LIVING IN CANADA
-- THEME 2: WHO WE ARE, AN OVERVIEW
Page |1
Why study a country's population?
Demography
is the study of human population. Knowledge of demography is useful in
understanding the geography of Canada and other countries. Demographers
study four
characteristics of a population:
~ population numbers
: How many people are there?
~ population distribution
: Where are the people and why do they live there?
~ population trends
: How has the population changed over time?
~ population issues
: What problems arise related to the population of an area?
Where do demographers get their information?
Statistics (or Stats) Canada is the government agency responsible for collecting information about
Canada's population and all aspects of Canadian life. Every __________ years, Statistics Canada
takes what is called a census
. The last census - 2011; the next - 2016
. Every
household receives a census questionnaire and is asked to complete the questionnaire, which is then
collected & the results tabulated/ analyzed. The census provides a detailed collection of facts about
people in Canada. The results "paint a picture
" of Canada at a moment in history. People
are asked questions about their age, gender, marital status, education, employment, income, ethnic
origin, language & other subjects.
Who uses this information?
Governments, businesses and industries, social organizations, and countless other agencies make use
of census information. For example:
1. Planners
& government officials use census data to plan
services such as
roads
, hospitals
2. Businesses
, retirement homes
, and recreational facilities.
& industries use census data to help plan the location
of new retail
or manufacturing sites.
3. Social service
agencies use census data to determine the need
daycare
facilities or subsidized housing
for new
.
4. Educators use census data to plan post-secondary & adult education programs. School boards
use population figures to project school enrolment
special
programs
5. The media
up as background
and the need for
and to plan for new school
construction.
use census data on income, housing, education, language, & family make
for articles & news broadcasts
.
LIVING IN CANADA
-- THEME 2: WHO WE ARE, AN OVERVIEW
Page |2
BY THE NUMBERS --What do the census numbers tell us about Canada's population?
The size & structure of Canada's population are the result of many factors. Population statistics tell us
about those factors. What do we learn when we study Canada's population statistics?
1. We're Having Fewer Babies
Canada will experience slow
, natural population growth and an aging
This is due to a decline
are living longer
in the birth rate
population.
and the fact that people
. The most important demographic development in Canada was the
increase in births that took place after the Second World War: the baby boom era (1946-1966).
This Baby Boom was only a temporary shift from the long-term decline in births. In 1966, the birth
rate was 19 births per 1000 people, compared with 28 births per 1000 people in 1956. The number of
births continued to drop, reaching 11 births per 1000 people in 2001. According to infant mortality
statistics, our babies also have a much better chance of survival. Few
er babies are dying
.
2. We're Living Longer
As in other industrialized countries, Canada's death rate
due to improved quality of life and health care
has decline
d considerably
. In 2001 there were 7.1 deaths per 1000
people, down from 9.9 in 1946. Canadian life expectancy
has also increased
.
In 2005, a baby boy was expected to live to age 77 and a baby girl to age 84. Compare this with 66
years for boys and 71 years for girls in 1951.
3. Natural Increase Is Falling
Is a major factor in population growth. In 1960, 88% of the population growth was attributable to
natural increase
. However, since the end of the baby boom in 1966, the long-
term trend of natural growth has been downward. If births remain at the current level, natural growth
will actually decline
.
4. Immigration Will Be Key in the Future
The role of immigration
has become increasingly important in the face of
declining natural increase. In 2002, 256 000 people were added to Canada's population through net
migration. As natural increase is expected to decline in the future, net migration
will
play an even more important role in population growth. Demographers expect that net migration will
overtake the natural increase. By 2030, when natural increase is projected to reach zero, immigration
will be Canada's only source of population growth.