Canadians

Canadians

National flag of Canada
Total population
Canada: 41,465,298 (Q4 2024)[1] Ethnic origins:[2][3] White (69.8%) South Asian (7.1%) Indigenous (5%) Chinese (4.7%) Black (4.3%) Arab (1.9%) Latin American (1.6%) Southeast Asian (1.1%) West Asian (1%) Korean (0.6%) Japanese (0.3%) Multiracial/Other (3.2%) 2021 census: Overall total is greater than 100% due to multiple visible minority, population group, and Indigenous responses.[4]
Regions with significant populations
Map of the Canadian diaspora in the world
United States	1,062,640[5]
Hong Kong	300,000[5]
United Kingdom	73,000[5]
France	60,000[6]
Lebanon	45,000[5]
United Arab Emirates	40,000[7]
Italy	30,000[8]
Pakistan	30,000[9]
Australia	27,289[5]
China	19,990[5]
Germany	15,750[10]
South Korea	14,210[5]
Japan	11,016[5]
Languages
Languages of Canada[11] 54.9% English 19.6% French 3.5% Chinese 1.8% Punjabi 1.5% Spanish 1.4% Arabic 1.3% Tagalog 0.9% Italian 0.7% German 0.7% Portuguese
Religion
Religions of Canada[11] 53.3% Christian[a] 4.9% Muslim 2.3% Hindu 2.1% Sikh 1.0% Buddhist 0.9% Jewish 0.2% Indigenous spirituality 0.6% Other (34.6% No religion)

Canadians (French: Canadiens) are the citizens and nationals of Canada. Canada is home to people of many racial and ethnic origins. All citizens of Canada are classified as "Canadians" as defined by Canada's nationality laws. The majority of Canadians identify as White, making up approximately 69.8% of the population as of 2021. The largest visible minority groups include South Asian (7.1%), Chinese (4.7%), and Black (4.3%). Indigenous peoples, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, account for about 5% of the population. Other significant groups include Filipinos, Arabs, and Latin Americans, with each community contributing to the rich tapestry of Canada's cultural landscape. Canada has one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world

Canada is a multilingual and multicultural society home to people of groups of many different ethnic, religious, and national origins, with the majority of the population made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. Following the initial period of French and then the much larger British colonization, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-indigenous peoples took place over the course of nearly two centuries and continue today. Elements of Indigenous, French, British, and more recent immigrant customs, languages, and religions have combined to form the culture of Canada, and thus a Canadian identity. Canada has also been strongly influenced by its linguistic, geographic, and economic neighbour—the United States.

Canadian independence from the United Kingdom grew gradually over the course of many years following the formation of the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The First and Second World Wars, in particular, gave rise to a desire among Canadians to have their country recognized as a fully-fledged, sovereign state, with a distinct citizenship. Legislative independence was established with the passage of the Statute of Westminster, 1931, the Canadian Citizenship Act, 1946, took effect on January 1, 1947, and full sovereignty was achieved with the patriation of the constitution in 1982. Canada's nationality law closely mirrored that of the United Kingdom. Legislation since the mid-20th century represents Canadians' commitment to multilateralism and socioeconomic development.

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