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

Part B: Who Are the Recent Immigrants?

Origin, immigration category and religion

Countries of origin changing

Hamilton’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 18,700 residents of Hamilton who had landed in Canada between 1996 and 2001. The most common country of birth for these immigrants was Yugoslavia, accounting for 9%, closely followed by China which supplied 8%. The ten most common countries of birth, accounting as a whole for 53% of very recent immigrants, were Yugoslavia, China, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Philippines, Croatia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Among Hamilton’s earlier immigrants—those arriving in Canada before 1986—the United Kingdom and Italy were the most common countries of birth, accounting for 44% of this group.

In general, the birth origins of Hamilton’s immigrant population vary in relation to the period of immigration. European birth origins are predominant among those who immigrated in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and Asian birth origins are more prevalent among those who immigrated in the 1990s.

A preferred destination for immigrants from the former Yugoslavia

For some immigrant groups, Hamilton is a top destination. For example, of the 11,400 Croatian-born individuals who immigrated since 1986 and were living in Canada in 2001, 1,500 or 13.2% were living in Hamilton. Hamilton is also home to a large share of recent immigrants from Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Iraq.

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 Hamilton’s share being 1% or more.

On average, 2.1% of Canada’s recent immigrant population have chosen Hamilton as their place of residence. This is also the share of the Canadian-born population that makes Hamilton its residence. Hamilton is home to a larger share of Canada’s earlier immigrants, and it has 2.8% of all immigrants.

Large numbers of economic immigrants

Statistics published by Citizenship and Immigration Canada show that the number of immigrants who reported Hamilton as their destination when they landed in Canada increased by 1,900 between the second half of the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s and decreased by 4,500 in the second half of the 1990s. The decline was concentrated in the family class. More than two-fifths of very recent immigrants destined for Hamilton 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 spouses showed little change 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 from about 4,400 during the 1991-1995 period to 2,100 during the 1996-2000 period.

As for refugees, both government-assisted and privately-sponsored refugees became much less numerous. Seventeen hundred government-sponsored refugees were destined to Hamilton during the 1986-1990 period, but only a small fraction of that number listed Hamilton as their destination during the next five years. Only 900 privately-sponsored refugees entered in the second half of the 1990s, less than one-third of the 3,000 that entered in the second half of the 1980s. The other refugee categories, asylum seekers and dependants abroad, increased from negligible size to account for one-half of refugees entering in the 1996-2000 period.

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

Religions changing with countries of origin

Recent immigrants have brought to Hamilton several religions that were virtually absent before 1986. Nearly one-quarter of very recent immigrants are Muslims, followed closely by Roman Catholics. This is in contrast to those who immigrated before 1986, among whom Roman Catholics accounted for over two-fifths and Muslims for only 1%. Those adhering to Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu faiths jointly make up 9% of very recent immigrants. Among the Canadian-born, the Muslim religion claims the allegiance of only 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.

Age and gender

Close to one-half of recent immigrants are young adults

The age distribution of the recent immigrant population (those landing between 1986 and 2001) is markedly different from that of the Canadian-born population, with a larger proportion aged 25 to 44 and proportionally fewer seniors among recent immigrants. In 2001, nearly one-half of recent immigrants living in Hamilton were between the ages of 25 and 44, compared to three-tenths of Canadian-born individuals. Seniors accounted for just 4% of the recent immigrant population compared with 10% of the Canadian-born.

The relatively large proportion of children among very recent immigrants is particularly notable given 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 in Canada to immigrant parents.

The age structure of very recent immigrants closely resembles age at landing. 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, Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage distribution)

More women than men

The proportion of women in the recent immigrant population in Hamilton is similar to but, at 52%, slightly higher than that of the Canadian-born population. More than 58% of recent immigrants from the Philippines, Viet Nam and the United States are women.

There are 2,000 more women than men among the 51,100 recent immigrants in Hamilton. The number of women is particularly high among recent immigrants from the Philippines (600 more women than men out of 2,400 recent immigrants) and Viet Nam (300 more women than men out of 1,700 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, about two-thirds of recent immigrants aged 25 to 64 from the Philippines are women. Some of these have obtained permanent resident status after a period of employment as live-in caregivers.

At the opposite end of the spectrum of gender mix are Yugoslavia and South Korea. Fifty-five percent of recent immigrants from these countries are men. Men outnumber women by 300 among recent immigrants from Yugoslavia and by 90 in the case of South Korea. The gender balance, by country of origin, has not changed greatly since 1996.

Language and education

Almost nine in ten very recent immigrants speak English or French

A large majority of Hamilton’s immigrants 15 years of age and over report being able to carry on a conversation in at least one of Canada’s two official languages. Even among very recent immigrants, who landed in Canada from 1996 to 2001, nine out of ten reported being able to speak an official language in May 2001. One in ten of these very recent immigrants could not speak either official language. Knowledge of official languages is somewhat more widespread among those who immigrated in earlier periods: 94% 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 Hamilton’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 slightly, and more so for women than men. Seniors aged 65 and over are least likely to have conversational ability in English or French, more so for men than women.

Ability to converse in either or both official languages has remained the same for the very recent immigrant cohort in the 2001 Census compared to the comparable cohort in the 1996 Census (those who landed between 1991 and 1996).

Seven in ten very recent immigrants speak a foreign language at home

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

The use of a foreign language is also high among other immigrant cohorts. Over one-half of those who immigrated between 1986 and 1995 and close to 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, Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)

The use of foreign languages in the home was more common in 2001 than in 1996, for a given length of stay in Canada. Of very recent immigrants in 1996, 64% reported use of a foreign language in the home. Among those who had lived in Canada from 5 to 15 years, 53% commonly used a foreign language in 2001, compared to 46% in 1996.

Many university graduates among very recent immigrants

The share of immigrants with a minimal education is four to five 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. Very recent immigrants, however, boast a large number of university graduates. The high proportion of university graduates is most probably 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 one in three men over 65 years of age and one in four women over 65 years of age. A similar intergenerational difference in educational qualifications is observed among immigrants.

Almost seven in ten men aged 25-44 who immigrated during the 1996-2001 period have a post-secondary diploma or degree, compared to less than six in ten Canadian-born men. The women’s shares are three-fifths, showing that the very recent immigrant cohort has closed the gap with the Canadian-born.

As for persons 45 years of age and over, the education level of very recent immigrant men is higher than that of Canadian-born men, while women in the very recent immigrant cohort have less schooling than their Canadian-born counterparts.

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

Two-thirds of men who immigrated after 1985 and have a post-secondary diploma or degree majored in physical sciences, engineering or trades. This compares to slightly more than one-half of Canadian-born men. Among women with a post-secondary diploma or degree, more than one in five recent immigrants have studied some physical science, engineering and trades, compared to one in ten Canadian-born women with similar education levels.

Recent immigrants are represented in smaller proportions than the Canadian-born in the social sciences, education and the arts (taken as a group) and in commerce, management and business administration (taken as a group). The share of health professionals among very recently immigrated men is higher than among their Canadian-born counterparts. The educational choices of very recent immigrants are much the same 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 among very recent immigrants as among 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, also, we find a higher rate for men and women who immigrated very recently than for the Canadian-born. The high rate for immigrant women relative to the Canadian-born is particularly noteworthy, as educational participation of young Canadian-born women is very high by international standards. School attendance is also high among young earlier immigrants.

By and large, school attendance rates for all groups were similar to those in 1996.

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