Immigrant Population

Definition

Immigrant Population refers to the proportion of the total population living within a defined area who were not Canadian citizens at birth.

According to Statistics Canada, the term “Immigrant” refers to a person who is or who has ever been a landed immigrant or permanent resident. This refers to someone who has been granted the right to live in Canada by immigration authorities, either through permanent residency status or citizenship but who was not a Canadian citizen at birth (Statistics Canada, 2017a).

Why This Matters

Immigration has long played an important role in Winnipeg’s growth and prosperity. Immigration data helps government understand how these diverse populations bring new opportunities and culture to Winnipeg and identify what services they might require. Immigration is a main driver of population growth in Winnipeg, and an important source of labour force growth. International immigration will continue to be a major source of labour force growth and will help mitigate concerns about potential labour shortages for Manitoba (Conference Board of Canada, 2018).

A Conference Board of Canada report suggests that without immigration, the Canadian economy would experience a shrinking labour force, weak economic growth and greater challenges to funding social services such as health care and social programs. It is important to keep track of immigration data as Winnipeg becomes an increasingly diverse city.

Measurements and Limitations

Some indicators use differently defined areas or boundaries. This is why different population and population estimates are available. The population presented in these indicators are based on the Statistics Canada Census of the Population, Winnipeg (City). Other population or per-capita based indicators reported in Peg come from the City of Winnipeg’s economic and demographic information (City of Winnipeg, 2018).

Data Source

Statistics Canada. 2022. (table). Census Profile. 2021 Census of Population. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2021001. Ottawa. Released December 15, 2022.

Statistics Canada. 2017. Canada [Country] and Canada [Country] (table). Census Profile. 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001. Ottawa. Released November 29, 2017.

Statistics Canada. 2013. Canada (Code 01) (table). National Household Survey (NHS) Profile. 2011 National Household Survey. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 99-004-XWE. Ottawa. Released September 11, 2013.

Statistics Canada. 2007. Canada (Code01) (table). 2006 Community Profiles. 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE. Ottawa. Released March 13, 2007.

Data is updated on Peg as it becomes available from the data providers.

References

Statistics Canada (2017a). Dictionary, Census of Population, 2016: Immigrant. Retrieved from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/ref/dict/pop221-eng.cfm

City of Winnipeg (2018). Economic and Demographic Information. Retrieved from https://winnipeg.ca/interhom/Business/EconoDemo.stm

Conference Board of Canada (2018). Canada 2040: No Immigration versus More Immigration. Retrieved from https://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=9678

Conference Board of Canada (2017). Maximizing Manitoba’s Potential: Manitoba Research Centre. Retrieved from https://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=8458

Manitoba Immigration Facts Report (2016). Retrieved from https://www.immigratemanitoba.com/facts-report-2016/#01