are denoted as a percentage of the total number of registered Indians in Canada as of 1969 along with the names of the Bands participating in these linguistic groups. A small supplementary map image shows the extent of major linguistic groups throughout Canada.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Canadian by race. It includes the population of Canadian across racial categories (excluding ethnicity) as identified by the Census Bureau. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Canadian across relevant racial categories.

Key observations

The percent distribution of Canadian population by race (across all racial categories recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau): 87.26% are white, 3.30% are American Indian and Alaska Native and 9.43% are multiracial.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Racial categories include:

• White
• Black or African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
• Some other race
• Two or more races (multiracial)

Variables / Data Columns

• Race: This column displays the racial categories (excluding ethnicity) for the Canadian
• Population: The population of the racial category (excluding ethnicity) in the Canadian is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each race as a proportion of Canadian total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Canadian Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

Temporary residents who are in Canada on a study permit in the observed calendar year. Datasets include study permit holders by year in which permit(s) became effective or with a valid permit in a calendar year or on December 31st. Please note that in these datasets, the figures have been suppressed or rounded to prevent the identification of individuals when the datasets are compiled and compared with other publicly available statistics. Values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--“ and all other values are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5. This may result to the sum of the figures not equating to the totals indicated.

Data on the immigrant population by place of birth, period of immigration, gender and age for the population in private households in Canada.

Contained within the 4th Edition (1974) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the locations of occupied Indian Reserves, settlements and other communities. For each of the locations plotted, the major linguistic groups for the communities are denoted as a percentage of the total number of registered Indians in Canada as of 1969 along with the names of the Bands participating in these linguistic groups. A small supplementary map image shows the extent of major linguistic groups throughout Canada.

Contained within the 5th Edition (1978 to 1995) of the National Atlas of Canada is a map that shows distribution of Indians and Inuit using several types of symbols to represent population in 1976.

Ontario was the province with the most immigrants in 2024, with 197,657 immigrants. Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost territory, had 56 immigrants arrive in the same period. Immigration to Canada Over the past 20 years, the number of immigrants to Canada has held steady and is just about evenly split between men and women. Asian countries dominate the list of leading countries of birth for foreign-born residents of Canada, although the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy all make the list as well. Unemployment among immigrants In 2023, the unemployment rate for immigrants in Canada was highest among those who had been in the country for five years or less. The unemployment rate decreased the longer someone had been in Canada, and unemployment was lowest among those who had been in the country for more than ten years, coming more into line with the average unemployment rate for the whole of Canada.

Historical census data (2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021) on highest certificate, diploma or degree of Indigenous populations, including percentages. Provides data for the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP).

Contained within the 4th Edition (1974) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the Indian and Inuit population as a percentage of the total national population by census division as of 1961. The outmoded name Eskimo is used on this 1974 map to denote Canada's Inuit peoples. The locations and populations of Indian communities both on and off reserve is denoted along with Inuit community locations and populations as of 1961. A supplementary graph showing changes in the Indian and Inuit population for 1800 to 1969 is provided.

Contained within the 5th Edition (1978 to 1995) of the National Atlas of Canada is plate with a series of maps. The first map that shows distribution of Indian and Inuit communities; most give status (for example, Indian Reserve), area, name, and linguistic family (eleven major families representing 51 languages). Inset for southwestern British Columbia. Summary charts of Indians by status, and of Indians and Inuit by linguistic family; 1976 data. Two smaller maps: one of native culture areas of Canada, the other showing native language families from the 16th to 18th centuries.