World Values Survey (Canada) Immigrant and native born respondent comparisons
1. Basic demographics
According to the 2001 Census, 18.6 percent of all Canadians are immigrants. Of those, 66.2 percent arrived in the last 10 years. Table 1-1 shows the distribution of the WVS working data with the 2001 Census.
| Group | WVS | 2001 Census |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Born | 67.0% (n=1766) |
81.4% |
| Recent Immigrants (< 10 years) | 21.6% (n=570) |
6.3% |
| Earlier Immigrants (> 10 years) | 11.3% (n=298) |
12.3% |
Source: 2006 World Values Survey and 2001 Census
Gender, age and education will play an important role in the analysis. Table 1-2 and Table 1-3 disaggregate the three groups by gender. Across all three groups females slightly outnumber males.
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 58.8% | 54.9% | 50.8% |
| Male | 41.2% | 45.1% | 49.2% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| (n=1,763) | (n=297) | (n=569) |
Source: 2006 World Values Survey
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 50.7% | 51.6% | 52.0% |
| Male | 49.3% | 48.4% | 48.0% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Source: 2001 Census
To compare age cohorts, the samples are divided into four categories: youth (18 to 25 years of age), young individuals of working age (26 to 44 years of age), older individuals of working age (45 to 64 years of age), and those individuals aged 65 years and older. Table 1-4 and Table 1-5 show that recent immigrants tend to be slightly younger than their Canadian born and earlier immigrant counterparts. According to 2001 Census data, the mean ages for Canadian born, recent immigrant, and earlier immigrant groups are 34.8, 32.5, and 52.6 years respectively.
Question: Can you tell me your year of birth? This means you are (blank) years old?
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth (18-25) | 11.3% | 8.6% | 15.1% |
| Young Working Age (26-44) | 32.7% | 27.1% | 71.5% |
| Older Working Age (45-64) | 36.1% | 38.4% | 12.7% |
| Retired (65+) | 20.0% | 26.0% | 0.7% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| (n=1,758) | (n=292) | (n=551) |
Source: 2006 World Values Survey
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth (18-25) | 15.2% | 4.3% | 16.1% |
| Young Working Age (26-44) | 39.0% | 26.3% | 56.8% |
| Older Working Age (45-64) | 30.9% | 43.1% | 20.7% |
| Retired (65+) | 14.8% | 26.3% | 6.5% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Source: 2001 Census
Earlier immigrants have higher levels of exposure to post-secondary education than their Canadian born counterparts. And as Table 1-6 and Table 1-7 show, recent immigrants have higher levels of post-secondary education than the other groups. These differences are statistically significant (p < .01).
Question: What is the highest educational level you have attained? (If respondent indicates to being a student, check highest level s/he expects to complete).
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 25.9% | 18.6% | 2.6% |
| High school | 18.7% | 18.6% | 7.7% |
| Post-secondary | 55.4% | 62.7% | 89.6% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| (n=1,754) | (n=295) | (n=569) |
Source: 2006 World Values Survey
| Canadian Born | Earlier Immigrants | Recent Immigrants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 31.5% | 32.7% | 26.0% |
| High school | 14.6% | 12.1% | 12.3% |
| Post-secondary | 53.9% | 55.1% | 61.7% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
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