The population of Canada was 28,847,566 at the time of the latest census in 1996, compared to 27.3 million in 1991. The growth rate from 1991 to 1996 was 1.15 % per year; this is the fourth highest rate among the 27 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which corresponds roughly to the most developed industrial countries of the world. Half of this growth is due to immigration. Canada’s liberal immigration program accepts newcomers from nearly every other nation in the world. The around population in 2001 was 31,592,805.

About one-half of Canadians descend from one of the two founding nations, Britain or France. At the time of the first census of Canada (1871), about 50 % of the population was British and 30 % French. Since that time the proportion of Canadians of British and French origin has dropped to about 26 % each. Immigrant groups tend to retain their cultural identity in Canada largely because they have tended to settle in colonies. For example, Ukrainians have been attracted to the prairies, where the land and climate are similar to their homeland, and many Dutch have settled on the flat fertile farmland of southwestern Ontario, where they practice fruit and vegetable growing as they did in The Netherlands. Many Chinese, Portuguese, Greeks, and Italians have settled in specific sections of large cities, particularly Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Population (2002 census): 31.4 million. Ethnic groups: Anglophone 27%, Francophone 24%, other European 16%, Asian/Arab/African 7%, indigenous Amerindian 2%, mixed background 24%. Religions: Roman Catholic 44.6%, Protestant 29.4%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, other 4.2%. Languages: English, French. Education: Literacy--99% of population aged 15 and over has at least a ninth-grade education. Health: Infant mortality rate--5.2/1,000. Life expectancy—77.1 yrs. male, 82.2 yrs. female. Work force-15.4 million: Goods-producing sector: 25%, of which: Manufacturing 15%; construction 6%; agriculture 2%; natural resources 2%; utilities 1%. Service-producing sector: 75%, of which: trade 17%; health care and social assistance 10%; educational services 7%, accommodation and food services 7%; professional, scientific, and technical services 5%; finance 6%; public administration 5%; transportation and warehousing 5%; information, culture, and recreation 4%; other services 5 %; management, administrative and other support 5%.