Aboriginal Identity Population, 2006

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Abstract

According to the 2006 Census, the number of people who identified themselves as an Aboriginal person has surpassed the one-million mark, reaching 1 172 790 persons. In 2006, Aboriginal people accounted for 3.8% of the total population of Canada as enumerated in the census, up from 3.3% in 2001. This map shows the Aboriginal population as the percentage of the total population, by census division and census subdivision.

According to the 2006 Census, the number of people who identified themselves as an Aboriginal person, surpassed the one-million mark, reaching 1 172 790 persons. Their share of Canada's total population is on the rise. In 2006, Aboriginal people accounted for 3.8% of the total population of Canada enumerated in the census, up from 3.3% in 2001 and 2.8% in 1996.

Aboriginal People in the Provinces and Territories

Eight in every 10 Aboriginal people, just over 944 000, lived either in Ontario or in the four western provinces in 2006. The census enumerated 242 495 in Ontario, 196 075 in British Columbia, 188 365 in Alberta, 175 395 in Manitoba and 141 890 in Saskatchewan. An additional 108 430 lived in Quebec. Fewer than 25 000 Aboriginal people inhabited each of the other provinces and territories.

Aboriginal people made up the largest share of the population in the territories and in the Prairie Provinces. The 24 920 Aboriginal people living in Nunavut represented 85% of the territory's total population, the highest proportion in the country. Aboriginal people represented 50% of the population of the Northwest Territories and 25% in the Yukon. As for the Prairie Provinces, Aboriginal people made up 15% of the population in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with 6% in Alberta.

Aboriginal  People in Urban Areas

Many Aboriginal people live in urban areas. Urban areas include large cities, or census metropolitan areas (CMAs), and smaller urban centres, or census agglomerations(CAs). According to the 2006 Census, 623 470 Aboriginal people lived in an urban centre. Winnipeg had the highest number of Aboriginal people in 2006, 68 380, representing 10% of its total population. Edmonton, with 52 100, had the second largest number of Aboriginal people, accounting for 5% of its population. Vancouver had 40 310, representing 2% of the population.

The Daily is Statistics Canada's official release bulletin. The Daily for January 15, 2008, marked the public release of this census variable. Highlight tables allowing users to perform simple rank and sort functions with the data at various levels of geography are available for this variable here: Aboriginal Peoples Highlight Tables, 2006 Census. Technical notes for this variable can be found at Aboriginal Peoples Technical Report, 2006 Census, Catalogue number 92-569-XWE.

The text was adapted from Statistics Canada, Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in 2006: Inuit, Métis and First Nations, 2006 Census, Catalogue number 97-558-XIE2006001. Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the wide range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from the Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices, its World Wide Web site at www.statcan.gc.ca, and its toll-free access number 1-800-263-1136.