Growth rate faster than that of non-aboriginals in Canada
Canada’s aboriginal population could number more than two million people by 2031, up from about 1.3 million in 2006, according to Statistics Canada projections published on Wednesday. With an annual rate of growth between 1.1 per cent and 2.2 per cent, the aboriginal population will continue expanding faster than the non-aboriginal population, the report finds. By 2031, there will be between 1.7 and 2.2 million aboriginals in Canada. That will translate to roughly 5 per cent of the Canadian population. The report comes amidst the ongoing housing crisis in the northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat, where much of the aboriginal population is living in dilapidated shacks and unheated tents.