The historical growth of Canada's population is complex and has been influenced by several factors, such as indigenous populations, expansion of territory, and human migration. Being a New world country, Canada has been predisposed to be a very open society with regards to immigration, which has been the most important factor in its historical population growth.[1] Canadians make up 0.5% of the world's total population.[2]
Despite the fact that Canada's population density is quite low, many regions in the south such as Southern Ontario, have population densities higher than several European countries. The large size of Canada's north which is not arable, and thus cannot support large human populations, significantly lowers the carrying capacity. Therefore the population density of the habitable land in Canada can be modest to high depending on the region.
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The Aboriginal population in what is now Canada, during the late 15th century is estimated to have been between 200,000[3] and two million,[4] with a figure of 500,000 currently accepted by Canada's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Health.[5] Repeated outbreaks of European infectious diseases such as influenza, measles and smallpox (to which they had no natural immunity), combined with other effects of European contact, resulted in a twenty-five percent to eighty percent Aboriginal population decrease post-contact.[3] From 1605 to 1867 (prior to Canadian confederation) population counts reflected only the former colonies and settlements and not the country to be as a whole or Aboriginal nations.[6] The 1666 census of New France was the first census conducted in Canada (and indeed in North America).[7] It was organized by Jean Talon, the first Intendant of New France, between 1665 and 1666.[7] According to Talon's census there were 3,215 people in New France, comprising 538 separate families.[8] The census showed a great difference in the number of men at 2,034 versus 1,181 women.[8] New France, and subsequently the British colonies notoriously faced dwindling or stagnant population.[9]
The population has consistently risen every year since the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867; however the population of Newfoundland and Labrador had not been included in post-confederation tallies prior to its entry into confederation as Canada's tenth province in 1949.[9][10] The first national census of the country was taken in 1871, with a population count around 3,689,000.[11] The year with the least population growth (in real terms) was 1882-1883, when only 30,000 new individuals were enumerated.[10] The 1911 census was a detailed enumeration of the population showing a count of 7,206,643 individuals.[12] This was an increase of 34% over the 1901 census of 5,371,315.[13] The year with the most population growth was during the peak of the Post-World War II baby boom in 1956-1957, when the population grew by over 529,000, in a single twelve month period.[10] The Canadian baby boom defined from 1947 to 1966, saw more than 400,000 babies born.[14] The 1996 census attempted to count every person in the country, totaling a population count of 28,846,761.[15] This was a 5.7% increase over the 1991 census of 27,296,859.[15] The 2001 census had a total population count of 30,007,094.[16] In contrast, the official Statistics Canada population estimate for 2001 was 31,021,300.[17] Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897.[18] This count was lower than the official July 1, 2006 population estimate of 32,623,490 people.[18] Ninety-percent of the population growth between 2001 and 2006 was concentrated in the main metropolitan areas.[19] The 2011 census will be the fifteenth decennial census. On average, censuses have been taken every 5 years since 1905. Censuses are required to be taken at least every ten years as mandated in section 8 of the Constitution Act, 1867.[20]
Canada's current annual population growth rate is 1.238%, or a daily increase of 1,137 individuals.[10] Between 1867 and 2009 Canada's population grew by 979%.[10] It will have taken 144 years to do so. Canada had the highest net migration rate (0.61%) of all G-8 member countries between 1994 and 2004.[10] Natural growth accounts for an annual increase of 137,626 persons, at a yearly rate of 0.413%.[10] Between 2001 and 2006, there were 1,446,080 immigrants and 237,418 emigrants, resulting in a net migration of just over 1.2 million persons.[10]
Information obtained from Statistics Canada [Note 1]
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| Book: Canada | |
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