Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Edmonton—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census

Part B: Who Are the Recent Immigrants?

Origin, immigration category and religion

Asian origins are prevalent among recent immigrants

Edmonton’s immigrants come from all over the world and represent a diversity of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Over the past several decades there has been a considerable change in the source countries of immigrants. In 2001, for example, there were 21,000 residents of Edmonton who had landed in Canada between 1996 and 2001. The most common country of birth for these immigrants was India, accounting for 12% of very recent immigrants, followed by China, which supplied 11% (15% if Hong Kong is included).

Among Edmonton’s earlier immigrants—those arriving in Canada before 1986—the United Kingdom and Germany were the most common countries of birth, together accounting for 25% of this group.

In general, the birth origins of Edmonton’s immigrant population vary in relation to the period of immigration. European birth origins are predominant among those who immigrated in the 1950s, the 1960s and, to a lesser extent, the 1970s, and Asian birth origins are more prevalent among those who immigrated in the 1980s and 1990s. Six of the top ten countries of birth of very recent immigrants are in Asia.

Edmonton’s share of Canada’s recent immigrants varies by country of birth

For some immigrant groups, Edmonton is a top destination. For example, of the 11,100 Fiji-born individuals who immigrated after 1985 and were living in Canada in 2001, 1,200 or 11% were living in Edmonton. Edmonton is also home to a large share of recent immigrants from Malaysia, Viet Nam and El Salvador. On average, 2.6% of recent immigrants chose Edmonton as their place of residence.

Note: Table B-2 lists all countries that are the place of birth of at least 10,000 recent immigrants living in Canada in 2001, with Edmonton’s share being 1% or more.

Many economic immigrants among very recent immigrants

Statistics published by Citizenship and Immigration Canada show that the number of immigrants who reported Edmonton as their destination when they landed in Canada increased by 5,500 between the second half of the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s and decreased by 14,800 in the second half of the 1990s. The decline was concentrated in the family and refugee classes. Over one-half of very recent immigrants destined for Edmonton entered through the economic category.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Facts and Figures, 2002 (data set).

Note: The 2001 Census did not ask immigrants about the immigration categories through which they were admitted to Canada. The information in Table B-3 was obtained from records at Citizenship and Immigration Canada and pertains to the time of landing. Immigration categories are described in the Glossary.

Within the family class, the number of sponsored spouses increased over the three five-year periods, and in the latest 1996-2000 period amounted to more than one-half of this category. The number of other relatives—parents and grandparents, sons and daughters and fiancés—fell sharply from about 9,000 during the 1991-1995 period to 3,000 during the 1996-2000 period.

As for refugees, both government-assisted and privately-sponsored refugees declined in number. Almost four thousand government-assisted refugees were destined to Edmonton when they landed during the 1986-1990 period, but only one-half that number were destined to Edmonton during the next five years. Only 300 privately-sponsored refugees entered in the second half of the 1990s, a small fraction of the 4,300 that entered in the second half of the 1980s.

Skilled workers and their dependants account for the lion’s share of economic immigrants, and there was a steady flow of new entrants in this category destined for Edmonton throughout the 1986-2000 period.

Religions changing with countries of origin

Recent immigrants have brought to Edmonton several religions that were virtually absent before 1986. While nearly one-half of very recent immigrants are Christians, the shares adhering to the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths are higher than among earlier immigrants. Buddhists make up a small share of very recent immigrants. Among the Canadian-born, none of these four non-Christian religions claims the allegiance of more than 1% of the population.

Note: Religions are listed in order of their share of the population of Canada, from highest to lowest, with Christian religions grouped together.

Roman Catholics account for a large proportion of both the Canadian-born and immigrant populations. Close to four in ten Canadian-born are Protestant, with the United Church having the largest following among the major Protestant churches, accounting for 13% of the Canadian-born population. Only 2% of recent immigrants are affiliated with the United Church.

Age and gender

One-half of recent immigrants are adults 25 to 44 years old

The age distribution of the recent immigrant population is markedly different from that of the Canadian-born population, with a larger proportion aged 25 to 44, and proportionally fewer children under 15 years of age. In 2001, nearly one-half of recent immigrants living in Edmonton were between the ages of 25 and 44, compared to three-tenths of Canadian-born individuals in this age range. Children under 15 years of age accounted for just 14% of the recent immigrant population compared with 24% of the Canadian-born population.

These differences in age structure are to a large degree a result of how we define immigrants and the Canadian-born. The immigrant population grows older like the Canadian population but does not renew itself in the same way, as children born in Canada to immigrants are not considered immigrants. Thus, there are no persons under 15 years of age among immigrants who landed before 1986, and the older age groups are over-represented among these earlier immigrants. By the same token, the share of children among the Canadian-born is large as it includes children born to immigrant parents.

The age structure of very recent immigrants closely resembles age at arrival. Immigrants tend to arrive in Canada during their prime working-age years. This was the case among immigrants who landed more than 30 years ago, and it is still the case today. It is therefore not surprising that a large share of very recent immigrants were in the 25 to 44 age group.

Many of the characteristics and circumstances described in this profile vary with age. Differences between immigrants or groups of immigrants and the Canadian-born often are at least in part a reflection of differences in the age structure.

Figure B-1: Immigrants by period of immigration and Canadian-born, by age, Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)

More women than men

The proportion of women in the recent immigrant population in Edmonton is similar to but, at 53% to 54%, slightly higher than that of the Canadian-born population. More than 65% of recent immigrants from the Philippines, China and Viet Nam are women, but the number of immigrants from these countries is relatively small.

