Canada’s Indigenous population is young, but getting older
New census data shows that Indigenous populations in Canada have grown four times as fast as non-aboriginal populations. While Indigenous populations tend to be younger than non-aboriginal Canadians (32.1-years-old compared to 42.9, respectively), the proportion of people aged 65 and older is larger than before. In 2016, more than seven per cent of the indigenous population was 65 or…
British Columbia players protect the ball during women’s lacrosse action against Ontario, during the North American Indigenous Games at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagerville, Ontario, on Monday, July 17, 2017. (Chris Young/CP)
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New census data shows that Indigenous populations in Canada have grown four times as fast as non-aboriginal populations.
While Indigenous populations tend to be younger than non-aboriginal Canadians (32.1-years-old compared to 42.9, respectively), the proportion of people aged 65 and older is larger than before. In 2016, more than seven per cent of the indigenous population was 65 or older, up from 4.8 per cent a decade earlier.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations have a higher proportion of young people compared to the non-aboriginal population. Statistics Canada projects that the proportion of people 65 and older in the First Nations, Métis and Inuit could more than double in the next two decades.
In 2016, there were 1,673,785 Indigenous people in Canada—nearly five per cent of the population.
Two main factors account for the growth: increased life expectancy and high fertility rates, as well as changes in the way people self-identify on the census.
READ: How ‘race-shifting’ explains the surge in the number of Métis in Eastern Canada
Here’s a look at how the populations break down and compare:
