1961 Canadian census

1961 Canadian census
June 16, 1961 (1961-06-16)
General information
CountryCanada
AuthorityDominion Bureau of Statistics
Results
Total population18,238,247 ( 13.4%)
Most populous province/territoryOntario (6,236,092)
Least populous province/territoryYukon (14,628)

The 1961 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was June 16, 1961. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 18,238,247. This was a 13.4% increase over the 1956 census of 16,080,791.[1]

The previous census was the 1956 census and the following census was the 1966 census. This was the first census since 1901 in which all then-admitted provinces recorded a population of at least 100,000, and the last in which Saskatchewan had a larger population than neighbouring Manitoba.

Canada by the numbers

A summary of information about Canada.

Total population 18,238,247
Men 9,218,893
Women 9,019,354

Population by province

Rank Province or territory Population as of
1961 census 		Population as of
1956 census 		Change Percent
change
1 Ontario 6,236,092 5,404,933 831,159 15.4
2 Quebec 5,259,211 4,628,378 630,833 13.6
3 British Columbia 1,629,082 1,398,464 230,618 16.5
4 Alberta 1,331,944 1,123,116 208,828 18.6
5 Saskatchewan 925,181 880,665 44,516 5.1
6 Manitoba 921,686 850,040 71,646 8.4
7 Nova Scotia 737,007 694,717 42,290 6.1
8 New Brunswick 597,936 554,616 43,320 7.8
9 Newfoundland and Labrador 457,853 415,074 42,779 10.3
10 Prince Edward Island 104,629 99,285 5,344 5.4
11 Northwest Territories 22,998 19,313 3,685 19.1
12 Yukon 14,628 12,190 2,438 20.0
Canada 18,238,247 16,080,791 2,157,416 13.4

A different definition for the Northwest Territories disregards areas not included within the Mackenzie River Electoral District. If such areas were excluded, the Northwest Territories had 14,895 people in 1961 and 12,492 people in 1956.[2] Under this definition, the Northwest Territories saw an increase of 2,403 people, or 19.2%.

