Introduction
The rapidly growing Latin American Population in Canada. Latin America is a region with tremendous diversity, containing countries as diverse as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Despite this diversity, many of the most popular destinations for Canadian emigrants are in Latin America. According to StatsCan data from 2016, here are the top six provinces with the highest number of Latin Americans living in Canada:
Toronto
In Canada, Toronto has the largest Latin American population. In fact, it’s the city with the fastest growing number of Latin Americans in all of Canada. It also has more Latin American restaurants than any other city in Canada.
Montreal
Montreal is one of Canada’s most ethnically diverse cities. With a population of over 1.6 million people, more than half of whom speak French as their first language, it has a large percentage of Latin Americans living within its borders. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 50,000 Latinos living in Montreal alone!
The rapidly growing Latin American Population in Canada . Canada has been welcoming immigrants for hundreds of years; however, the multiculturalism policy was only implemented in 1971. As part of this policy (which encourages immigration with the goal to strengthen Canadian society), Quebec receives many applications every year from various ethnicities around the world — including Latinos!
Vancouver
As the Latin American population in Vancouver grows, this demographic is becoming a more significant part of the city. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear Spanish spoken on the streets of Vancouver alongside English.
The rapidly growing Latin American Population in Canada are being drawn to Vancouver for many of the same reasons that other immigrants are drawn to Canada: its multiculturalism, open borders and rich history. Also like other immigrants who have come before them, many Latin Americans have been able to start new lives in Canada with their families by bringing over their valued skills and work ethic (these qualities also make them attractive employees).
Calgary
Calgary has one of the largest populations of Latin Americans in Canada. According to a report by Statistics Canada, over 50% of Calgary’s population (just under 1 million people) identifies as being from Latin America or South America. This is nearly triple that of Toronto’s population (22%), and quadruple Montreal’s (12%).
The majority of Latin Americans living in Calgary are Mexican-Canadians (34%), followed by Colombians (18%). Venezuelans make up 10% while Puerto Ricans make up 8%.
Edmonton
In Edmonton, the population is 1.5 million and there are an estimated 25,000 Latin Americans residing in the city (or roughly 4% of its population). In fact, Edmonton has the highest percentage of people of Latin American descent in Canada.
The majority of people living in Edmonton speak a non-official language at home; this includes Spanish speakers who make up a good portion of this group (62%) according to Statistics Canada census data from 2016. There are also communities that speak Portuguese and French Creole languages as well as other Spanish dialects like Colombian or Argentinean Spanish.
Ottawa
Ottawa is home to a large population of Latin Americans. It’s no surprise, then, that many are attracted to the city for its cultural diversity and low cost of living.
Ottawa has the third-largest Latin American community in Canada after Montreal and Toronto.
Latin Americans are drawn to Ottawa because it offers them a high quality of life, coupled with a prosperous economy and low unemployment rate.
Hamilton
As a native Hamiltonian, I can confidently say that you’ll enjoy your stay here. Our city is growing rapidly, and we’ve got plenty of space to accommodate newcomers from all over Latin America. The population of Hamilton is 536,878, which makes it the fifth-largest city in Canada and one of the fastest-growing cities internationally. With such an expansive population, we’re able to offer many opportunities for employment as well as cultural experiences unlike anything else you might find elsewhere in North America. The city has been recognized by UNESCO for its role as an “international metropolis” due to its diverse culture and architecture (which includes more than 300 buildings designated as historic).
The Latin American community has been growing in Canada. It will take time to see how this community is affected by the changes due to the pandemic.
You may have heard that Latinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Canada, but did you know that they’re also the largest minority group? That’s right—they represent 18% of all immigrants to Canada between 2001 and 2016. It’s not surprising then that this demographic has been gaining traction: more than half a million people from Latin America now call Canada home.
In just under two decades, Latin Americans have gone from being an unnoticeable part of our population to forming one of its most influential populations. With this growth comes a lot of potential for change—both positive and negative impacts on our society as well as on governments’ policies toward immigration and integration. We’re only beginning to see how these changes will unfold, but it’s important for Canadians to understand what they mean now so we can prepare accordingly when things get tough later down the road.
Canada wants and will continue to welcome immigrants to Canada.
Brazil is another Latin American country with a rapidly rising population. For years, the South American country has been a rising source of new Canadian permanent residents, with a peak of 5,290 Brazilians moving to Canada last year. And Brazil appears to be on course to achieve that figure again this year.
Although the number of Brazilians becoming new Canadian permanent residents slowed in March and April, those data have since rebounded, with 560 new Brazilian permanent citizens in June, up from a low of 100 in April.
This year’s June statistic is about 11 percent more than the number of Brazilians who moved to Canada in the same month last year.
As Canadian company lockdowns ended, 1,000 Brazilians became permanent residents of Canada in the second quarter of the year, which concluded on June 30, compared to 1,380 at the same time last year.
This brings the overall number of new Canadian permanent residents from Brazil to 2,255 in the first half of this year, just slightly fewer than the 2,305 in the first half of last year. Today, an estimated 55,000 Brazilians live in Canada, both as the first generation and as descendants of Brazilians. Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia have the highest concentrations.
Conclusion
As you can see from the data, there are many reasons why Latin America has been growing in Canada. We believe that this trend will continue for some time, as there is no indication of slowing down. Although we can not predict what will happen in the future, we expect that more and more immigrants from Latin America will come to Canada. Are you wanting to be part of Canada’s mosaic of cultures? Contact us!
