Society of Canada

KEY FACTS 2015

Population per sq km: 4

Life expectancy: 82 years

Population: 35,851,000 (2015); 81 per cent of people live in urban areas and 44 per cent in urban agglomerations of more than a million people; growth one per cent p.a. 1990–2015; birth rate 11 per 1,000 people (17 in 1970); life expectancy 82 years (73 in 1970). Population density is among the lowest in the world, but large areas are climatically hostile, and 85 per cent of Canadians live within 350 km of the US border.

The 2011 census found that about 19 per cent of people were of English origin, 15 per cent of French origin, 14 per cent of Scottish origin, 14 per cent of Irish origin and 10 per cent German. Other ethnic origins which surpassed the one million mark were Native American, Italian, Chinese, Ukrainian, East Indian, Dutch and Polish. More than 200,000 immigrants arrive each year from more than 150 countries.

Language: Official languages are English and French; English is the mother-tongue of 57 per cent and French 22 per cent (2006 census). In the prairies, the most common non-official mother tongue is German; in central Canada, Italian; in British Columbia, Chinese; in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Inuktitut; in the Yukon, the Athapaskan languages of the Dene family; and in the Atlantic region, Micmac. Canada’s aboriginal people speak some 50 languages belonging to 11 distinct linguistic families.

Religion: Some 84 per cent of people adhere to a religion: Christians 74 per cent (Roman Catholics 43 per cent, Protestants 23 per cent, Eastern Orthodox 1.6 per cent); Muslims two per cent; Jews 1.1 per cent; Hindus one per cent; Buddhists one per cent; and Sikhs 0.9 per cent.

Media: Leading daily newspapers include The Globe and Mail (Toronto, but distributed nationally), The Gazette (Montréal, in English), Le Journal de Montréal, National Post, La Presse (Montréal, in French), Toronto Star and Vancouver Sun. Maclean’s is a weekly news magazine.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation provides national, public radio and TV services in English and French, and in the indigenous languages of the northern provinces. Sociétié Radio-Canada is the national, public radio and TV provider in French. CPAC is a private, not-for-profit digital parliamentary and political channel. Numerous private radio and TV stations are licensed to broadcast.

Some 99 per cent of households have TV sets (2010). There are 944 personal computers per 1,000 people (2006).

Public holidays: y), Labour Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (second Monday in October), Remembrance Day (11 November), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most provinces have additional public holidays.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday.