Population
New data from the 2001 Census shows that the Aboriginal population is on the rise. Just over 1.3 million people reported having at least some Aboriginal ancestry in 2001, representing 4.4 % of the total population. In 1996, people with Aboriginal ancestry represented 3.8 % of the total population.

In 2001, a total of 976,305 persons identified themselves with one (or more) of the Aboriginal groups (Status, non-Status, Inuit and Métis). This count was 22.2% higher than the 1996 figure of 799,010. In contrast, the non-Aboriginal population grew only 3.4% between 1996 and 2001.

Birth Rate
The Aboriginal birth rate is about 1.5 times that of the non-Aboriginal birth rate.

Children
Although the Aboriginal population accounted for only 3.3% of Canada's total population, Aboriginal children represented 5.6% of all children in Canada.

About 65% of Aboriginal children living on reserves lived with two parents. This compares with only 50% in census metropolitan areas. In contrast, almost 83% of non-Aboriginal children lived with two parents.

Youth
The Aboriginal population in 2001 was much younger than the non-Aboriginal population, but has still been aging. The median age of Canada's Aboriginal population was 13 years younger than that of the non-Aboriginal population, a result of the higher birth rate among Aboriginal people.

The median age for the Aboriginal population was 24.7 years, while that of the non-Aboriginal population was at an all-time high of 37.7 years. Median age is the point where exactly one-half of the population is older, and the other half is younger.

Children aged 14 and under represented one-third of the Aboriginal population in 2001, far higher than the corresponding share of 19% in the non-Aboriginal population.

As these children move through the education system and into the labour market in coming years, they will account for an increasing part of the growth of the working-age population. This will be the case particularly in provinces with higher concentrations of Aboriginal people.

Seniors
The number of Aboriginal seniors, while relatively small, soared 40% between 1996 and 2001 to 39,700. This was by far the biggest increase of all broad age groups. At the same time, the number of seniors in the non-Aboriginal population increased only 10%.

Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is still lower in the Aboriginal population than in the non-Aboriginal population. However, the gap is narrowing over time. In 1975, the life expectancy for Canadian males was 11.1 years higher than that for the status Indian male population. By 2000, this gap had narrowed to only 7.4 years. Similarly, the gap for life expectancy at birth closed between status Indian and Canadian women from 11.7 years to 5.2 during this period.

Mobility Challenges
Aboriginal people are more mobile than other Canadians. Their high level of mobility creates challenges for planning and implementing programs in education, social services, housing and health care, especially in urban areas.

Overall, in the 12 months before the May 15, 2001 Census, 22% of Aboriginal people moved, compared with only 14% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. About two thirds of those who moved, did so within the same community, while about one third of movers changed communities.

Source: Statistics Canada

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