Ethnic group

Major ethnic groups in Canada by province/territory (1961 census)[3]: 4–5 
Ethnic group Canada ON QC BC AB SK MB NS NB NL PE NT YT
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
French 5,540,346 30.38% 647,941 10.39% 4,241,354 80.65% 66,970 4.11% 83,319 6.26% 59,824 6.47% 83,936 9.11% 87,883 11.92% 232,127 38.82% 17,171 3.75% 17,418 16.65% 1,412 6.14% 991 6.77%
English 4,195,175 23% 1,939,867 31.11% 322,410 6.13% 518,010 31.8% 282,964 21.24% 170,296 18.41% 184,607 20.03% 241,020 32.7% 158,590 26.52% 342,070 74.71% 30,191 28.86% 2,039 8.87% 3,111 21.27%
Scottish 1,902,302 10.43% 835,590 13.4% 109,937 2.09% 255,627 15.69% 165,942 12.46% 102,685 11.1% 119,299 12.94% 182,823 24.81% 84,082 14.06% 9,902 2.16% 32,940 31.48% 1,525 6.63% 1,950 13.33%
Irish 1,753,351 9.61% 873,647 14.01% 129,326 2.46% 165,631 10.17% 134,102 10.07% 92,133 9.96% 84,726 9.19% 93,998 12.75% 82,485 13.79% 74,791 16.34% 19,786 18.91% 1,056 4.59% 1,670 11.42%
German–Austrian 1,156,134 6.34% 435,205 6.98% 46,880 0.89% 137,010 8.41% 199,218 14.96% 177,192 19.15% 102,256 11.09% 46,038 6.25% 7,612 1.27% 1,937 0.42% 706 0.67% 805 3.5% 1,275 8.72%
Ukrainian 473,337 2.6% 127,911 2.05% 16,588 0.32% 35,640 2.19% 105,923 7.95% 78,851 8.52% 105,372 11.43% 1,763 0.24% 379 0.06% 141 0.03% 66 0.06% 358 1.56% 345 2.36%
Italian 450,351 2.47% 273,864 4.39% 108,552 2.06% 38,399 2.36% 15,025 1.13% 2,413 0.26% 6,476 0.7% 3,719 0.5% 1,210 0.2% 246 0.05% 103 0.1% 144 0.63% 200 1.37%
Scandinavian–Nordic 445,970 2.45% 103,559 1.66% 13,572 0.26% 106,829 6.56% 99,541 7.47% 69,444 7.51% 38,816 4.21% 5,985 0.81% 5,066 0.85% 1,237 0.27% 443 0.42% 633 2.75% 845 5.78%
Dutch 429,679 2.36% 191,017 3.06% 10,442 0.2% 60,176 3.69% 55,530 4.17% 29,325 3.17% 47,780 5.18% 25,251 3.43% 7,882 1.32% 462 0.1% 1,288 1.23% 177 0.77% 349 2.39%
Polish 323,517 1.77% 149,524 2.4% 30,790 0.59% 24,870 1.53% 40,539 3.04% 28,951 3.13% 44,371 4.81% 3,106 0.42% 633 0.11% 243 0.05% 82 0.08% 167 0.73% 241 1.65%
Indigenous 220,121 1.21% 48,074 0.77% 21,343 0.41% 38,814 2.38% 28,554 2.14% 30,630 3.31% 29,427 3.19% 3,271 0.44% 2,921 0.49% 1,411 0.31% 236 0.23% 13,233 57.54% 2,207 15.09%
Jewish 173,344 0.95% 65,280 1.05% 74,677 1.42% 5,113 0.31% 4,353 0.33% 2,287 0.25% 18,898 2.05% 1,672 0.23% 859 0.14% 180 0.04% 15 0.01% 10 0.04% 0 0%
Welsh 143,942 0.79% 61,678 0.99% 5,285 0.1% 27,159 1.67% 18,522 1.39% 8,261 0.89% 7,594 0.82% 7,577 1.03% 4,776 0.8% 2,136 0.47% 584 0.56% 157 0.68% 213 1.46%
Hungarian 126,220 0.69% 59,427 0.95% 15,561 0.3% 12,833 0.79% 15,293 1.15% 16,059 1.74% 5,443 0.59% 827 0.11% 412 0.07% 73 0.02% 15 0.01% 61 0.27% 216 1.48%
Russian 119,168 0.65% 28,327 0.45% 13,694 0.26% 27,448 1.68% 17,952 1.35% 22,481 2.43% 7,938 0.86% 804 0.11% 305 0.05% 67 0.01% 14 0.01% 37 0.16% 101 0.69%
Czechoslovak 73,061 0.4% 33,332 0.53% 7,381 0.14% 8,482 0.52% 12,448 0.93% 5,854 0.63% 4,525 0.49% 711 0.1% 138 0.02% 40 0.01% 27 0.03% 57 0.25% 66 0.45%
Yugoslav 68,587 0.38% 43,564 0.7% 5,577 0.11% 8,561 0.53% 5,329 0.4% 2,420 0.26% 2,448 0.27% 380 0.05% 114 0.02% 11 0% 4 0% 58 0.25% 121 0.83%