There are 4,700 more women than men among the 65,200 recent immigrants in Edmonton. The number of women is particularly high among recent immigrants from the Philippines (1,800 more women than men out of 7,000 recent immigrants) and China (500 more women than men out of 6,000 recent immigrants).

As women on average live longer than men, they make up a large share of persons aged 65 years and over. But the higher proportion of women among recent immigrants is not related to age. For instance, almost two-thirds of recent immigrants aged 25 to 44 from the Philippines are women. Some of them have obtained permanent resident status after a period of employment as live-in caregivers.

At the opposite end of the spectrum of the gender mix are Pakistan, Lebanon and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fifty-four percent or more of recent immigrants from these countries are men. Men outnumber women by 100 among recent immigrants from Lebanon, and by 80 in the case of Pakistan.

The gender balance, by country of origin, has not changed greatly since 1996.

Language and education

Nine in ten very recent immigrants speak English or French

A large majority of Edmonton’s immigrants 15 years of age and over reported being able to carry on a conversation in at least one of Canada’s two official languages. Even among very recent immigrants, nine in ten (93% of men and 89% of women) reported being able to speak an official language in May 2001. Knowledge of official languages is somewhat more widespread among those who immigrated in earlier periods: 91% of those arriving between 1986 and 1995 and 96% of those arriving before 1986 indicated that they were able to speak an official language.

The proportion of Edmonton’s immigrants able to carry on a conversation in English or French decreases with age. Among immigrants under age 45 who landed in Canada between 1996 and 2001, almost all are able to speak an official language. Among those aged 45 to 64, however, the percentage that can speak English or French falls, and more so for women than men. For both men and women, seniors aged 65 and over are least likely to have conversational ability in English or French.

Ability to converse in either or both official languages has improved with the very recent immigrant cohort: 5% more men and 6% more women had this ability in 2001 compared to a similar cohort (those who landed within the five years prior to the census) in 1996. This may reflect changes in countries of origin, the increase in the share of economic immigrants and perhaps also greater awareness among immigrants of the need to speak Canada’s languages before and after arrival.

Three in five very recent immigrants speak a foreign language at home

For the majority of Edmonton’s recent immigrants, the language spoken most often at home is one other than English or French. Six in ten immigrants who landed between 1996 and 2001 most often speak a foreign language in their homes.

The use of foreign languages is also high among other immigrant cohorts. Over one-half of those who immigrated between 1986 and 1995 and one in four of those who immigrated prior to 1986 most often spoke a foreign language at home.

Figure B-2: Immigrants by period of immigration—15 years of age and over —use of a foreign language at home, Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)

The use of foreign languages in the home among very recent immigrant was not as high in 2001 as in 1996, when fully two-thirds of the very recent immigrant cohort reported use of a foreign language in the home. Of those who had lived in Canada from 5 to 15 years, the share using a foreign language in the home was the same in 2001 as in 1996.

Many university degrees among very recent immigrants

The share of immigrants with a minimal education is three times as large as the share of the Canadian-born with a minimal education. The Canadian-born are more likely than immigrants to have some high school or to have completed college or a trade diploma. Very recent immigrants, however, boast a large number of university graduates—twice as large a share as among the Canadian-born. This high proportion of university graduates is most likely a result of immigrant selection policy, which places a large emphasis on education for immigrants in the economic category.

When education levels are compared by age group, the younger generation has a much higher level of education than older groups, whether born inside or outside Canada. Three in five Canadian-born persons under 45 years of age have a post-secondary diploma or degree, compared to two in five men and three in ten women over 65 years of age. A similar difference in educational qualifications is observed among immigrants.

Three-quarters of men aged 25-44 who immigrated during the 1996-2001 period have a post-secondary diploma or degree, compared to 58% of Canadian-born men. Two-thirds of very recent immigrant women in the same age group have a post-secondary diploma or degree, also surpassing their Canadian-born contemporaries.

In 1996, immigrant men who had landed in the five years prior to the census were not as well educated as very recent immigrant men in 2001.

Recent immigrants add to Edmonton’s pool of scientists and engineers

Nearly two out of every three men who immigrated after 1985 and have a post-secondary diploma or degree majored in physical sciences, engineering or trades. This compares to three out of five Canadian-born men. Among women with a post-secondary diploma or degree, three in ten very recent immigrants have studied some physical science or technology, compared to one in ten Canadian-born women.

By contrast, recent immigrants are represented in smaller proportions than the Canadian-born in the social sciences, education and the arts and, in the case of women, in commerce, management and business administration.

The educational choices of immigrants, recent immigrants and the Canadian-born remain much the same in 2001 as in 1996.

Recent immigrants more likely to attend school

Very recent immigrants are relatively likely to be in school. School attendance is at least twice as high for this group as for the Canadian-born, in both the 25-44 and 45-64 age groups.

School attendance, of course, is much higher in the youngest age group, persons of 15 to 24 years of age, than in older age groups. Here we find a higher rate of attendance among very recent immigrant men than among the Canadian-born, and about the same rates for immigrant and Canadian-born women. The latter is just as noteworthy as the former, as educational participation of young Canadian-born women is very high by international standards.

School attendance is also high among young earlier immigrants. For this group, language is not likely to be an issue, since they landed as young children. By and large, school attendance rates were similar to those in 1996.

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