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Estimated Population of British Columbia (2005): 4,254,500
Percentage of National Population: 13.2%
Population Growth Rate: 4.9%
See Also: Demographics of Canada
Vital Statistics
Birth rate: 9.7 births p/1,000 http://www.sightline.org/press/releases/rel_pop_reprieve_jul03_bc (Canadian Average = ~11)
Death rate: ?
Infant mortality rate: 4.0 deaths p/1,000 live births http://www.chspr.ubc.ca/files/publications/2004/chspr04-12/Infantmortality.pdf
Life expectancy at Birth: 81.12 years http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/DATA/pop/vital/exp0_bc.csv
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born p/woman http://www.sightline.org/press/releases/rel_pop_reprieve_jul03_nw (Canadian Average = 1.61)
Population of British Columbia since 1851
| Year | Population | Five Year % change | Ten Year % change | Rank Among Provinces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | 55,000 | n/a | n/a | 6 |
| 1861 | 51.524 | n/a | -6.3 | 6 |
| 1871 | 36,247 | n/a | -29.7 | 7 |
| 1881 | 49,459 | n/a | 36.4 | 8 |
| 1891 | 98,173 | n/a | 98.5 | 8 |
| 1901 | 178,657 | n/a | 82.0 | 6 |
| 1911 | 392,480 | n/a | 119.7 | 6 |
| 1921 | 524,582 | n/a | 33.7 | 6 |
| 1931 | 694,263 | n/a | 32.3 | 6 |
| 1941 | 817,861 | n/a | 17.8 | 6 |
| 1951 | 1,165,210 | n/a | 42.5 | 3 |
| 1956 | 1,398,464 | 20.0 | n/a | 3 |
| 1961 | 1,629,082 | 16.5 | 39.8 | 3 |
| 1966 | 1,873,674 | 15.0 | 34.0 | 3 |
| 1971 | 2,184,620 | 16.6 | 34.1 | 3 |
| 1976 | 2,466,610 | 12.9 | 31.6 | 3 |
| 1981 | 2,744,467 | 11.3 | 25.6 | 3 |
| 1986 | 2,883,370 | 5.1 | 16.9 | 3 |
| 1991 | 3,282,061 | 13.8 | 19.6 | 3 |
| 1996 | 3,724,500 | 13.5 | 29.2 | 3 |
| 2001 | 3,907,738 | 4.9 | 19.1 | 3 |
Age Structure
| Males | Females | |||
| Age Group |
Number | Per cent | Number | Per cent |
| 0-4 | 105,808 | 2.4% | 100,116 | 2.2% |
| 5-9 | 117,909 | 2.8% | 111,383 | 2.6% |
| 10-14 | 133,809 | 3.1%% | 126,388 | 3.0% |
| 15-19 | 143,449 | 3.4% | 136,227 | 3.2% |
| 20-24 | 155,369 | 3.7% | 147,770 | 3.5% |
| 25-29 | 139,521 | 3.3% | 138,299 | 3.3% |
| 30-34 | 144,788 | 3.4% | 145,869 | 3.4% |
| 35-39 | 155,429 | 3.7% | 158364 | 3.7% |
| 40-44 | 177,381 | 4.2% | 179,216 | 4.2% |
| 45-49 | 172,786 | 4.1% | 177,082 | 4.2% |
| 50-54 | 157,596 | 3.7% | 159,965 | 3.8% |
| 55-59 | 138,096 | 3.2% | 139,772 | 3.3% |
| 60-64 | 101,610 | 2.4% | 103,764 | 2.4% |
| 65-69 | 80,051 | 1.9% | 82,363 | 1.9% |
| 70-74 | 70,060 | 1.6% | 72,493 | 1.7% |
| 75-79 | 54,572 | 1.3% | 64,344 | 1.5% |
| 80-84 | 36,304 | 0.8% | 53,047 | 1.2% |
| 85+ | 24,544 | 0.6% | 48,978 | 1.1% |
| Totals | 2,109,082 | 49.6% | 2,145,440 | 50.4% |
- Source: BC Stats http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/pop/pop/dynamic/PopulationStatistics/Query.asp?category=Health&type=HA&topic=Estimates&agegrouptype=Standard&subtype=®ion=0&year=2005&agegroup=5-year&gender=a&rowsperpage=50000&output=file
Ethnicity
Note: The following statistics represent both single (e.g., "German") and multiple (e.g., "part Chinese, part English") responses to the 2001 Census, and thus do not add up to 100%. Note that "Canadian" is not considered to be an ethnic origin.