Baltic 64,373 0.35% 42,105 0.68% 9,310 0.18% 4,667 0.29% 3,903 0.29% 981 0.11% 2,019 0.22% 727 0.1% 332 0.06% 210 0.05% 24 0.02% 39 0.17% 56 0.38%
Belgian 61,382 0.34% 22,142 0.36% 12,092 0.23% 4,948 0.3% 5,152 0.39% 5,464 0.59% 9,698 1.05% 1,267 0.17% 447 0.07% 39 0.01% 31 0.03% 50 0.22% 52 0.36%
Chinese 58,197 0.32% 15,155 0.24% 4,749 0.09% 24,227 1.49% 6,937 0.52% 3,660 0.4% 1,936 0.21% 637 0.09% 274 0.05% 445 0.1% 43 0.04% 34 0.15% 100 0.68%
Greek 56,475 0.31% 29,062 0.47% 19,390 0.37% 3,124 0.19% 1,774 0.13% 809 0.09% 1,199 0.13% 827 0.11% 177 0.03% 43 0.01% 6 0.01% 52 0.23% 12 0.08%
European, n.o.s. 51,446[a] 0.28% 29,984 0.48% 10,000 0.19% 5,187 0.32% 2,003 0.15% 879 0.1% 1,332 0.14% 1,332 0.18% 424 0.07% 195 0.04% 30 0.03% 36 0.16% 44 0.3%
Romanian 43,805 0.24% 15,787 0.25% 7,101 0.14% 4,455 0.27% 6,806 0.51% 7,128 0.77% 1,968 0.21% 322 0.04% 140 0.02% 30 0.01% 5 0% 24 0.1% 39 0.27%
African/Black 32,127 0.18% 11,062 0.18% 4,287 0.08% 1,012 0.06% 1,307 0.1% 285 0.03% 920 0.1% 11,900 1.61% 1,273 0.21% 19 0% 48 0.05% 7 0.03% 7 0.05%
Japanese 29,157 0.16% 11,870 0.19% 1,459 0.03% 10,424 0.64% 3,721 0.28% 280 0.03% 1,296 0.14% 28 0% 18 0% 3 0% 0 0% 26 0.11% 32 0.22%
Syrian–Lebanese 19,374 0.11% 7,137 0.11% 5,302 0.1% 530 0.03% 1,327 0.1% 678 0.07% 590 0.06% 2,153 0.29% 984 0.16% 417 0.09% 240 0.23% 4 0.02% 12 0.08%
Asian, n.o.s. 8,251 0.05% 3,960 0.06% 2,808 0.05% 592 0.04% 310 0.02% 192 0.02% 157 0.02% 115 0.02% 45 0.01% 51 0.01% 11 0.01% 3 0.01% 7 0.05%
Indian (South Asian) 6,774 0.04% 1,155 0.02% 483 0.01% 4,526 0.28% 208 0.02% 115 0.01% 198 0.02% 46 0.01% 22 0% 17 0% 1 0% 2 0.01% 1 0.01%
British Isles, n.o.s. 1,899 0.01% 754 0.01% 99 0% 454 0.03% 225 0.02% 107 0.01% 219 0.02% 30 0% 7 0% 0 0% 0 0% 2 0.01% 2 0.01%
Other & Not Stated 210,382 1.15% 128,112 2.05% 8,762 0.17% 27,364 1.68% 13,717 1.03% 5,497 0.59% 6,242 0.68% 10,795 1.46% 4,202 0.7% 4,266 0.93% 272 0.26% 790 3.44% 363 2.48%
Total population 18,238,247 100% 6,236,092 100% 5,259,211 100% 1,629,082 100% 1,331,944 100% 925,181 100% 921,686 100% 737,007 100% 597,936 100% 457,853 100% 104,629 100% 22,998 100% 14,628 100%
At the time of the 1961 census, Canada comprised 12 major administrative units; ten provinces and two territories.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Including 21,734 respondents specifying Portuguese ethnic origin, of which 12,079 were located in Ontario, 4,495 in Quebec, 2,910 in British Columbia, 1,566 in the Prairies, 659 in Atlantic Canada, and 25 in Northern Canada.[4]

References

  1. ^ "1961 Census of Canada. Volume 1, Population, Electoral Districts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  2. ^ "1956 Census of Canada. Volume 1, Population, Electoral Districts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  3. ^ "1961 Census of Canada : population : vol. I - part 2. 92-545. Ethnic groups". Government of Canada Publications. June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  4. ^ "Immigration and Ethnicity in Canada Booklet Series". Canadian Historical Association. 1982. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
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