| Ethnic Origin | Population | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| English | 1,144,335 | 25.58% |
| Canadian | 939,460 | 24.28% |
| Scottish | 748,905 | 19.36% |
| Irish | 562,895 | 14.55% |
| German | 500,675 | 12.94% |
| Chinese | 373,830 | 9.66% |
| French | 331,535 | 8.57% |
| East Indian | 183,650 | 4.75% |
| Dutch (Netherlands) | 180,635 | 4.67% |
| Ukrainian | 178,880 | 4.62% |
| North American Indian | 175,085 | 4.53% |
| Italian | 126,420 | 3.27% |
| Norwegian | 112,045 | 2.90% |
| Polish | 107,340 | 2.77% |
| Swedish | 89,630 | 2.32% |
| Welsh | 86,710 | 2.24% |
| Russian | 86,110 | 2.23% |
| Filipino | 69,345 | 1.79% |
| American (USA) | 59,075 | 1.53% |
| Danish | 49,685 | 1.28% |
| Métis | 45,455 | 1.17% |
| Hungarian (Magyar) | 43,515 | 1.12% |
Ethnic Groups
British Columbia has a very diverse ethnic population, with a large number of immigrants having lived in the province for 30 years or less. Asians are by far the largest visible minority demographic, with many of the Lower Mainland's large cities having sizeable Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Korean communities. The East Indian population is also considerable, especially in Surrey and South Vancouver.Also present in large numbers relative to other cities in Canada (except Toronto), and ever since the province was first settled (unlike Toronto), are many European ethnicities of the first and second generation, notably Germans, Scandinavians, Yugoslavs and Italians; third-generation Europeans are generally of mixed lineage, and traditionally intermarried with Asian or other non-European ethnicities more than in any other Canadian province. First-generation Britons remain a strong component of local society despite limitations on immigration from Britain since the ending of special status for British subjects in the 1960s.
The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g. "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian".) Groups with greater than 40,000 responses are included.
- Further information: Statistics Canada. "British Columbia ethno-cultural profile"Statistics Canada. "British Columbia ethno-cultural profile"
Religions
| Population by religion, Canada and BC (2001 Census) | Canada | B.C. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | % | number | % | |
| Total population | 29,639,035 | 3,868,875 | ||
| No religious affiliation | 4,900,090 | 17% | 1,388,300 | 36% |
| Protestant | 8,654,850 | 29% | 1,213,295 | 31% |
| Catholic | 12,936,905 | 44% | 675,320 | 17% |
| Christian not included elsewhere | 780,450 | 3% | 200,345 | 5% |
| Sikh | 278,410 | 1% | 135,310 | 3% |
| Buddhist | 300,345 | 1% | 85,540 | 2% |
| Muslim | 579,640 | 2% | 56,220 | 1% |
| Christian Orthodox | 479,620 | 2% | 35,655 | 1% |
| Hindu | 297,200 | 1% | 31,500 | 1% |
| Jewish | 329,995 | 1% | 21,230 | 1% |
| Eastern religions | 37,550 | 0% | 9,970 | 0% |
| Other religions | 63,975 | 0% | 16,205 | 0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo30c.htm | ||||
Languages
| Language(s) first learned and still understood | Total | % | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Only | 2,825,780 | 73.03% | 1,403,230 | 1,422,545 |
| French Only | 54,405 | 1.41% | 27,340 | 27,060 |
| Both English and French | 6,784 | 0.18% | 3,360 | 3,452 |
| Other Languages | 981,910 | 25.38% | 470,145 | 511,765 |
| Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census | ||||
Literacy
References
"Demographics of British Columbia"